Today on the verdict with Pastor John Monroe. First of all, I want us to learn. A truth that you already know. And this is one of the great truths of the people of God, and it is this. In the crisis, Jesus is with you.
This is the verdict. The Bible Teaching Ministry of Pastor John Monroe. When you're facing a crisis, it's easy to feel overwhelmed and alone. But today on the verdict, we see Jesus in action. and discover some very personal biblical truths.
that will bring you comfort and courage during your times of crisis.
Now here's Pastor John Monroe with today's lesson titled Surviving the Crisis. Have you ever felt overwhelmed? Have you ever felt that you simply can't go on in life? Things are too discouraging, too hard.
Sooner or later all of us experience a crisis in life.
Sometimes our crisis develops slowly. but more often they come like a bolt out of the blue. And when a crisis comes, we know our life is never going to be the same again. How do we respond? As a follower of Jesus Christ, I can say that being a Christian makes all the difference.
It doesn't render you immune from the crises of life. But it does mean that how we respond, how we cope, is very different. Let's think of this incident in the life of the Lord Jesus where the disciples are in crisis. Are they going to survive? All of us experience crises in life.
You've experienced The time. of unexpected and disappointing circumstances. Perhaps you went into work one day. and were terminated. Perhaps it's a serious Illness, perhaps it's a broken relationship.
Perhaps it's the death of a loved one. These overwhelming circumstances, these fears and crises come to all of our lives and the question we're thinking is how do we who are followers of Jesus Christ hope? Coal. How do we survive? in the crisis of life.
We have a magnificent passage before us. And if you have your Bible, I ask you to turn to Matthew chapter 14. Hope you come with your Bible. It helps us, at least it helps me not only to hear the word of God, but to See at Matthew chapter 14, We're going through this gospel.
Some of you think rather slowly. But we're making our way through the gospel. of Matthew and today Come to Matthew 14, verse 22. Immediately, He that is Jesus made the disciples get into the boat. and go before him to the other side while he dismissed the crowds.
And after he had dismissed the crowds, He went up in the mountain by himself. to pray. When evening came He was there alone. But the boat by this time was a long way from the land, beaten by the waves, for the wind was against them. And in the fourth watch of the night, He came to them walking.
on the sea. But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified. and said it's a ghost. And they cried out in fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, Take heart.
It is I. Do not be afraid. And Peter answered him, Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water. He said, Come.
So Peter got out of the boat. and walked on the water. and came to Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid. And beginning to sink, he cried out, Lord, save me.
Jesus immediately reached out his hand. and took hold of him, saying to him, O you of little faith, Why did you doubt? And when they got into the boat, The wind ceased. And those in the boat worshipped him, saying, Truly You are the Son of God. And when it crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret.
And when the men of that place recognized him, they sent around to all that region and brought to him all who were sick. and implored him that they might only touch The fringe of his garment. And as many as touched it. We're made well. Isn't that an outstanding Passage.
of scripture. First of all, I want to ask to learn A truth that you already know. But the truth That while we know it intellectually, I think often we forget it. And this is one of the great truths. of the people of God.
And it is this. In the crisis, Jesus is with you. I want you to get that, I want you to grasp that. I want you not only to understand it intellectually, but I want you to feel that. And I want you in your life To put that into practice.
and to integrate this into all of the circumstances of life. That in a crisis, Jesus is with you. Even when you feel alone, When you feel abandoned. Jesus. is with you.
Matthew has told us, as we saw last week, of the feeling of the five thousand. Five loaves and two fish. Jesus takes it. blesses it, multiplies it, and feeds Thousands. Then the Lord Jesus dismisses the crowds, tells them to go home.
And he makes the disciples get into the boat. to go to the opposite side. But he As he does throughout the Gospels from time to time, He goes up into a mountain alone. Pray. There are times when he takes all of the disciples, there are times when he takes the inner circle, but on Many occasions he prays alone.
And this is one of the examples. That he is alone in prayer with his father.
Now, Matthew doesn't tell us the content of his prayer. No doubt he's having communion with his Father and His God. He is the perfect Son of Man. And he's praying to his heavenly father. And while we don't know the content of his prayer, no doubt he is reaffirming why he came to earth to suffer and to die.
And I am positive. that he was praying. for his disciples. They're not there. He's not with them in the boat, but he sees them and he knows exactly what's happening to them on the Sea of Galilee.
He knows about the wind. He knows how they're feeling. and his prayer. Left to themselves, the disciples get into trouble, don't they? As we do.
It's wo is a wonderful truth. Then in your crisis Jesus is praying for you. He knows every single detail of your painful struggle. He knows you feel. Terribly alloying.
He knows you feel the wind is against you. Did you notice that in verse 24? It says they were beaten by the waves, for the wind was against them.
Now these At least some of them are seasoned. Fishermen. They know about the sea, they know about boats, they know about storms. There's Peter, the bold leader, there is Andrew, there's James and John, they're fishermen. This is their home territory.
There is a word every inch of the lake. But they are in. A crisis. And the wind. is against them.
And no doubt. Jesus seemed far away from them. As he's praying. Alone. to his father.
