God With Us, Part 4: In The Storm // Pastor David Spiegel
Milwaukee do this series called God With Us is the name of the series. They were talking about the how the presence of God is with us and very different seasons of ripe. I know there are life's go through Seasons. We have those great Seasons that were on the Mountaintop so I can talk about the first week in the weather seasons were in the valley and we talked about how that God did we enjoy got on the Mountaintop, but we get to know him intimately in the valley. We also threw we talked about how that God is with us in the wilderness valleys are things that we go through but sometimes the Wilderness is something you get stuck in just ask the children of Israel wandering in the wilderness for 40 years. They were stuck. But the great thing about that is even worse in the wilderness. Our deepest me becomes a great gift because it drives us to depend on God and the more we depend on God the better off we are until we get in trouble most of the time we got to think that I got. I got this. Those are the most dangerous words on a planet.
So before we get her talking about today, you probably hadn't figured out, but I'm excited about next week do everything you can to invite people. Next week is our is our Christmas Sunday, and and I've seen some Christmas sweaters and stuff. And so we're all that stuff next week. We're going to do at a red and green day and just ask about it just to show we have a great time. We're going to the worship team. So we doing some Christmas carols of things that has to be a great time and the subject is worser to be continued God With Us cuz that is our Christmas theme but next Sunday or going to rock God With Us Always. Always so it's going to be traffic, But today we have figured out we're talking about as it says Matthew 1:23. It says the Virgin be with child or your birth to a son. They will call him Emmanuel. Which means god with us. Yes what things I love about the Christmas season. We celebrate the season is this idea that that God would call them self and Flash and come live among us and be with us and it even though he's a senate in his seated at the right hand of father that he is still with us because of his holy spirit resides in us. And today we're going to be talking about how the God Is With Us in the storm. See sometimes valleys. I'm tired. I like Wilderness sometimes storms just hit just out of nowhere. I mean, yeah, we have meteorologist. We have all these tools to check at a track days, but they still miss it and they still get caught by surprise because sometimes storms just happened. You're right here in the US. We see that we hit or hit was storms. It sounds of things rise up and and all of those things but I heard a saying that I thought this is very very interesting and I believe it's very true. It's not very encouraging but it's very true. You either coming out of a storm. You're the middle of the storm, but there's a storm just around the corner. Oh, that's the way life is in life stuff happens as much as we'd like for life to be smooth and perfect and every morning we wake up in the birds are singing and every day is just everybody said a great move before coffee.
Usually doesn't happen that we Face stuff in life. That's a big storms that are country this year and I've always found it very interesting that there's certain class of storms hurricanes that we give names. We name them after people.
hurricane Florence hurricane, Michael I thought about that what if we were to name all the storms of life? If we were to give them names. I can just see so I pick up the phone and said I can't come in today. I've got virus penny.
Or me and my cards by cars just totaled. cuz of accident Annie
You would have renamed those things. Another thing that I thought of that is mine were so it. Is it good to track another you think about this these storms one of y'all so dude, I don't forget we give them names we give them categories. So, can you imagine one of your co-workers cuz I know none of you would ever do this. But can you imagine one of your co-workers calling in and saying I can't come in today? Cuz I've got hangover Harry in as a category 5
so where did all this come from? It turns out there before 1954 that these storms are named after locations. But in in 1954, they started met you many of the meteorologist started naming storms get their after their wives and girlfriends.
Not a war that started on a why so my thought that was a good idea and I can just see some meteorologist coming home and saying, honey.
There's a storm coming and it's a big one. I mean it's going to kill people. It's going to wipe houses out. It's going to leave a wake of Destruction in its path. I named it after you.
I don't get it. And that went on for 25 years in the 1979 equal rights for storms happened. They started naming them after men as well. So I guess there's some lady made it meteorologist at hey, I wanted to see if I got a boyfriend that this storm has got his name written all over it. But would you reface storms and unfortunately, so be the here right now, you're probably in the midst of some kind of storm. Maybe it's a small storm like a messed up car or maybe it's a storm like some of the ones today there were supposed to be taking on roles in the church there all sudden sickness had some things have a way to Sweet Face stuff in life and it hits us and it's maybe you're here. You've said, you know what it's not a category five, but I'm going through a tropical depression right now.
