The Sermon The Storms of Life by David McGee
Sep 25, 2011
The Storms of Life (35:18)
Referenced Scriptures: Mark 5:25-34; Matthew 8:23-27; Matthew 14:22-33; Acts 27:13-44
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Expectations with Focus
The scriptures below are from the WEB Bible.
Mark 5:25-34
25) A certain woman, who had an issue of blood for twelve years,
26) and had suffered many things by many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was no better, but rather grew worse,
27) having heard the things concerning Jesus, came up behind him in the crowd, and touched his clothes.
28) For she said, "If I just touch his clothes, I will be made well."
29) Immediately the fountain of her blood was dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of her plague.
30) Immediately Jesus, perceiving in himself that the power had gone forth from him, turned around in the crowd, and asked, "Who touched my clothes?"
31) His disciples said to him, "You see the multitude pressing against you, and you say, ‘Who touched me?‘"
32) He looked around to see her who had done this thing.
33) But the woman, fearing and trembling, knowing what had been done to her, came and fell down before him, and told him all the truth.
34) He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace, and be cured of your disease."
Matthew 8:23-27
23) When he got into a boat, his disciples followed him.
24) Behold, a great tempest arose in the sea, so much that the boat was covered with the waves, but he was asleep.
25) They came to him, and woke him up, saying, "Save us, Lord! We are dying!"
26) He said to them, "Why are you fearful, oh you of little faith?" Then he got up, rebuked the wind and the sea, and there was a great calm.
27) The men marveled, saying, "What kind of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?"
Matthew 14:22-33
22) Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat, and to go ahead of him to the other side, while he sent the multitudes away.
23) After he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into the mountain apart to pray. When evening had come, he was there alone.
24) But the boat was now in the midst of the sea, distressed by the waves, for the wind was contrary.
25) In the fourth watch of the night Jesus came to them, walking on the sea.
26) When the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, "It is a ghost!" and they cried out for fear.
27) But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying "Cheer up! I AM! Don‘t be afraid."
28) Peter answered him and said, "Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the waters."
29) He said, "Come!" Peter went down from the boat, and walked on the waters to come to Jesus.
30) But when he saw that the wind was strong, he was afraid, and beginning to sink, he cried out, saying, "Lord, save me!"
31) Immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and took hold of him, and said to him, "You of little faith, why did you doubt?"
32) When they got up into the boat, the wind ceased.
33) Those who were in the boat came and worshipped him, saying, "You are truly the Son of God!"
Acts 27:13-44
13) When the south wind blew softly, supposing that they had obtained their purpose, they weighed anchor and sailed along Crete, close to shore.
14) But after no long time there beat down from it a tempestuous wind, which is called Euroclydon.
15) When the ship was caught, and couldn‘t face the wind, we gave way to it, and were driven along.
16) Running under the lee of a small island called Clauda, we were able, with difficulty, to secure the boat.
17) When they had hoisted it up, they used cables to help reinforce the ship. Fearing that they would run aground on the Syrtis sand bars, they lowered the sea anchor, and so were driven.
18) As we labored exceedingly with the storm, the next day they began to throw things overboard.
19) On the third day, they threw out the ship‘s tackle with their own hands.
20) When neither sun nor stars shone on us for many days, and no small tempest pressed on us, all hope that we should be saved was now taken away.
21) When they had been long without food, Paul stood up in the midst of them, and said, "Sirs, you should have listened to me, and not have set sail from Crete, and have gotten this injury and loss.
22) Now I exhort you to cheer up, for there will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship.
23) For there stood by me this night an angel, belonging to the God whose I am and whom I serve,
24) saying, ‘Don‘t be afraid, Paul. You must stand before Caesar. Behold, God has granted you all those who sail with you.‘
25) Therefore, sirs, cheer up! For I believe God, that it will be just as it has been spoken to me.
26) But we must run aground on a certain island."
27) But when the fourteenth night was come, as we were driven back and forth in the Adriatic Sea, about midnight the sailors surmised that they were drawing near to some land.
28) They took soundings, and found twenty fathoms. After a little while, they took soundings again, and found fifteen fathoms.
