S1: So the thing that they feared turned out to be
S1: the thing to deliver them. So their deliverance was in
S1: their storm. In other words, God has a divine design
S1: for the storms of our life.
S2: Welcome to Treasure Truth with pastor and author James Ford,
S2: junior senior pastor of the Christ Bible Church in Chicago.
S2: I'm Steve Heller. Glad that you're with us today as
S2: we're going to begin a new series called The Perfect Storm,
S2: really taken from acts chapter 27. And as you might expect,
S2: the Apostle Paul in the book of acts in that chapter,
S2: he is in a storm. He was actually sailing for Rome.
S2: A storm came up and Paul was involved in a shipwreck.
S2: And ultimately it was through that shipwreck that many people
S2: around Paul got to see God at work in his life.
S2: And ultimately many of them were saved, not just physically,
S2: but saves spiritually as well. And that principle holds true
S2: in our lives today. It's very often in the storms
S2: of life where we feel like our plans and what
S2: we thought was going to happen gets absolutely shipwrecked, that
S2: we see God show up. You've probably known people I
S2: know I certainly have, who have said it was in
S2: this moment of pain and desperation that I recognized my
S2: need for God. I cried out to him and I
S2: began a personal relationship with Jesus because of that storm.
S2: For others who maybe have been believers for some time,
S2: they say it was in that storm that I didn't want,
S2: but God allowed that God really got Ahold of my heart,
S2: that he really grew my relationship with him. And I
S2: am changed spiritually. I grew so much in my spiritual
S2: maturity in that storm that I never want to go
S2: through that again. But I can look back and say,
S2: God used that tremendously in my life, and I'm so
S2: glad of what I've learned in that storm. Well, I'm
S2: glad that you've joined us for today's program, because Pastor
S2: Ford is going to spend some time talking about why
S2: storms are given to us, how they're to inspect us
S2: and correct us. So if you can open your Bible
S2: and join us in acts chapter 27 as we begin
S2: this message called the Perfect Storm. Here is Pastor Ford.
S1: Some of you may remember what happened. Uh, I guess
S1: it was about 10 or 11 years ago. There was
S1: an infestation of mosquitoes in Louisiana. As a matter of fact,
S1: it was epidemic. They hadn't seen that many in years. Um, and, uh,
S1: there was great concern, uh, because, uh, they carried disease
S1: and all that kind of stuff. And then to add
S1: injury to insult, they were expecting a hurricane. And so
S1: they're dealing with this infestation of mosquitoes. Now there's a
S1: hurricane coming. Injury to insult. But something that they thought
S1: was going to be devastating, uh, turned out to their delight. Uh,
S1: because when the storm came, they had mosquitoes. When the
S1: storm left, the mosquitoes were gone. Uh, so the thing
S1: that they feared turned out to be the thing to
S1: deliver them. So their deliverance was in their storm. So
S1: you missed it already? Their deliverance was in their storm.
S1: In other words, God has a divine design for the
S1: storms of our life. And I say it all the time,
S1: at infinitum, ad nauseam, that what we actually see as
S1: setbacks may be set ups for God to work in
S1: our lives. Uh, so we started this passage a couple
S1: of weeks ago, and we said that when you look
S1: at what God is doing, this is a cogent, concise
S1: passage that gives us a panorama of what God does
S1: with us, to us, for us, through every storm of life.
S1: So it really doesn't matter. Uh, now there's some that
S1: aren't in here, but at least we can do with
S1: the ones that are in here. So they accomplish six things.
S1: Walk with me. Uh. Real quick. Uh, storms are given
S1: to inspect us. That's verses nine through 13. Everybody follow along. Alright. Secondly,
S1: storms in this passage are given to correct us 14
S1: through 20 storms. Third of all are given to protect
S1: us 21 through 25, and storms are given verses 26
S1: through 32 to direct US 33 through 41. Storms are
S1: given to perfect us. And then finally 42 through 44
S1: storms are given to resurrect us. And so God wants
S1: to do these things. Uh, he wants to, first of all,
S1: inspect us. That when you look at verses nine through 13,
S1: here's what you find. God uses the test to inspect.
S1: In other words, God tests your faith with problems. What
S1: do your problems reveal about you? Because they always reveal
S1: something about you. As if the old adage is true.
S1: Christians are like tea bags. If you want to know
S1: what's really in a Christian, drop them in some hot
S1: water and then you're going to begin to find out
S1: if they have anything that God has put in them
S1: that will come out and flavor that hot water and
S1: take over the taste and the control where you see
S1: the analogy anyway. And so that's what he wants to do. So.
S1: So what did he test walk through with me. Verse
S1: nine that it tested uh, they had a failure to
S1: wait uh, that your problems test your patience. So God
S1: told them in verse nine, don't go. They went anyway. Why?
