We wish we could just sort of hop from one mountain top to another mountain top, but the reality is you're not going to make progress without sometimes encountering challenges and storms. Do not ask God for a storm-free life because you're not going to get one. Hello, and thanks for stopping by for today's Destined for Victory with Pastor Paul Shepherd. It's our pleasure to have you with us.
Well, if you're going through one of life's storms today, If you're facing a crisis that seems overwhelming, find strength in this truth: God will never let anything harm you unless it's designed to help you. As you'll see over the next 20 minutes or so, there's no trial or crisis that can overtake you unless God has designed it for your good. It's that time in the valley that gives you the strength to climb the mountain. Remember, our website, PastorPaul.net, is the place to go to hear any of our recent messages on demand, including today's. That's PastorPaul.net.
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Now, let's get started with today's "Destined for Victory" message: a miracle in the midst of madness. Matthew chapter fourteen, beginning with verse twenty-two. Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone.
The boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it. During the fourth watch of the night, Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. It's a ghost, they said, and cried out in fear. But immediately Jesus said to them, "Take courage!
It is I. Don't be afraid." Lord, if it's you, Peter replied, "Tell me to come to you on the water." Come, he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat and walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, "Lord, save me!" Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. You of little faith, he said.
Why did you doubt? And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. Then those who were in the boat worshipped him, saying, "Truly, you are the Son of God." I want to continue sharing with you this word for those who are dealing with a stormy. Situation. I want you to know that if you are a disciple, if you are a follower of Jesus Christ, He is in control of every area of your life, and He is in control of everything that happens in your life, including your storms.
No storm that you are going through, or you will ever go through, as a follower of Jesus Christ, catches him off guard.
Now the storms often catch us off guard, but he knew what you were going to go through before you started going through it. And I got a word for you, and that is that if you're in a stormy situation of any kind, you are going to make it through the storm, and you're going to learn some things about the God you serve along the way. The storm is not going to take you out, but God is going to take you over to the other side.
Now let's pick up where we left off in the previous message. We were beginning to examine a confusing dynamic that's in the text. Verse twenty-two tells us that Jesus made his disciples get into the boat and sent them ahead of him while he dismissed the crowd.
Now, if you recall, in the last message, we talked about the fact that Jesus had the disciples. Participate with him in the first miracle in the text, which was the feeding of a multitude, thousands of people with very, very meager resources. But Jesus took what was available to them. He blessed it, he broke it, and miraculously, he, along with the disciples helping to serve, fed thousands of people. And so we saw that thousands of people had been healed and delivered, and now they had a good.
Good feeding program. They're going home full. None of them are hungry. They're headed home satisfied, and Jesus is about to dismiss them to their homes. But before he does, he tells his disciples, "Get into the boat and cross the lake, and I am going to meet you on the other side.
We're going to be together." But I want You to start the journey without me. He puts them in the boat and sends them onto the lake.
Now Jesus knows, and we know because we have the benefit of the historical record that they are about to sail into a storm.
So the first dilemma in the text is why would Jesus? Feed these multitudes. Take real good care of them. Heal them to get them delivered. Get them fed.
Send them home happy. And then take the people who are following him and send them into a storm. And we started looking at the fact that it just doesn't make sense in our way of reasoning that Jesus would intentionally send them into a storm. But here's what you got to know: Jesus is taking us all somewhere. When you're a follower of Jesus, by definition, a follower is on a journey.
You got to go somewhere to follow somebody, and Jesus makes. All of us, his followers, which means he's taking you somewhere. Your life is not going to be stagnant in Christ. You're going to be growing and learning and progressing and finding out new things and discovering new adventures in the will of God. You're on a journey, but here's what you got to understand: sometimes the journey between here and that other side, that destination, that next.
Level you want to get to in God between here and there, there are some storms along the way.