Then we face those things and we say you're my forecast for my life is looking kind of gloomy and stormy. I wish I could get through this relational storming around or whatever. We can name. It all kinds of things. But sometimes we find ourselves in the middle of very real pain and we just want the storm to go away.
It's what we do we were in the middle of a stormy times. We do it run for cover. If it's a storm we hear a siren we can run for cover we can do those things. We can buy storm shelters, but unfortunately in life. Does not always a storm shelter that's not always a place that we can run.
It many times with those things happen over here. We want to blame somebody who want to blame God.
And we want the storm to go away.
Sometimes we say God. Where are you God? Why did you do this to me? Why did you let this happen to me? I don't understand why I'm In This Storm. Here's what I want you to remember? Don't let the presence of a storm cause you to doubt the presence of God.
Don't let the presence of a storm cause you to doubt the presence of God. Cuz God is with us soon as we explore the stock today. We spending most their time and Acts chapter 27. Is this a great story? You're probably familiar with his scripture, but I think it really felt Spitz we're at and we're going to I'm going to cut your kind of the most stormy the most downtrodden the most heavy laden passage in this whole story you're going to start there, but I want you to look this acts 27 verse 20. It says would neither Sun nor stars appear for many days and the storm continued raising raising think we finally gave up all hope of being saved.
What a horrible place to be.
no sense of direction They do it that day and time they they they charted the course of the ships by the Sun the moon and the stars and so you can imagine this storm hits their being tossed around they've done everything I can they unloaded the ship that tossed cargo of side of tossed all the stuff in the storm hit that is, there's nothing they can do.
And not only that carry with them but they can't see the sun. They can't see the stars. They can't see the mood. They have no idea where they're at.
Talk about being lost in the storm was it say, so as finally we gave up all hope of being saved. I thought we're not going to survive. This. This is over. This is it I'm done.
Paul was a prisoner on the ship. He was headed to Rome to stand trial. The whole thing is because Paul got arrested. I don't know if there's ever been a man in history that has been arrested for doing good like Paul was. I mean healing people putting them to to Christ doing all these great things would discuss the political powers of both the church and the governor there didn't like what he was doing. He's under arrest and he's put on trial. And he's having to defend himself.
And come to find out it finds out that that even though he's on trial and he's in the the ruler of the area has him in his hands and and he's kind of safe and that even though he's under arrest. We find out if the leaders of the day. Had this scheme to have him brought back to Jerusalem to stand trial and they had people ready to Ambush and kill him on the way back to Jerusalem.
So what does he do? He's a Roman citizen. So you peels to Caesar which was a right. So he is on this ship and he is headed to Rome to stand trial when the storm hits. Right in the middle of all that it says we finally gave up all hope of being same. Can you imagine what Palmas it felt like talk about a bad week talk about a bad month. Talk about a bad year. He's walking through it. But God was with him every step of the way.
Wonder how many of you would use that phrase maybe something you're going through right now you're thinking.
I've given up all hope.
I'm not going to make it.
You know what?
There are things that we Face sometimes we get gut-wrenching news. Maybe you say you know what? I've got a marriage. That's just not going to make it. I'll never be able to climb out of this financial debt that I'm in the doctor says there's no way I'm going to beat this.
Or the doctor says there's no way you will ever conceive. Free on family that's devastating news.
but interesting Lee enough just tear of the little over a year. We've had two different people that we prayed for the doctor is sediment. They've tried Medical Treatments that have gone to doctors and the Doctor Who said there's no way it'll never happen get used to it. I enjoyed the wedding I did yesterday. There was Andrew and Cassidy with baby Aiden and their arms. And I remember them coming down and saying the doctor said there's no hope. I'm praying for them. And I'm very careful about doing this. I don't I don't take this lightly at $0.80 but I just had the impression and I looked at them in that moment your head that kind of righteous thing rise up and I looked rather service have said you will have a child. And he will be a boy and he will serve God. Right now we're two out of three. He's little he's a little young to serve God yet, but I think it's coming. God does that and the recently we had somebody else that if you remember the the testimony knife that we had in.
