Stormproof Your Life, Part 1 (cont'd)

In Matthew 28, 20, right before He ascended to Heaven, here's what Jesus said to His disciples, And surely I am with you always, even until the end of the age. In just a few minutes, Pastor Paul Shepherd will share today's Destined for Victory message, Storm Proof Your Life. It's a great reminder that we are not alone during life's challenges. But before Pastor starts his message, he's been kind enough to join me here in the studio. You know, Pastor, if the last 12 months have taught us anything, it's that storms, even pandemics, are going to touch our lives. Many listening today are dealing with the effects of a terrible time in our world, and our heart, of course, goes out to them. So today, we have a great resource. Why don't you share a word of encouragement and how we can learn to navigate the storms of life.

Absolutely. In Matthew 7, and I know most Bible readers are very familiar with it, Jesus talks about the fact that there are two different ways you can build your life. And He says you can build like the guy who built his house on the sand, or you can build like the guy who builds on the rock. And the fact of the matter is, I'm trying through this series and through this resource this month to help people understand storms are inevitable. And some people see that as unfortunate.

I don't know that I do. Jesus just stated it quite matter-of-factly. He said storms are coming. I noticed this time when I was putting this booklet together, Jesus didn't hint anything about if you live right, you won't have to worry about storms.

You know, when I hear people preach like that, I'm like, what Bible are you preaching from? Jesus said storms are coming. He said the storm's going to blow on both types of houses.

The difference is the impact it has. And so if we will build right, we're going to see the ability of God to keep us even in the midst of storms like what we're all going through. And the time to prepare is before the storm comes. Absolutely.

Absolutely. The best time to prepare for any war is in the time of peace. And the best time to prepare for a storm is right now, because even if you're in one now, you need to retrofit and make sure your life is built firmly on the rock who is Jesus Christ, because more storms are coming, but his plan is for us to endure and survive through them. Such great advice, Pastor. And we want each of you to get this booklet, built on a solid foundation. It's a great companion guide to the messages you'll be hearing all this week, and it's our gift to you by request for your generous gift today.

Call 855-339-5500 to make your gift over the phone, or mail your gift to Destined for Victory, Post Office Box 1767, Fremont, CA 94538. You can also make a safe and secure donation from our website, PastorPaul.net. Sometimes storms hit your life when you are dead center in the will of God. And I want to let somebody know, if you're going through a personal storm right now, do not allow the enemy to suggest to you that somehow God has forgotten about you or is leaving you on your own. If you are going through a storm today, God is right there with you, and He'll help you make it through.

But there are some practical steps you can take. Here's Pastor Paul Shepherd with today's message, Storm Proof Your Life. Paul said in Galatians 6, do not be deceived, God is not mocked. Whatever a person sows, that shall he or she also reap. And sometimes we have reaped the harvest that we have sown. If you make wrong choices, you're going to get wrong consequences. And no need of blaming it on God. We brought that storm into our lives.

But here's the good news. When you belong to God, even your trouble, when you repent and acknowledge, Lord, I didn't listen to you about this area of my life. I haven't been doing things the way you called me to do. If I had listened to you, I would have avoided some of this. When you get into that place of agreement, the Lord takes you from where you are, even if it is in a place you shouldn't be. And He will work all things together for good. And so I want to let somebody know, even if your storm is of your own making, repent, acknowledge it to God, and once you admit it and quit it, then forget it.

Give it over to God and say, Lord, I'm not even going to trip about this. I'm going to look to you to bring me through and to bring me out. But the fact of the matter is there are many storms in your life that are not the result of your sowing the wrong harvest. They are not the result of your not walking in faith or not walking in obedience. Sometimes storms hit your life when you are dead center in the will of God. And I want to let somebody know, if you're going through a personal storm right now, do not allow the enemy to suggest to you that somehow God has forgotten about you or is leaving you on your own. And some of us are going through personal storms. I know what that's like. For the year following my 50th birthday, I said to many close to me, I said this has been the worst year circumstantially.