S1: Because we're in a hurry. We want it right now.
S1: I mean, God, give me a husband. Give me a
S1: wife now! And if you don't, we're going to go
S1: get a Hagar and have ourself a Ishmael. And so
S1: what do we do? You know, I heard a phrase.
S1: It wasn't mine. I wish it was because I loved it.
S1: When I heard it, I wrote it down in my computer.
S1: Of my mind, there are no shortcuts on the highway
S1: to holiness. No shortcuts. That's one of the things I
S1: had to deal with, Deke, because I. I'll do something
S1: last minute in a minute, and God had to work
S1: on me. Now I don't do it in the last minute.
S1: I wait the last two minutes. And so there was
S1: a failure to wait, then. Uh, you you saw, uh, that, uh,
S1: God was inspecting their faith. They didn't have any because
S1: ten and 11, they made foolish decisions. Then in verse 12,
S1: they're following the crowd. So there's a vote. Should we
S1: listen to God? And God lost 273 to 3. And
S1: then we saw fair weather circumstances. That is verse 13
S1: of things begin to look like God wasn't telling the truth.
S1: I need to let you know. Every open door is
S1: not from God. Amen. Amen. Yeah. See, here's the problem.
S1: And let me summarize it and move on. We think
S1: we can make foolish decisions and still be blessed. Some
S1: shipwrecks are our own fault. Now let's move on. In
S1: 14 through 20, he says, storms are given to correct us.
S1: Let me read a few of these verses. It says.
S1: But not long after there arose against it a tempest
S1: wind called euroclydon. And when the ship was caught and
S1: could not bear into the wind, we let her drive.
S1: And running unto a certain island, which is called Clauda,
S1: we had much work to come by the boat, which,
S1: when they had taken up, they used helps under-girding the ship,
S1: and fearing lest they should fall into the quicksands. Strike sail,
S1: and so were driven, and we be exceedingly tossed with
S1: a tempest. The next day they lighten the ship, and
S1: the third day we cast out our own hands, the
S1: tackling of the ship. And when neither sun nor stars
S1: in many day appeared. And no small tempest lay on
S1: us all. Hope that we should be saved was then
S1: taken away. Some storms are designed to correct us. In
S1: other words, what's going on? Look at the text. This
S1: storm comes up sudden and unexpected. And that's the way
S1: storms come. And it starts off with soft winds that
S1: turn into storm winds. Don't waste this word because sometimes
S1: it starts off real good at first when we're not
S1: doing what God has called us to do. But how
S1: many know? All you gotta do is just wait a
S1: little bit that it always catches up with us, that
S1: we can be sure our sins will find us out,
S1: that God said, this is how we are to do it.
S1: This is how we do it. As a matter of fact,
S1: look at it because it calls it a tempest, a typhoon,
S1: and it gives it a name Euroclydon gave the storm
S1: a name. What's the name of your storm? Husband. Wife. Boss. Ministry. Finances.
S1: Everybody say. Yeah, yeah, that's. That's my storm. Here's what
S1: I want you to see. Uh, that when we talk
S1: about storms, he names them. I believe it's because the
S1: identification of the problem is the first step necessary to
S1: resolving the problem. Note something. They name the source of
S1: the storm, not the agent. I just thought I'd bring
S1: that out because I. I looked at it, the source,
S1: not the symptom. And see the winds and the waves. Uh,
S1: had a source. Euroclydon. In other words, the storm was
S1: sent to correct them.
S2: You're listening to Treasure Truth with Pastor Ford and a
S2: message called The Perfect Storm, really taken from acts 27.
S2: And we'll get back to this message in just a moment. Well,
S2: Pastor Ford's teaching is available all throughout Moody Radio because
S2: of the generosity of those who give to support this program.
S2: You know, maybe you've been listening for some time now,
S2: but you've never given a gift to support. I want
S2: to ask you to do so today. It is really
S2: because of your generosity that we're able to pay for
S2: production costs and for airtime. So if the Lord is
S2: using Pastor Ford's teaching in your life, would you give
S2: a gift? You can do so by coming to Treasure
S2: Truth Radio org and click on Make a Donation. Again,
S2: that's Treasure Truth radio.org. Back to the message. Here's Pastor Ford.
S1: God says, listen, I don't want you to sell. So, Paul,
S1: tell him don't sell. It's dangerous. But no, they don't listen.
S1: Nobody wants to hear what God has to say. So
S1: God says, okay, well, then, since you won't listen to me,
S1: I'm going to send a storm. Now, we ought not
S1: be surprised by that. Jonah chapter one. Here's what the
S1: Bible says. And the word of the Lord came to
S1: Jonah and said, Go to Nineveh, that great city, and
S1: preach against it. What did Jonah do? Jonah said, Hades, no,
S1: I won't go. So Jonah went down and went down
S1: and went down and went down. That's what it says.