High Point, yes, I could they leave the church. We will both will churches come together and and we gave the testimony of Kim's Healing there was a couple that we prayed with that night that the same news. The doctor said it is impossible. You will not be able to ever have a child. Guess what they're expecting now. Cigar the doctors. Don't get the final answer.
God is with us when they say the sun and the stars are gone. There's no sense of direction their loss. And so what happens in those more mini X were in those storms and we're facing those things. What do we do? We begin to play play the blame game. blame God blame Satan we're looking for someplace and we can push the blame off of us onto somebody else will think you'll be responsible.
I like the
it's been a couple years back but I bought a brand new lawn mower course. I got all the parts. You have to pull everything out and assemble it all and I couldn't lie cuz it been a few years since I bought a new one and I couldn't believe all the warning stickers. They were all over it.
Like don't put your hand underneath the lawn mower while it's running.
You know good and well that somebody's lawsuit. They when they lost their fingers they were looking for somebody else to blame because it happened and so they sue said there was no warning label telling me I couldn't do that. and you know every one of those labels is somebody putting the blame on somebody else probably for some not so intelligent decision they made
But we do we play the blame game is so many times. You want to point it other people with sometimes we find ourselves in the storm and it's our fault.
the second verse 21
pulse is this after the manner going a long time without without food Paul set up before them some men you should have taken my advice not to sell from Crete. Then you would have spared yourself this damage and loss. And nobody likes that I told you so. Paul was valid and making the statement I told you so I think I can imagine some of them want to punch him in the mouth right then in there for stating the obvious, but they're in this situation because they had traveled in the in the winds had been favorable. There is something happened. And so they were running behind on the schedule. They ended up landing on the island and staying in this Harbor called Fairhaven is so the discussion was going on as late in the season when it was approaching when the Steve's get really rough and the storms were there that part of the the world and Sao Paulo makes the statement. You know, what we don't need to go on. We need to stay right here, but it turns out Fairhaven was just a name. Cuz it was on the wrong side of the island to Winter in it was not conducive for that because of the way the wind's typically came in that time of year. It's so despite though it being the most logical thing to do knowing the dangers of cell and make sure to stay right where they were. But you had the Centurion that was guarding Paul. They wanted to press on you had the boat captain that wanted to press on you had the owner of the ship that had the cargo. He was trying to get to Rome. Pricing on let's go until they sell off and they get caught in this horrible storm. And so Paul has is i-told-you-so moment. They were trying to place you can't you see I'm trying to make Paul said you know what guys this is your own fault.
Think about that. Why were the storm they were in the storm because of a decision that they made it wasn't the best decision. Ignored it. I've seen people in my life. Come out saying I'm all super spiritual they but sometimes the Holy Spirit really give something. And I was in a situation this was years back. Does a person that was struggling in their marriage and they're making some wrong decisions? They wanted to meet with me. We had this conversation in the midst of that conversation just as sure as I was when I spoke to Cassidy and Andrew about the child the Holy Spirit spoke to me and I said need to because here's the situation the marriage was about to break up. He was blaming her but the real cause was this a lady at work that he liked.
It is that moment I called him on it. Do the Holy Spirit and told him you're about to make some major tragic mistakes, if you go where you're wanting to go? Cuz all this stuff is just excuses.
And I gave him this this is going to happen. This is going to happen in this is going to happen. I told him I said this is not me. This is what God is saying to you. This is a moment. You need to turn around and make the right decision. ignored
all the things I told him happen and he found himself in the storm. There's no other blame but himself and sometimes we find ourselves in that in that situation. We want to say God. Why did you let this happen? And you didn't let it happen. Let it ride. You probably told you more than once don't do that.