Now we're not crazy about that. We wish we could just sort of hop from one mountain top to another mountain top, but the reality is, the journey of following Jesus is not going to get you to the next level or to the other side. You're not going to make progress without sometimes encountering challenges and storms. Do not ask God for a storm-free life, because you're not going to get one. No need to pray in that prayer.
Lord, bless me and take me somewhere and get me to the next level. Everybody want to go to the next level. God, I want to go to the next level. He says, "Fine, you can get there, but right now, get in this boat and go head on." Cause he knows that some of the things we have to learn on our way to the next level are lessons that can only be learned through challenges that we face and conquer by the will of God.
So you're going to the next level. You're going to the other side. You're going to prosper. You're going to make progress. But between here and there, don't be surprised when every now and then you got to go through a storm.
And not only shouldn't you be surprised by the storms, but do not attempt to measure your spiritual maturity by whether or not you're going through a storm. Don't buy into bad theology. One of the reasons why I got to preach series like this is to make sure you know soundly what the scriptures do and do not teach. There's a lot of poor teaching out here when it comes to trials and challenges. There are some people who, in their quest to make you strong in faith, would have you believe that if you truly walk by faith, you won't go through hard things.
I've come to tell you that that is not according to the truth of Scripture. In fact, the reason you need faith is because every now and then you're gonna have to go through some hard things. Think about it. You wouldn't need faith if you're gonna hop from one mountaintop to another one. That takes no faith to do that.
You got to have faith because sometimes between here and there, you're going to go through a hellacious storm, and it's going to take your faith to get you through. And don't listen to the devil. The Bible calls him the accuser of the brethren. When you have a nagging, accusing voice in your head, in your ear, saying, "You know, if you really loved God, if you really were living right, you wouldn't be going through this and all that." When you listen, let me help you with something. When you get that nagging voice in your ear, that is not the Lord.
The Lord doesn't nag us. Nagging doesn't work. You need to know that in your marriage, nagging doesn't work. That's not a godly technique. There's a verse in the book of Proverbs that says a nagging wife is like a constant dripping on a rainy day.
What that tells you is that doesn't work. That's not the way you want to do. That's not a winning formula. And in life, God does not nag us, trying to get us to change. When you have a nagging, accusing, indicting, charging voice saying something wrong with you, your faith ain't worth nothing.
Something wrong with you. When you hear that, that's not God. The Holy Spirit convicts, but He never accuses. See, an accuser sends charges at you. They just throw a bunch of charges at you, and they're hoping some of the charges stick.
But you know what? What you got to learn is, just because you charge me with it, doesn't mean I'm guilty. Still ahead, the second half of today's Destined for Victory message, featuring the Teaching Ministry of Pastor Paul Shepherd. In case you didn't know, Destined for Victory has a free mobile app designed to help you stay connected, stay encouraged, and stay rooted in God's Word. Search Destined for Victory at the App Store and listen to these messages wherever you go.
Visit PastorPaul.net for more details or to find out how you can listen to Destined for Victory on your favorite digital platform. The Holy Spirit convicts us of sin, but He never condemns us. If you're being accused or condemned, that's the enemy talking, not God.
Now, let's get you back to the rest of today's "Destined for Victory" message: a miracle in the midst of madness. Just because you charge me with it, I don't have to accept the charge. I can fight that charge. Because if it's not according to truth, I should not accept that. Don't listen to any old thing that the enemy has to say to you.
In fact, don't listen to any old thing that people have to say to you. The Holy Spirit knows how to get our attention. If there's something He wants to deal with you and I about, He will convict. The Bible uses that word. The Holy Spirit convicts us of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment.
He's a convicter. That means He points His finger right at. Here is what I've been telling you about. Here's the change I want you to make in your life. Here is what I will no longer put up with.
How many know the Holy Spirit is painfully exacting in what He has to say to us? You couldn't get confused if you tried. When He's convicting you, He'll keep you up at night, eyes wide open. Your body is tired. You want to sleep, but the Holy Spirit is saying, "This is what you have to deal with." But the devil just sends a bunch of charges, accusations, and he hopes you'll buy into some of it.