29) Fearing that we would run aground on rocky ground, they let go four anchors from the stern, and wished for daylight.
30) As the sailors were trying to flee out of the ship, and had lowered the boat into the sea, pretending that they would lay out anchors from the bow,
31) Paul said to the centurion and to the soldiers, "Unless these stay in the ship, you can‘t be saved."
32) Then the soldiers cut away the ropes of the boat, and let her fall off.
33) While the day was coming on, Paul begged them all to take some food, saying, "This day is the fourteenth day that you wait and continue fasting, having taken nothing.
34) Therefore I beg you to take some food, for this is for your safety; for there will not a hair perish from the head of any of you."
35) When he had said this, and had taken bread, he gave thanks to God in the presence of all, and he broke it, and began to eat.
36) Then were they all of good cheer, and they also took food.
37) We were in all in the ship two hundred seventy-six souls.
38) When they had eaten enough, they lightened the ship, throwing out the wheat into the sea.
39) When it was day, they didn‘t recognize the land, but they noticed a certain bay with a beach, and they decided to try to drive the ship onto it.
40) Casting off the anchors, they left them in the sea, at the same time untying the rudder ropes. Hoisting up the foresail to the wind, they made for the beach.
41) But coming to a place where two seas met, they ran the vessel aground. The bow struck and remained immovable, but the stern began to break up by the violence of the waves.
42) The soldiers‘ counsel was to kill the prisoners, so that none of them would swim out and escape.
43) But the centurion, desiring to save Paul, stopped them from their purpose, and commanded that those who could swim should throw themselves overboard first to go to the land;
44) and the rest, some on planks, and some on other things from the ship. So it happened that they all escaped safely to the land.
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Will Wright held that the historians on this goal of about the preacher who is a wrong preacher and in the farm farmer came to bad weather, whatever the farmer and I came to church is the only one there. Former purchases. While you know, Bob, should I treat you. Knowledge and the farmer said, while you know if I had one, and the barn on it. Okay, so he preached a sermon. The priest. The whole thing, and whatever then when he was done, the asked the farmer what to think as well. I certainly wouldn't get it. The whole hey Mao fell by now I would give you all a mouth. This is one of those assignments that I know I'm while you could tell me afterward out of you like it or not, but I I I I really I read I really like this idea so I will share with you this morning and hopefully it's for you because Matthew chapter five will start there. Matthew chapter five verses twenty five to thirty four. The general money or is it someone downstairs window without the one on the log was downstairs and unbound out there. They were Michael Mister soul said to be a grandma Hanna and I handle as well. A lot children. They remind us how old we are now not by saying just by their physical agent of Matthew twenty five misusing Matthew five, beginning in verse twenty five. This is not the woman of the woman who has the issue of blood, and that how much he has to focus in an and the subplot I might workplace my son is entitled the storms of life, but the subtitle 's expectations with focus so as we think about storms by others. Explanation when we think of storms and OECD watch the weather map with all those type things high high-pressure low-pressure well high pressure is that the wings are circulating clockwise and rising low pressure their circulating counterclockwise descending to left, like tornadoes are clocked counterclockwise and funneling down. So whenever you have the two of them meeting you have conflict. So when you have high pressure low pressure and whenever they are really violent after we come up with our strong storms and you know where the tornadoes and flooding in the Elm disaster. Things that that they collided this picture here is kind of immune system beautiful picture of two fronts. You know the high pressure. The low-pressure combining and job posting one to circle a little bolder moves of that you are that the fifth and so when you're looking at the looking at this massive front moving in and there's no way that you can stop the there is no way that you can stop the high pressures low prices from coming into your life or coming across the United States are going around the world. You can't stop up there, always in motion, so we will always have highs and lows while at the bummer is moved to the Bahamas, where there's always highest excuse me if they has a low pressures coming through their with the hurricanes and things out, there's always start with the county to all I ever size allows up the challenges and and and and, again, this is just for illustration but there is good and evil in our world and that there are there in constant motion is in constant motion, so it's able will what happens when the children collide in your life. For now, we are tempted by the things that we are out. We are drawn away by our own lusts, and entice so they are tempted by the very things that our own weaknesses as all the storms of life. The evil of life in Central like to tempt us and end up in the