Where the devil did this and I trust me. I know the enemy comes against the Enemy Bring storms and brings attack, but sometimes it's not God's fault and it's not the devil's fault. It's our fault.
Maybe Sam and middle of financial storm. But if you're honest is because you spent too much. binance too many things maybe you're not in a relationship storm. Cuz your mama told you not to date him.
Your daddy told you not to date them. Your pastor told you not to date them. Your friends told you not to date them the fortune cookie the Chinese restaurant told you not to date on them.
But you still did it.
But they have so much potential. the potential direct your life
things we do for Matt. There's so many ways. We can go so many areas. I can explore with this but you get the picture sometimes it's the decisions we make and we find ourselves to build a storm and it's our fault. I don't know about you. It's easier for me.
To expect God to be with me when I'm in a storm. That he's allowed or I'm in a storm. This attack of the enemy is a God's got me. You're going to make it through this. I'm not going to let the enemy get us down. But sometimes it's a little bit difficult. But you know, it's your fault that you're in the storm. You like to know what I really deserve this. Joe the great thing is aren't you glad that God doesn't hold those kind of grudges. Aren't you glad that even we messed it up ourselves? He still loves us. He still cares. He's still with us.
They found themselves in this storm that continue to rage and they gave up all hope it says
and we know that chances are there were some people on that probably agree with Paul because some of them are prisoners.
So, I'm sure not everybody was like let's go ahead. I'm sure there were some more like you know what I think it's got Paul's right. Let's hang out right here in this state in the harbor, but they made the decision. And so sometimes it's because of decisions that we make we get called in the storm. Sometimes it's because of decisions somebody else makes
He may not be your fault that the company company work for extended itself too much and now they're having to downsize a bunch of stuff.
Can you get that news right at Christmas time?
Or sometimes it's not our fault 1 some disease rise or some sort of sometimes we get caught up in things. Maybe Yer your families falling apart. Maybe your life is messed up because that an early age knows a divorce that took place in some things happen that you were abused or something situation. I understand. Sometimes we get caught in those storms that are not our fault.
remember don't let the presence of a storm cause you to doubt the presence of God ever.
Sears a second point in not sunk yet.
Anytime God is present your not suck yet.
Miller storm, sometimes it's so easy to give up all light seems gone. You can't see the stars. You can't see any light your loss and and courage to keep fighting courage to keep going on and so difficult to come by don't you look at verse 22 through 24 Chills, but now I heard you to keep up your courage and way to write this is right on the heels. I'm saying all hope was lost. There wasn't any stars. Wendy son. Didn't know where they're going to they're going to says but he says but I heard you to keep up your courage because not one of you will be lost. Only the ship will be destroyed last night and angel of God whose I am.
And whom I serve Stood Beside Me and said do not be afraid Paul. You must stand trial before Caesar and God has graciously given you the lives of all those who sail with you.
Some of you may be this morning you need that. You need to hear that you need that to encourage you this storm that your aunt is not going to sink you. Some of your stuff may be lost, but you will not.
God has you if you belong to him, you will not be lost.
What is the last time an angel of God whose I am Angel be God whose I am and whom I serve Stood Beside Me.
Mangel was there with him? Figure out the storm was still raging. Everything's still seem lost. But there was someone standing beside him.
What are you in those storms remind yourself? Who do I belong to?
Who is with me? And use that to hold your head high see I know that sometimes we can carry this Angel thing a little too far cuz I know they're people to get weird with so that stuff but that doesn't change the fact that we're here today more than three of gathered in his name. He promised he would be here and make no mistake. There are probably angels in this room right now.
We don't think about that because you like okay, that's kind of weird saving but it's true.
It's true. There could be two big Angel standing behind me right now. That would be really cool.
But it's kind of like a story of a friend of ours that Kim knows very well.