And he'll try to tie it in with your emotions, in hopes that you'll agree with him. You got to learn: just because a package shows up at your door doesn't mean you have to sign for it. You tell the devil, take his little UPS package. In fact, when he show up at the door with his brown uniform on, or if he's FedEx, the blue and all the other stuff, but he'll show up with his uniform and ring the doorbell of your life. And when you come to the door and he's standing there, package for you, don't grab it.
Look at it. Say, no, no, you hold it. Let me take a look at this. First thing you are looking for is what's the return address? Where did this come from?
And what you got to learn to do is say, if it didn't come from heaven, if it is not the Holy Spirit, then you don't sign. I am not signing for that. Ah, but it got your name on it. I don't care whose name is on there. Return to sender.
In other words, you tell that package go to hell. That's where you came from. Go right on back where you came from. You're not cussing. You're telling them where to go.
You're telling them where to go. That's the location. And what you got to learn to do is reject anything God is not saying, and reject anything that is not the consequence of the Holy Spirit's conviction. If it is nagging, if it is charging, if it is accusing, it is not God. If God is dealing with you, He'll get very specific.
So don't let the devil tell you you wouldn't be going through this if you truly knew the Lord. If you were truly saved, if you truly had had done this or that or the other, you wouldn't be going through this.
Now we already admitted in the first part of the series some storms are of our own making. Bottom line: when you know you made your storm, you just own it. Yes, I created this storm. Jonah said, "Yes, the reason this boat is having this trouble is because I'm on the boat." And I'm trying to sail away from something I don't want to do, but obviously God is going to win this battle. He told the folk on the boat.
He admitted his trouble. That's all you got to do. Our God is exceedingly merciful. He's just waiting for you to admit what He already knows. And Jonah said, "Yes, I did this." He told the folk on the boat, and you know they were they were really nice.
They tried to help him for what it's hard, but we're going to try to get you back to land. And so they were trying to row back to where he started from, and God wouldn't even let them get back to land. They were rowing and rowing and trying their best to get there, and couldn't get there. And after while, they looked at Jonah and said, "Yo, man, this God you serve, He's not going to let us get you back." And Jonah said, "Yeah, that's God. He's dealing with me very specifically about something.
I know what I'm supposed to be doing, so I gotta surrender Him." He said, "So I tell you what, y'all just go on and throw me overboard. That way, gotta let you get where you're going." They said, "That's what we were thinking. We got the same idea." They picked my man up. You take care yourself. Be strong, man.
And tossed him, and God took care of it from there. And they went on about their business. And God's going to do that in your life. He's going to get you where He's taking you, even if you created your storm. It's not going to kill you.
Surrender and yield, and say yes to God, and He's going to get you where He's taking you. If you could circumvent the plan of God for your life, He wouldn't be God; you would be. You don't get to cancel out anything that God has started in your life, and so don't let the devil tell you you're spiritually immature because you're going through a storm. The fact of the matter is, you can be dead center in the will of God and be going through a hellacious storm, right in the center. God's well didn't do anything wrong.
The disciples had just helped with the feeding of the multitude. They were just doing what Jesus told them to do. They got in the boat, and next thing you know, they are in a storm. And I want to let you know, you can be in the center of will of God and still be in a storm. But I want you to see as we continue our journey through this text that God knows exactly what's going on in your life, and He's in charge of it all.
Look at verses 23 and 24. I want to focus there in this message. After Jesus had dismissed the crowd, now the disciples are already on the boat. They've already pushed off, and they are on their way. To the other side, Jesus then dismisses the crowd, and he goes to a mountainside by himself to pray.
And when evening came, he was alone. The boat had already gone a considerable distance from the land, and now they are in the storm, buffeted by the waves, because the wind was against it.