He sees them. One of the joys of being part of the family of God is. And many of you tell me about this over and over again. that when you're going through a crisis, Brothers and sisters here are praying for you. I heard this week a woman said to me, Pastor, I don't know how I would have got through this, apart from the prayers.
You've experienced that, haven't you? You've gone through a crisis, a difficult day. The situation. And brothers and sisters here. In your life group, your Bible study people, you know that you sit beside, they say, I'm praying.
For you. That's tremendous. That's a a wonderful gift, isn't it? And we're told in scripture to pray for one another, but there's something even greater. That not only are your brothers and sisters praying for you in that crisis.
The Lord Jesus himself Ms. Pray. At the Father's right hand, Our great high priest, our Lord Jesus Christ, is interceding for us. You are on his prayer list.
Someone told me this week, Pastor, I pray for you, you're on my prayer list, I pray for you first thing in the morning and last thing at night. And I said, thank you for doing that. It's wonderful. To be on someone's prayer list, isn't it? And to know that they are praying for you, not just saying that, but actually day by day praying for you.
Wonderful to know. But this is something better: that our Lord Jesus Christ intercedes. for us. You say, is that really true? Yes, it is.
Listen to Paul in Romans chapter 8, that magnificent chapter. He says in Romans 8 verse 34, who is to condemn? If you fell under the Lord, someone's condemning you. Who is to condemn? Christ is the one who died, more than that, who was raised.
Not only did he die more than that, he's raised from the dead. And he's at, says Paul, at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding. For us. He dies for us. He's buried for us.
He's raised for us. He ascends for us. And now, As our great high priest, our magnificent Lord Jesus Christ, is interceding for us. Again, the writer of Hebrews. in Hebrews chapter 7.
Verse twenty Five. Hebrews seven. Twenty-five towards the end of the chapter. Consequently, He is able to save to the uttermost. Those who draw near to God.
Through him. That is, we come to God through our Lord Jesus Christ, since He always lives to make intercession for them. Our Lord Jesus Christ in His endless death. Never again will he die. He's eternally alive.
And one of the things he's doing for us. He is interceding. for us in your crisis. Jesus A spraying for you. I I I find that remarkable, isn't it?
What grace? of God. But he prays. For you. He's interceding.
For you. Now we also see this Now while the disciples felt deserted, Jesus never leaves. His people. And when our Lord comes to the disciples in their crisis, as the wind is against them, as they're tired and discouraged, first they don't even recognize him. They're so overwhelmed by the storm.
Can you picture it? The high wind, the waves. There's wind on the sea. The lake is high. And they're battered and they're bruised and they're tired, they've been roaring for a long time.
And when the Lord Jesus comes, such is their condition, they say, It is a ghost. It's almost comical, isn't it? Until we realize There are times in our life When the Lord Jesus, as it were, draws near. And we're so absorbed and we're so distracted by the problems and the difficult situation, we fail to realize that Jesus is with us. No, you say, why?
Why did he send them on alone? Couldn't he have prayed some other time? Did he really need to go to the mountain alone to pray? Why, why? Did you leave them to toil and to roast along?
They must have been exhausted, struggling against a strong wind. I mean, if he loves them, why didn't he come sooner to the disciples? After all, it was the Lord Jesus who told them to get in the boat and to go to the other side. They were doing exactly what he wanted, and they find themselves in this. excruciating difficult crisis.
Verse 25 tells us it was the The fourth watch. That's between three and six AM. That's a tough time for a crisis, isn't it? You ever woken up at three? Ten, three fifteen.
Not situation weighing on you. That impending Sergi. That Struggle in your marriage. That situation with your with your daughter. That difficult situation.
At work. In your business. A problem. in the church as you serve him and you You wake up at three ten and you're Turn in your twisted at night and then you look at the clock, it's it's four thirty. Yeah.
A tough time, isn't there? Things are much easier in the light, aren't they? At at night. On the fourth watch, as it were, That's a difficult time.
So they're cold, they're tired, they're discouraged. They're expending a lot of energy. But they're not making much progress. John tells us in his account in John 6 that they had rode about three or four miles. A reminder.
That we in our crisis get so fixated with the problem.
Sometimes trying to solve it ourselves. We get so fixated with the problem and the difficult circumstance. that we don't recognise The Lord. We don't recognise the presence of the Lord. And it was at the lowest time.
It was at the darkest time of the night. It was when they were very, very tired. It was when the wind was against them that Jesus comes to them. Of course he loves them. He'd called them.
Peter, follow me. Mathieu. Leave your taxes. Come And follow me. Of course he loved them.
Of course he cared for them. They were around him. He prayed for them, he knew them, he cared, and he comes and he dispels their fears. In the crisis, yes, Jesus. is with them.
And many of you have learned, as I have learned, that in the crisis, the Lord's timing. The Lord's purposes and plans are often very different from ours, aren't they? And sometimes In our tiredness, sometimes in our weakness, sometimes in our fear, and perhaps even in our pride, we're apt to advise the Lord what to do. Instead of realizing that he is going to. He's always with you in your time of need.
Your darkest hour. And that severest time. In the midst of your greatest fear, Jesus is. With you. I want you to reflect on that truth.