Is the lady that they used to be our missionettes coordinator another church. Just a fireball over of the lady wish you weren't really big. Who's the young lady that they were staying in her home? Because I had a rough background and they were trying to help her get on her feet and try to help her get a better start in life because she didn't have the best printer back down. By the way. She's doing great now has a wife and roll I'm has a husband their own kids and all that stuff in and it's just need to see that. But this particular instance she going out with some friends. Got in the situation that you weren't supposed to be in ended up in the house. She wasn't supposed to be in where there were drugs and things going on that shouldn't have been it's not a good situation, but somehow this lady got word of where she was. Being a lady that she wasn't being just have to know her. She gets in her vehicle and takes off towards that house and this is not of the best part of town. And she shows up. I mean there's this obviously there's this party there's a circumstance going on but it was one of those situations where there were two big guys out front they were obviously there to guard who went in and who didn't
She marches right up to the door. Tell them to get out of her way. Did she's ever cause a person's name that she's there yet. She says I know she's here. I'm here to get her get out of my way and the two guys parted ways and she went right on in got her and left.
little time later She's out somewhere. And she runs across and recognizes one of the guys it was standing at the door. So she goes up and she approaches him.
Cuz I don't know why but thank you. For stepping aside and let me get this young lady. He said ma'am. I didn't step aside because of you but I stepped aside because the two huge men that were right behind you.
Real-time I've got missionary for as I can tell story after story about stuff like that. But the truth is that is true until this idea the Angels standing with Paul in the boat. Is something that can be very real? It's so that's what happened. And it can you imagine the middle of a storm in the presence of God is with him in that moment. And it seems you don't we don't get any indication from that point on that. Paul was operating in any form of fear.
I think a big shiny guy appearing you and telling you still be okay. We'll probably give you a little bit of confidence.
But you know what? Just because we don't see and just because we don't hear. Doesn't mean that God doesn't have. He is with you during your storm.
See God With Us also means god with you.
Sometimes we can do that. We can get caught up this idea. We we believe in the blanket statement that God is with us and that Jesus died for all of our sins. Are they sometimes we we believe the blankets table, but we struggle with personalizing it.
Thank God for us means god with you God for us means god with me. The dispersal and it's real several years back. A priest a message that I called for things God never says and it just spent so I'm just going to read these four statements. The number one who were going through something and we're telling God about it. They were on her face before him. God never says hold on to that. Thought I'll be right back.
You never says that.
It was something his ass blindsided. We don't see it coming also would find ourselves in the midst of the storm. He never says I didn't see that coming.
They were asking for advice and we're asking Lord. I don't know. I've been helping this thing. I don't know what to do. Don't tell me what to do. Next. God never says I don't know what to do next.
and the best one of all God never says sorry there is no hope.
Hold on to that. Don't let the presence of a storm cause you to doubt the presence of God. I'm going to say that a hundred times. We need to get that in our minds in our Spirits. Don't let the presence of a storm cause you to doubt the presence of God cuz he said his with us. It's the ones that come down to.
Comes down to this who's in your boat.
When the storms of life hit and they will who's in the boat with you is what matters most.
Do we know that Paul went on and he stood trial. We know that he got to I Love Thinking about Paul's didn't matter how lofty position the person was. He was standing before he made sure that he worked the gospel and to his message even though from Earthly standards. They had the light in the power of His Life in his debt. He didn't back down because he knew his other I love what he says concerning this the Timothy and 2nd Timothy 4 16 through 18. He says this he says that my first defense No one came to my support, but everyone deserted me. But not be held against them, but the Lord stood at my side and gave me strength. So that threw me the message might be fully Proclaim to all the Gentiles and it all the Gentiles might hear it and I was delivered from the lion's mouth. The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and will bring me safely to his Heavenly Kingdom to him be the glory forever and ever a man.
See people may leave our side but God never does.
If you look at the story look at a history here as we thought we would have Wednesday night. We walked the racks we talked about how the when he arrived in Rome. They were Christians in Rome that heard he was coming then met him with joy, you see it when it came time for the first trial.
It was just him.