high my life is our relationship with Jesus Christ is always trying to take us to rise above it and that and the lows are caught in a costly trying to create turmoil and stress and end-of-life home AL make disaster on what Sony 's things are always in him becoming a twilight in and out of our lives so were never going to have a situation in a never dynamic time in which they are not high. The love as a drug life, and that encouraging, but it's the truth. You will have highs and lows will have good days and bad days in an end. We are cyclic, you know we run in cycles. Whether its monthly cars of every six weeks or whatever we are seasonally cycling we ought. We have our highs and lows in the springtime summer fall winter we have are. You know where constantly in the cycles of life and soul. What are they to us of how we interpret what let's look at what Matthew chapter five verse twenty five, when we have that it methods up to five pulse fuses Mark chapter five. I'm sorry they fixed it because I said Matthew and I met Mark says, not Matthews, Mark chapter five. I can read my writing would be good so you may also write. I wrote a Bismarck after finally can read my chapter five verse twenty five that we know Mark chapter five verse twenty five Libya should get somebody else you would shell out that it enjoys better. They are my chapter five verse twenty five, a large crowd followed and priced around a nasal yell at the people around you are a woman who was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years she had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and has been all she had. Yet, instead of getting better. She got worse when she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his quote because she thought if I just touch his clothes. I will be healed immediately. Her bleeding stopped and she found her body that she was freed from her suffering. At once Jesus realized the power had gone out from him to turn around the crowd and asked to touch my clothes you see the people crowding around to his disciples answered in the last trust me by Jesus Camp. Looking around, seeing who had done it then. The woman knowing what happened to her came and fell at his feet and trembling with fear, told him the whole truth, he said to her daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace, and be freed from your suffering is that there are many challenges in our life. Okay, many turmoil Sunday Sun oils, prolonged periods of time. Then he aggravated a place where you needed to feel the touch of someone you feel that the aloneness of life is more than you can vary whenever you're in a crowd or any group of individuals, and you feel all alone will know that God is the one waiting for us to speak our need for us to reach out and to touch him know that for us to call out for God as for Austin all that are needed in front of us and that's an end. I must be an expectation of what we want to do with that need where do we want to go with it. So this one, and then you have this incurable condition costs that that she had been seeking for the physicians and everyone to to take care of her and help her and we find that it didn't work out her condition continued to get worse and in that society. She was excluded. She was an outcast and it was in the state of constant sharpening that some more inner spirit. The knowledge the faith. The expectation came onto her tube to grow and to see Jason 's wedding, the small linen in this point she had to push through the crowd. Chad pushed through the, the doubts that she would have worldwide and the end in the AL poster that the traditions that told her that she was on fleeing NCAA and the traditions of dollars. It was really worrying to be there to touch Jesus, but she declared in our hearts if I just touch his clothes. I will be healed. That's the expectation thing in our life, no matter what happens to us. There are expectations, what do you expect to happen. What he expect that. What do I expect to happen with my life in my life in my circumstance. Why do I expect the perfect storm to arise in the movie. I just totally overwhelmed us, though I expect that no matter how great the storm that God is good. Be with me and insult. We learned these things when we experience these things in our life and verse twenty nine, says immediately. Her bleeding stopped, and she felt her body that she was freed from her suffering her expectations were met her focus was to touch Jesus and her focus was if I touched him. I'll be healed. Expectation and that's it. That's what were looking at today in the storms of life. The situations of my in the highs and lows colliding our life. What is our expectation and what is our focus, so that the really good this woman really know who Jesus was immediate. She know that she was touching God, religious, she does know that she was touching this man who was exceptionally different than anybody else in that time. Matthew chapter eight verse twenty three to twenty seven and this is Matthew. Matthew chapter eight. I'm not hypothetically do the whole love. I begin alone, all while because of how goes together. I and it is really something. I think that you're even that you'll remember it's something that I remember a something that is to fall into the sequence here yet, you really get a picture on what Bob. What this means in and it's a little different picture than I than I've ever had before. So Matthew chapter rate versus twenty three to