It's been the worst, most challenging year of my life. I've gone through all kinds of storms. But God always has his people covered. He'll have somebody praying for you when you don't even know it. Several people have come to me during the course of that challenging time and said, Pastor, God has put you on my heart and I find myself praying for you every day.

And some have come with a word. One person came and said, the Lord showed me that the enemy has waged a war against you, hates what you're doing and is throwing everything at you and using other people to try to discourage you. And I was going through that very thing at that time. God has a way of having other folk cover you in prayer when you're going through the worst of your storms. Some are going through a personal storm. Some of you are going through storms in your family. Some of you are going through storms with your kids or grandkids. And you've set a good example and taught the word of God and modeled it. And you've modeled it by the way you live.

But that's no guarantee that your family members won't take you through some storm sometime. And some of you could say, I'm going through with my kids. And maybe a couple of them are acting right. But some of you have hit those seasons where one or more of your children look like they are inventing ways to live in opposition to the way you taught them how to live. And going crazy and just making all kinds of poor choices.

And compound poor choice on top of poor choice. And you're going through family trouble. Some of you have had a spouse just walk away. Never seen it like it's happening these days where it doesn't take, you know, you used to think, well, these people who are having their little seven-year itch or whatever, those are the ones, those early marriage problems are knocking folk out.

No, these days people 20, 25, 30, 35 years in just up and walk away. And you look around and you thought somebody you were going to grow old with and spend your years together suddenly says, I got a different plan for my life. And up and out of there. And you're walking around an empty house wondering what in the world happened.

How did this take place? A storm has come into your life. For some, you're experiencing financial storms. These are storms that hit you right in the pocketbook. And you're trying to deal with making ends meet and believe God to get you through challenging financial times. Jobs that you thought you could count on are suddenly drying up.

Companies laying off in major numbers. That's why the Word of God speaks to those issues of our lives. And I've been thinking as I've been watching the country go through such a financial turmoil and things unlike we have seen in this country in decades. And the fact of the matter is the Word of God has been speaking to us about it the whole time. And I was reminding myself the other day of what the Word of God says in 1 Timothy 6 verse 17. That's why God told Paul to write to Timothy and say these words. Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth which is so uncertain but to put their trust in God who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.

Command them to be rich in good deeds and command them to be generous and willing to share. In this way, they will lay up treasure for themselves as a foundation for the coming age so that they may take hold of life that is truly life. And the fact of the matter is the Word of God has been telling us all along don't put your hope in what you have. Don't put your hope in your portfolio. And as I'm beginning to think well you know I'm not that many years from retirement and Lord now they're talking about how the stocks are just plunging and that's why all of the folk who are financial planners and what have you are telling you don't look at your bottom line right now to discourage you.

And a lot of us are thinking yeah but I'm planning to retire at some point and this is going in the wrong direction. My statement came in the mail the other day and I opened it up and then I heard in my head what the man had said and I just closed it right back up. I said I don't feel like being discouraged. I got enough to deal with. I don't need this kind of discouragement. And then I reminded myself of that scripture and said Lord I'm going to put my trust in you. I'm going to believe you to get me through. I'm going to believe you that you will provide for our needs.

Some of you are going through financial challenges. Storms have come into that area of your life. As a society I see some storm clouds gathering. As a society I believe we are about to experience an America unlike we have ever known. As America is now beginning to move fast down the road of denying our Judeo-Christian roots and deciding that we are a nation that doesn't need the God who has brought us to where we are.

I see some storm clouds gathering. I don't mean to be a naysayer and if you don't believe this you don't have to. But I see some things that are about to shake us at our very root as a nation.

The stage has been set for decades. I was in the last generation of children who got the benefit of not only having teaching in home and in my church but in the school we read the Proverbs in public school. I was in that last generation in the early 60s. I can remember in assembly in public schools we would recite portions of Proverbs. But in those same years folks were deciding that we got to outlaw the Bible. And they decided that separation of church and state meant no mention of God in public life. And they completely dishonored the intentions of the founding fathers for a personal agenda and decided that Bible reading is unconstitutional. And so they took Bible out of the schools and they took prayer out of the schools. And now they're going after one nation under God. They just want to be one nation.