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PA said even though deserted me the Lord stood by my side and gave me strength. It's all about who's beside you is all about who's with you but you realize the guy with this was is with you. It changes your posture. It changes your mood. It build your fav. It redirects your mind because it's all about who's with you it you're at that point. It doesn't matter whether it is or is it your fault as long as God is with you can stand up in the midst of the storm and you can hold your head high.
We all make mistakes. We've all needed rescuing from Stones. That's our own stupid fault.
Me too.
Dear God is faithful.
Which brings me to another store that cats can relate it's not like this and we all pretty familiar with the story where the disciples in the boat. And Jesus is in the in the butt with almond and he's falls asleep in a storm comes along and in hits is there in the middle of this this Bowden and the disciples or get scared and they think that they're going to sink. And they're panicking and Jesus is right there and they're panicking and Jesus is right there and they're panicking some more. Jesus is right there.
It is so easy to take what are you thinking? Why are you so freaked out? I mean the god of the universe and Flash was laying right there and he was in the phone with you. Why did you why did you wake you up saying? What you going to do anything don't you care? We're about to die. Let me look at that would take that is so stupid.
But don't we do the same thing?
Jesus is in the boat with us in this thing that we call life. And work on 02 don't you care that we're about to die.
Boosie the truth is he never left us. She's right there with us. sometimes like that story he stands up. In the midst of our storm and he says peace be still in the storm stops. sometimes
he walks with us in the storm. Call zouzas come on, so you can walk on these waves.
But he's still there in both circumstances.
Don't let the presence of a storm cause you to doubt the presence of God ever.
Hello, it says her where it says the angel said to Paul do not be afraid. You must stand trial before Jesus. Bore Caesar. God has graciously given you the lives of all who sail with you? Other words, you can't go down the storm because there's more battles I have for you to fight.
How many times do we think it's going to be the end and gods know it's not going to be there. So I got stuff for you to do.
He's not finished with you yet.
If you're not dead you're not done.
You said seek and if you're not dead you're not done. We all have levels of influence. We all have people whose lives we can pour into every storm. We faced God can use it we come out of it to minister to somebody else.
You go through life and you listed how many times? Do you come across something that they got got you go through the storm? That's so horrible and God brings you out of it and it gives you this miracle and then you want sooner or later. You'll run across somebody else's face in the same exact thing and there's your opportunity. So you know, what where you're at. I've been there. Let me tell you what God did.
You're not going to see because God's not done with you. There are still people your story can touch. They're still influences you have with other people there still places. You can plug in to Ministry to help somebody else there still people that you can show kindness and love to there's still stuff. If you're not dead you're not done. You're not going down with the ship.
Suddenly you can use your situation become / Angeles. first 25 Pulsus will keep up your courage man for I have faith in God that this will happen just as you told me.
My faith is a wooden what I see my faith is in what God says. I have faith that God will do what he will say and then it will come to pass my faith is not in the boat. My faith is in the one that commands the winds and the waves my faith is not in the ship. My faith is in the one that made the trees that made the wood that made the ship.
Are we need to get that our hardest man-made Solutions isn't the answer? After all think of this his name this isn't just a saying his name means god with us.
That's your worship team to come or not or scheme that are protein.
Cuz the great thing the great thing about this story is this
Yes, the ship was lost. The cargo was lost. Everything was done the ship ran aground. The the waves are being against it was being broken to pieces.
But just like God promised Paul every single one of them made it to shore on harm.
Matter fact Paul even got the opportunity to preach to those on the islands to preach the governor on the island to go on to Rome.
I mean if ever there was somebody that was in the midst of a storm it was Paul.
later on Youree were Paul because the talk about the things that he experienced in his life.
And the guy went through some stuff.
God was with him every single step of the way.
Never doubt the presence of God. Are in the midst of a storm never doubt God's presence. Never doubt it. He's with you.
Psalms 46 1 through 3 says this I'm going to pray.
God is our refuge and strength an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore. We will not fear though the Earth give way in the mountains fall in the heart of the sea Waters Roar and foam in the mountains Quake with their surging. Even talk about a storm. Even in that it says this God is our refuge and our strength God With Us.