twenty seven then he got in the boat and his disciples followed him without warning. So Jesus is in the boat with his disciples again are going out on the sea of Galilee without warning a furious storm came up on the lake so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping disciples went and woke him about us. Jesus was sleeping in the disciples went and woke and saying, Lord, save us. We're going to drown. He replied, you have a little faith, why are you so afraid that he got up and rebuked the winds and waves and was completely call the men were amazed and asked what kind of man is this, even the winds and waves of me the stars reveal our expectations, storms reveal our focus right now, our expectations were usually our expectations are. Jesus is called the storms of my life. I want peace and tranquility on. They want peace and tranquility twenty four hours seven days a week. Thank you I was a you know or not I get just a call okay this is the bad people out of my life. Not that I watch the news on the radio, newspaper and on a garbage that goes on in the foil politics in our society are paid attention to. I'm calm. I am twenty. Right anyhow, I'm something like that. The trademark Michael, but then I check comes around, so bailout is going on when people listen, you don't not here, but hailstorms reveal our expectations and we like things to be call that point. So the disciples in the and in this art are are taken by surprise. Now notice that Jesus finished not affect embarrassed that Jesus is an as come here and there is known about. You would think that if you're in the boat with Jesus. Everything 's fine, but if you are in a boat with Jesus. Everything is good, but where they had done Steve Dowling. Now the same downlink is not the I have a thought someone was a lot like one of our Great Lakes, though it's not like the Great Lakes. The same Galilee is thirteen miles long and seven miles wide but not very big. You can see one into the other library or you can see him of using entirely we're all just a big rig like five hundred and fifty feet deep, and its shoreline is six hundred and eighty eight below sea level, Solon Spartans can't remember what happens when low-pressure counter clockwise and descending so that the Spartans coming off of the Mediterranean are hanging the land and then on a downhill slide right into the much greater than the Steve Dowling and the Sea of Galilee is like, and in his mountains around, and that the one hand, the state is trying to open corridor like this when you will luck out at the gap out of Johnstone, you have the mouse going across in the nurse there is then that gap there. While that's what happens at the Steve Dowling, there is chatter like that kind of a gap and went in. So the storms come off of the Mediterranean is all downhill and that a negative funneled through this funnel through what happened when the Bush Sharon everything into a puddle. It makes sense to me. So you have this place where they are the storms described shoveled out into the sea of Galilee, and then funneled in there and all of a sudden will have twenty four play in a matter of the time the storm 's dissent from the Mediterranean found into the sea of Galilee and him got some violent sport because as soon as it hits the ceiling galley is going up again because the Mount Vernon on all sides, so you've got the perfect place for a perfect poor recipient rapping about students. Kenny got these fishing boats, so it's a perfect place for violent sudden storm that can produce waves in excess of twenty feet in Matthew chapter eight. This violent storm came up with Jesus is asleep in the boat. The expected dignity experiences, sailors I was in a panic brought in the expectations were going to drown the focus let's make Jesus into a little ball in us is about to make sure we don't have storms only. Lord save us or we drown with parents. So all of us living here on earth a better place for human cost by buying event something happens in the first expectation that we have is the rushes through my mind it's all over were going under. Things are never going to get better. Things are going to can get better. They're blind and I follow her. But Jesus replies one reply Wednesday why you're so right, the mouse you love little faith, why are you so afraid the challenge of this for first lesson of store. It reveals to us the kind of Jesus that is in our book. What kind of Jesus is in my boat. What kind of man whenever one is radon was insane. Jesus rebukes this time and an unmanned verse twenty seven. The men at the same. What kind of man is this even the winds and waves obey him. Sometimes the storm to come into our life are solely to prove to us what kind of God we serve. What kind of God is this that can speak peace to my storm and everything changes. Even the winds and waves of they so, what is the new expectation. Expectation, why were you out with the new expectation. Jesus Ms. Whitney can do anything. Even the wind and waves obey him what the focus Jesus. So the disciples have to wake him to find out what type of man. The sense and when they woke he called the store I second floor Matthew fourteen Matthew fourteen versus twenty two twenty three Matthew fourteen versus twenty two to thirty two. Excuse me Matthew fourteen twenty two immediately Jesus made the disciples given about an go-ahead and into the other side. So they've just finished feeding the five thousand and there that once again