S1: He went down and then down and then down, and
S1: then down into a ship. And he paid his fare
S1: and he went to Tarshish. Now Tarshish is in Spain.
S1: Let me just show you, uh, what God did. Jonah.
S1: I want you to go to Ninevites, but I don't
S1: want them to be saved. I don't want to go
S1: and preach to them. I don't want to go to them.
S1: So therefore, I'm going to disobey you because I don't
S1: like what you're telling me to do. Let me say
S1: that again. I'm going to disobey you because I don't
S1: like what you want me to do. I ain't feeling that.
S1: And God says I don't care whether you're feeling it
S1: or not. I told you to go to Nineveh. So
S1: Nineveh was 500 miles to the east. Where was Tarshish
S1: in Spain? 2000 miles to the northwest. Get this. He
S1: had to go four times as far to be out
S1: of the will of God, than to obey the will
S1: of God. And notice it says. And he paid the fare. Remember,
S1: once God came to him in chapter three, what did
S1: he say? And the word of the Lord came to
S1: Jonah the second time, and compare him, because I did.
S1: Because that's what teachers do when I compared it. What
S1: he told him in chapter one is the same thing.
S1: He told him in chapter three didn't change. Arise, go
S1: to Nineveh and preach against that great city. You see
S1: what happens. You may change your mind about what God
S1: wants you to do, but he doesn't, and he's going
S1: to keep on you until you do like Jonah. Go
S1: do what he said. But in the middle. What happened?
S1: It was the storm that corrected him. Jonah is on
S1: his way. He's down in the belly of the ship. Sleep.
S1: The ship is doing the Nae Nae. Everybody's afraid. And
S1: these are sailors who sail on this, and they're afraid.
S1: Somebody say, hey, there's a prophet down there, man. He's sleep.
S1: Everybody else is in a turmoil. You're asleep. He's unaffected
S1: by what he calls. And so what happens? He says,
S1: you know what? I know why y'all are in this storm.
S1: Throw me overboard and everything's going to be copacetic. It's
S1: going to be fine. Because the storm, at least he knew.
S1: Because some of y'all don't know yet. Least he knew
S1: the storm came because God was trying to correct his disobedience.
S1: And so here it is now. Jonah. Lord, what do
S1: you want me to learn? Do what I told you
S1: to do. And most of us are slow learners, and
S1: we need to realize that God is more interested in
S1: our character than he is in our comfort. Man, I
S1: have never seen such a time when comfortable Christianity has
S1: plagued the church. Everybody wants to do what's convenient and
S1: God hasn't called us to convenience. He said that that
S1: you are to follow him. Pick up your cross daily
S1: and follow me. That's what Jesus said. Cross isn't something
S1: you wear around your neck or your ear. Cross goes
S1: on your back. Anybody that saw anybody carrying a cross,
S1: guess what? They knew that person getting ready to die.
S1: And so here it is. Now God says, look, I
S1: told you, don't do this. You went and did it.
S1: So now I gotta send you a storm. Because when
S1: God is trying to correct us, we don't give in.
S1: We grow up. I say this if you're going to
S1: get hurt in life, you might as well learn from it.
S1: Something might as well be accomplished from it. See? Here's
S1: what's going on. What? God, why do you want to
S1: correct this situation? I need to do something in you.
S1: That's why I'm doing something to you. Now get this.
S1: Let me give you one other, and then we'll move
S1: on and look at the elements of it. Guess what happened. Jacob,
S1: if you look at Genesis 33, here's what you'll find.
S1: Jacob was supposed to go to Bethel. Anybody know where
S1: he went? He went to Shakim halfway. Now, now he
S1: just wrestled with God. His name has been changed to Israel.
S1: And God says, okay, go back where I first met
S1: you in Genesis 28. What's that? That's Bethel, house of God.
S1: Where does he go? She came. Where is that? A
S1: little over halfway. Why did he stop there? Because there
S1: was prosperity there. He could see that. He couldn't see
S1: where God was taking him. Man, I'm tired, I'm tired,
S1: I'm tired. Yeah, because that's us, isn't it? That's us. That.
S1: You know what? I know God wants me here. But
S1: you know what? When I look at ministry, the ministry
S1: is hard. You know, people are difficult to deal with,
S1: and the very people you're trying to help often are
S1: the very people that give you the most problems. Am
S1: I right about it? Usher, you come in all happy.