And they can forget being indivisible. And they're going systematically after the moral consensus that used to hold the fabric of this country together. Things that were always statements have now become questions as everything is up for grabs and we've decided there is no moral compass, there is no moral north star. So everyone decides what is right in his or her own eyes.

And the Bible has told us for centuries that is the measure of a godless society that will experience all of the wrong things. Don't go away. We're only about halfway through today's Destined for Victory message with Pastor Paul Shepherd, Senior Pastor of Destiny Christian Fellowship in Fremont, California. If you love listening to Destined for Victory, we know you'll enjoy seeing some of Pastor Paul's best video clips. You can subscribe at YouTube or visit pastorpaul.net for details and links to all of his social media. That's pastorpaul.net. Again, here's Pastor Paul with the rest of today's message, Storm Proof Your Life. And so I see some storm clouds gathering. But as bad as it is on one hand, I think it's going to serve to be a hidden blessing on another.

You know why? Because the church is either going to have to be the real church. We're going to have to quit playing church and be genuine followers of Christ and love people and love God from a heart of purity and decide we don't have little petty religious agendas. We are going to be the people of God or we're going to go out of business. And I believe it's going to be a blessing because where sin abounds, grace does much more abound.

And if we will walk in grace, we'll see God cause our light to shine all that much brighter as the world around us moves into deeper darkness. We're experiencing some societal storms. It's becoming unpopular to follow Jesus now. It used to be almost a fattest thing and everybody was talking about they were Christian. They'd fill out forms and most of the people in our nation declared themselves to be Christian.

It's no longer popular to be a follower of Christ. And so we see some storms gathering. But I want to let you know the storms are not an indication necessarily that something's wrong in your life.

Do not allow the enemy to tell you that. Storms come for a variety of reasons. They come because we live in a fallen world. This is not our home. We are passing through here.

Jesus said I'm going to prepare a place for you and I am going to come and receive you unto myself that where I am, there you will be also. This is not our home. This is our temporary dwelling place. And we live in a fallen world. Creation itself is groaning, awaiting redemption, awaiting the time when God will make right everything that is now wrong.

We live in a fallen world. You have storms because we live among fallen people, sinful people all around us. Don't blame terrorist activity on God. If people were living the way God tells us to live, you wouldn't have this hatred of nation against nation and family against family and region against region. You would not have it if people would line up with the will of God. Don't blame that on God. It is not happening because God wants... Well, if you believe in a loving God, why is there so much evil? Because people refuse to acknowledge God. And they refuse to do His will.

And so you got to understand that. We live among fallen people. Back in 2001 when 9-11 hit and some of our Christian leaders were getting on radio and saying this is the judgment of God, I said, well, to a certain extent God uses things like this to speak to people and God knows we had a national altar call that week. I mean, folk were going to church who hadn't thought about church. They were flocking into churches that week like in record numbers. And we got to preach the Word of God and I hope the other pastors did what I did. I said, well, we're going to have them.

I'm going to sure tell them the truth while they're here. I'll never forget the Mercury News sent a reporter to our church and they said we want to send and find out what he's going to be saying and what have you. And so they sent a reporter and a photographer to our church and about three other churches in the Bay Area for a story they were going to run that following day. And so they came and I was preaching. I preached a message entitled An American Tragedy in Biblical Perspective. And I talked about what I'm talking about now which is that this was not the hand of God. And I mentioned the fact that some of my colleagues are on radio and TV saying that this is God's judgment against America. And I said God's going to use it to speak to many of us but this is not judgment.

This is the action of evil people. God did not ordain that they used planes as missiles and knocked down buildings. If they had been living by the law of God, the plan of God in salvation and in Christ, they would never have such a heart to do anything like that. And I said and furthermore, the other reason I know it's not judgment because if God has decided he is sick of America, if God has decided to judge America, don't you think for a minute we're going to get away with three buildings and about 3,000 people being destroyed.