I wanted to grib your soul today. I don't know your circumstances. But here is the truth. That I find gives me great security. It grounds me.
It helps me. It gives me confidence in the Lord. It gives me a hope. That irrespective of what will happen around me, Jesus is with me. Friends may leave you.
Friends may betray you. Friends may lay you down, don't they? Even your own family may not understand.
Some of you have had family abandon you. Family misunderstand you in the midst of the crisis where you expected help and and a hand on the shoulder. and people to come close to you. You find that in the crisis sometimes You're terribly alone, aren't you? But Jesus is always with you.
Listen to The words of Moses in Deuteronomy chapter 31. Joshua is about to go into the promised land. You say, hallelujah. Yes, hallelujah. But there's a huge problem.
The promised land was filled with pagan nations. who were going to attack. The people of Israel. Scary si situation, isn't you? How would you like to be the Commander in Chief?
Deuteronomy 31, verse 7, Moses summoned Joshua. And said to him in the sight of all Israel, Be strong and courageous, for you shall go with this people into the land that the Lord has sworn to their fathers to give them, and you shall put them in possession of it. Verse 8, here it is. It is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you.
He will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed. Not only, Joshua, is the Lord going to be with you. But the Lord, in fact, is going to go before you. The Lord is ahead of you.
You will never go anywhere, Joshua, where I, the Lord, have not already been.
So I'll never leave you. I'll never forsake you. I don't want you to fear. I don't want you to be dismayed, Joshua. Irrespective of the circumstances, I am with you.
What a promise. Over a few pages. And our Bibles. To Joshua. We needed to hear it again.
Joshua one. Verse nine. Have I not commanded you? Yes, Lord, you've told me that before, but I need to hear it again. I need you to remind me of this truth.
Be strong. and courageous. I say to you, brother, I say to you, sister, be strong and courageous today. Do not be frightened and do not be dismayed. Why?
Why, God, you don't understand the obstacle. Yes, I do. For the Lord your God is with you. Whatever. You go.
Wherever you go. There is no place There is no situation. There is no circumstance where the Lord is not with you. He's with you wherever you go.
Someone says, well, that's the Old Testament, John. All right. Let's turn to the New Testament. Although we believe the Old Testament, these truths are for us. Hebrews thirteen Verse 5 Keep your life free from love of money.
If you have a love of money, no doubt, no wonder you're anxious. No wonder you have these sleepless nights. Covetousness will keep you awake. Be content with what you have. Yes, that's the answer.
For he has said, I will never leave you. Nor forsake you, so we can confidently say, the Lord is my helper, I will not fear. What can man do to me? Magnificent, isn't it? I will never leave you.
Nor forsake you. The Lord Jesus never asks you to go anywhere where He has not first gone if you follow Him. Not only is he with you, He is Perforio. Yesterday The Lord Jesus was with me. Today, the Lord Jesus is with me.
Tomorrow, the Lord Jesus will be with me. Ten years from now, The Lord Jesus is with me. You say, John, you might be dead by then. Yes, I may be dead by then, but the Lord Jesus will still be with me. A million years from now.
The Lord Jesus. will be with me. Scripture tells us the ramp church. When we're caught up What happens? We will be Always with the Lord.
We will be forever with the Lord. For all of eternity, God will be with His people. We sang about that in that wonderful song. Is He worthy that there is a time? The question is asked: will God Himself dwell with His people?
And we say with a resounding yes, yes, God will be with us. And in your jerry salam. Revelation 21 verse 3. It says He God will dwell with them. God Himself will be with them.
as their God. The new Jerusalem in the Father's house. Here is the promise. That God and His amazing grace Don't ask me to explain it. It's all of grace that he longs to dwell with his people, with his redeemed.
And for all of eternity, We shall be With the Lord. He's with me now. He's with you now. In the crisis, Jesus is with you. Even when you feel alone.
Jesus. Switch you. This is the verdict, featuring the Bible teaching of Pastor John Monroe. There's still more to hear when John returns in just a moment, so stay with us. From matters of truth and identity, to the subjects of love and grace, our world seems more confused than ever.
but to find truth and certainty about who we are and find peace, we must turn our attention away from the world and look to the Word of God. To help you do that, John wrote a booklet titled Eternal Security, Finding Certainty in a Chaotic World. Through this special resource, John shares his personal testimony, along with a careful examination of Scripture, to offer us clarity on matters of eternity. Get your copy today by visiting our website at theverdict.org. While you're there, consider making an investment in this Bible teaching ministry.
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Now, here's Pastor John Monroe.
Well, what's your verdict? As you look back on life, think of some of the crises which have swept into your life. How have you responded? It's easy to wallow in self-pity. It's easy to blame others.
But I want to encourage you. Did you notice That it was at the darkest time of the night that Jesus reveals Himself to His disciples. Yes, the Lord is with you. You have not been abandoned. Jesus is Emmanuel, God with us.
Next time, let's continue to think of how we survive these crises. Thanks for joining us today on The Verdict. I'm Michelle Davies. Today's program with Pastor John Monroe was produced and sponsored by Calvary Church in Charlotte, North Carolina.