S1: And you know what you said. I don't want to
S1: sit there. And why do they always want to sit
S1: where they have to walk over somebody anyway? And so
S1: here it is. Now it is, it is. You're supposed
S1: to be there, but you stop now. Remember what happened
S1: in 34 storms. Anybody remember the storm? Just raise your
S1: hand if you remember the storms in 34. Here's number one. Dinah,
S1: the daughter of Leah. Imma leave that alone because that
S1: was Jacob's daughter. But why do they say the daughter
S1: of Leah? So we know he didn't value her. She
S1: didn't have a daddy daughter relationship, you know, like you
S1: and I got didn't have that. And so because she
S1: belonged to Leah and he didn't love Leah, he loved Rachel.
S1: So what happens? She's a church girl. She ain't never
S1: been nowhere. And it says she went down to a
S1: party of the Canaanites, went to Freaknik, Went to Miami
S1: on spring break. And what happened down there got raped.
S1: Then her brothers hear about it. They go in Simeon
S1: and Levi to a whole village. God say, man, I
S1: love her. I love her because sex is addictive. So
S1: he wants to marry her. The brothers say, oh, this
S1: is the way to get him. Circumcise yourselves so you
S1: can be recognized with us. They all did. And what happened?
S1: They went in and killed them all. Jacob said, look
S1: what you've done. You've created a problem. There's a storm.
S1: These people aren't going to stand for it. And I
S1: just want to read something. I want to read Genesis
S1: 35 one. It is so powerful. Genesis 35 one listen
S1: to this. And God said unto Jacob, arise, go to Bethel,
S1: and dwell there, and make there an altar unto God
S1: that appeared unto thee, when thou fled us from the
S1: face of Esau, thy brother. Now get this. Here's my point.
S1: And then I want you to see the elements of
S1: what's going on in this passage. Here's my point. You
S1: stop in checking. You know you're supposed to go to Bethel.
S1: What is missing in chapter 34 that you have in
S1: chapter 33 and chapter 35? God speaking. Because God is
S1: not going to speak when we're in disobedience. He's silent.
S1: When we're in disobedience. You say, how do you know
S1: that every passage we've looked at that has that like
S1: when we looked at Abraham, right. He was in Haran
S1: five years and God didn't say anything. That's at the
S1: end of chapter 11. But then at the beginning of
S1: chapter 12 and the Lord said unto Abraham again, God
S1: speaking to him. Now why? Because he's on his way
S1: to where God told him to go, and the person
S1: who was impeding and stopping him from going was Tara.
S1: His father. And it says, And Tara died and Abraham
S1: looked to the Negev. Wonder who or what gotta die
S1: in your life for. You're ready to listen to what
S1: God has to say. And so what happens? God says,
S1: okay now. And God said unto Jacob, Jacob begins to obey,
S1: and God continues to answer. And so what happens? Because
S1: when we are being corrected at least two two areas
S1: in this text, uh, it affects us emotionally and it
S1: affects us experientially. Let me just walk through the text
S1: here and let me show you what happens there, designed
S1: to emotionally correct us and to experientially correct us. If
S1: you are taking notes, just write these down. I want
S1: to walk you through real quick. Uh, 14 through 20
S1: and show you what's going on. So then what are
S1: they designed to correct? Because the storm, they were lost
S1: totally for 14 days. They had no destination. And problems
S1: do that to you. You can lose all your bearings.
S1: You know they're coasting, going in the wrong direction, but
S1: you can't coast uphill. And so what happens? Here it is. Uh,
S1: storms want to correct us, to stop us from drifting.
S2: You're listening to Treasure Truth with Pastor Ford and a
S2: message called The Perfect Storm. And I hope that as
S2: we wrap up today's teaching, you realize that we need
S2: to be intentional with living out the Christian life because
S2: it is so easy to drift, to drift in our relationships.
S2: And you never drift towards your spouse. You don't drift
S2: towards God. And I think sometimes God allows those storms
S2: into our lives to correct our path. So we quit
S2: drifting and we intentionally pursue Christ or pursue that relationship
S2: that God has for us. Well, we're going to continue
S2: this teaching on the perfect Storm in our next broadcast.
S2: I hope you'll be listening. If you can't be by
S2: your radio, don't miss it. Listen online at Treasure Radio org.
S2: You can sign up to begin podcasting the programmer download
S2: the Moody Radio app. Both podcasts and the app are free.
S2: And with the app and podcast, you can listen at
S2: your convenience. So it fits your schedule. We'll link you
S2: to those when you come to our website. Treasure Truth radio.org. Well,
S2: thanks for listening today. I hope you'll join us next time.
S2: Thanks also to our producer, Amy Rios for a Bible teacher,
S2: Pastor James Ford Jr. I'm Steve Hiller. Treasure truth is
S2: a production of Moody Radio, a ministry of Moody Bible Institute.