Now we discuss the fact that Jesus intentionally sent them onto the lake, and he knew that the storm was going to arise. It's bad enough when the Lord says, "Okay, I'm going to get you to the next level. I'm going to get you to the other side, but you're going to have to go through a storm between here and there." Bad enough. That's bad news enough. I wish there was a way for us to progress without the storms.
But okay, we've come to accept that.
Okay, God, I get it. I can't get every next level blessing without having to go through some things.
Okay, don't like it, but I get it. But now, Lord, would you please explain why you not only send me into a storm, but when I go to look around because I'm in this storm? And I am needing some help. I am needing some support. And I look for my savior, and He has put me on the only boat there is, and we're out here by ourselves.
And when we look around, there is no Jesus to be found. You ever going through a storm, and that's bad enough. But then, when you go to pray, when you go to reach out to God, and you want to sense His presence, you just want to know it's going to be okay. You want a word. You want Him to say something.
I wish you don't worry. I got you covered. You want to hear when you're going through a storm. You want to hear something. I don't understand, folk, who stay home from church when they're going through a storm.
You don't ride out no storm at home. Get your happy hips in that church and say, "Lord, say something to me. Give me a word. Give me, give me something." And here they are in the boat by themselves, in the middle of the lake, in the middle of a storm. We're told that too far from land, they can't get back to where they sailed from.
They're too far from where they're sailing too, and the winds and waves are just battering them. And when they go to look for comfort, Jesus is nowhere around. You ever pray, but you still can't sense His presence? You know He's there because the Word said. I'll never leave you.
I'll never forsake you.
Okay, Lord, I believe your word, and so I know you're hearing me when I pray. But it's one thing to know He's hearing you; it's another thing to want to get a response, and nothing's coming back. You ever prayed, and it's just feeling one way? See, we love it when prayer is two-way. When I'm communing with God, and while I'm there in His presence, He speaks to me, and He gives me peace, and He gives me assurance.
He's got this covered. He gives you a little word. You read the scripture, and it jumps off the page at you, and you mark it. That's my word for the day. Oh, that's wonderful when that happens.
But what happens when you go to pray, and when you finish praying, you just finish praying. He's not saying anything. He's not stirring. Nothing jumping off the page of the Bible. I read my Old Testament scripture.
I read my New Testament scripture. Nothing jumping off. I'm thinking about the scriptures. I memorize and I'm all of that. Nothing's coming.
I put on my my TV, my Word channel to see if I can get a word on the Word channel, and there's no word on the Word channel. Man on there telling me seven steps to paying off my house or something. Man, I'm trying to. I need a word. What do you do when you pray and there's no word coming back?
Be encouraged by these words from Isaiah 40:31. They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.
So, if you're waiting on a word from God today, love Him enough to be patient. He'll give you the answer when He knows you're ready to hear it.
Well, sooner or later, all believers find themselves in a boat they didn't choose, facing a crisis they can't explain. If that sounds like you, we've got a great new resource that can help. Our latest booklet, "A Miracle in the Midst of Madness," Pastor Paul Shepherd walks you through Matthew 14 to help you understand God's purpose for sending His people into the storm. It's not to destroy you, but to grow you. This is a must-read for every believer in Christ, and it's our gift to you today by request for your generous gift to Destined for Victory.
That's a miracle in the midst of madness. You can give by phone by calling eight five five three three nine five five zero zero, eight five five three three nine fifty five hundred, or visit PastorPaul dot net and make a safe and secure donation online. You can also mail your gift to us at Destined for Victory, Post Office Box 1767, Fremont, California 94538. When you are in the storm and you look to get something back from God and you're not getting anything, here's what I want you to know: Even though He's not speaking to you, He is speaking to the Father about you. Jesus is praying.
That's next time in our continuing message. A miracle in the midst of madness. Until then, remember, He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion. In Christ, you are destined for victory.