He would have to apologize to Sodom and Gomorrah. So this was hardly judgment. This is because people don't live according to the plan of God. So you got to understand, storms come because sinful people live in our world.

And storms come because sometimes God will use them to show us that we need to beef up a life of faith and trust. That's what Jesus did in Mark chapter 4 beginning at verse 35. When Jesus said to his disciples, let us go over to the other side. And the way to get there was to get on the boat. The Bible says they got on a boat, some other boats went with them and they began to sail across the sea of Gennesaret going to the other side. And the Bible says while they were sailing, a furious squall came up. All of a sudden a major storm hits them.

Guess what? Jesus knew the storm was coming. And yet he's the one who said, let us go to the other side. He wanted them to understand what I want you to understand, which is that storms aren't designed to keep you from going where God's taking you. Sometimes God will use a storm as an exam to help you see where your faith is or is not. Sometimes the Lord will use the challenges you're going through in your life to show you, you've got to anchor yourself in trusting God.

Say, Lord, I'm going to believe you to get me through this. And the storm came up, the Bible called it furious. And yet Jesus, when they looked around and said, where is he? Why? he was in the ship taking a nap.

Why? Because he was all God and all man. In this human body, he needed a nap.

He was still the God who was in control. And he said, I need to rest. This body needs sleep. Sleep is a blessing. Oh, sleep is a blessing. I'm telling you, you know, you growing up when you learn to appreciate sleep, when you remember little kids, they fussing and mad that they got to take a nap, cry and don't want to sleep.

You don't know what you're talking about. You know your kids are growing up when they say, you know what? I think I'm going to take a little nap.

You say, oh, they're so mature. Because sleep is a blessing. Oh, you get under those covers sometimes, you just say, thank you, Jesus. Thank you, Lord.

Oh, God, you're a good God. Sometimes if you're like me, you get out of your bed looking forward to when you're going to get back in. Oh, there are days when, I know you like me, there are days when you get out and say, I got to go cover some things. I got a full workload today, but I'm going to be back with you. Just hold on, just hang in here, and I'm going to be with you in a matter of hours.

I'm coming on back. I will not leave you nor forsake you. Oh, that sleep can be a blessing. Jesus was sleeping. They went and got him and said, Lord, don't you care that we're about to die?

You ever felt like that? You said, Lord, looks like you don't even care what I'm going through. Oh, yes, he cares. The fact that he is not active up and running around your life in that moment, giving you daily words and all of that, doesn't mean the Lord doesn't see what's going on. He's just using it to let you see where you are. In his own time, he's going to do in your life what he did for the disciples that day.

He got up from his nap and went out there. The Bible says he rebuked the wind and the waves. You serve a God for whom your deliverance is only a word away. Oh, I know it feels like you're about to be swamped, but you've got to remember, in that passage, it says the squall came up and they were almost taken down by that storm. But you've got to watch the word almost.

We've all been to almost. But God is the one making sure that almost doesn't take you all the way under. God says, I'll let it go so far, but I'm going to make sure that my grace is sufficient for you.

I want to let somebody know here who feels like you're almost done. God is holding you. And he said, I'm going to in my own time, I'm going to speak to your wind and your waves. He rebuked them, told them to calm down, be quiet. And instantly, the word of God said that storm ceased.

And they were amazed at the authority that Christ had. I want to let you know he's the same today. And he has authority in your life. And if you and I will learn to anchor our lives in him, we will discover that our God is able to help us storm proof our lives. Thanks so much for joining us for this message, Storm Proof Your Life. To find out more about the Destined for Victory ministry, or to contact us for prayer, or to find out how you can get the companion booklet that goes along with today's message, be sure to stop by our website, pastorpaul.net.

That's pastorpaul.net. Jesus said, if you are going to build on the rock, if your life is going to be solid in the will of God, he said, you must understand that it's not enough to hear my word. You must then make the decision to put them into practice. That's tomorrow in Pastor Paul Shepherd's message, Storm Proof Your Life. Until then, remember, he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion. In Christ, you are destined for victory.