proved what type of Jesus is visited with them. You can take five loads and five five five pancakes and into sardines and fees five thousand men plus women and children while what kind of Jesus visits that face that they didn't about Jesus doesn't get in with the bigger loan. Go ahead of him to the other side, while he dismisses the crowd verse twenty three, after he had dismissed them, he went up on the mountainside to buy himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, but the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against another storm came up 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, Neve cried out in fear. But Jesus immediately said, take charge and as I do not be afraid, Lord of the Joe Peter replied, tell me to come to you on the water verse twenty nine, he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and began to sing cry out. Lord save me immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him, you little faith, he said why did you doubt when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down those two were in the boat worshiped him, saying you truly you are the son of God, so you've got at least a miracle, a major miracle L, Perry Onyx are miracles are nearly come in different sizes off this one is a major miracle five thousand people are fed from five five pancakes into starting a member that's a remember that seminar brought them brought in five pancakes into sardines and I tried the dog they have nobody to sardine, so they were still here when the church was over, so there is a storm by Jesus as a weapon. What is the fear of the store. The fairness farm. The second view. Here we have in this farm is that raw alone first one chooses in the boat with us and he constantly evaluate the wins away what kind of diocese now we have a storm comes up with some Jesus is with us, were all alone. This so while allowing out to do what is the expectation of this point were on. We know what kind of a man. Jesus said, because a storm he feeds five thousand, but he's not here. So what's the lesson now Jesus came walking on water. Now that's not the less verse twenty seven. Take courage, it is. I didn't be afraid first twenty eight Lord that is you, Peter replied, come to you on the water. The lesson here in this storm is not about Jesus. It's about Peter is about the disciples. It's also about you and I the expectation of what we can do when we are focused on Jesus, the storm. When the highs and lows come in our life. What are we going to do about why Scott going to do through us. Prompted by a prompted by the word of God that what God can do and us is that why can't walk on water while you're right, but this is not our store. Mrs. peters for this is the disciple store, walking on water is taking a step of faith that is in obedience to the word. It is in obedience to Christ, prompting, and this is where you and I and our highs and lows in the storms of life. When we hear the word of God, and we focus on the word of God and the word of God hearts and prompts us come to me like get out about now from where your eye and move on with your life gone on and step out and stay focused. Who's the book is because whenever we lose focus. We said, it's about what we can do in our store. What God will do through us in our store for storm teaches us who it is that wherewith the second storm teaches us who we are in our store, walking on circumstance so high pressure winds that circulate far hi rise low-pressure wins that circulate counterclockwise and down and down a lot like life, the wins that we face lift us up or drive us down, lift us up, beat us down highs and lows. Life is filled with highs in the we watched the weather Channel partner pressure here in winter we have the wraparound Northeastern nor Eastern 's that come around storming pickup all the Bush Jura from the from the ocean and come around through New York and hit the top high hello there, whatever from Canada and freeze the water and drive, drive it down into Central Pennsylvania and we have to repeat itself on an oyster watch the weather channel is about a guy who we know they been wrong all week, but as the visit. We have highs, lows, the lowest of all my gosh, it's all for now is like the guy so far storm shows us who got his second line shows us who we are. There's going to accept twenty seven verses thirteen to forty four in a readable act, chapter seventeen, six unit acceptance twenty seven five favorite guys& they all bought by Doctor is wrong information. Sorry said that remote writing twenty seven versus thirteen forty four thousand, said Margarita at all verse twenty two. Paul is not a prison ship date is fourteen days. In this store. Fourteen days they have been able to see the sun and was done and they gave up hope of surviving an intraocular holiday. They scrap the ship what they did was they took cabled ropes put them underneath the ship now they did that and I'll put them underneath the ship brought them up over and tied ropes together to hold the ship began on a literally tied to ship together the same, and in this industry on was a violent storm, but verse twenty two. I urge you now. Now I urge you to take, take heart, for there will be no loss of life that my favorite everyday identity. Now fourteen days being tossed around on on on not on the ocean and the navigation system. Black is akin to the stars them no idea where the wrap, then no idea what the hell, why, how far they've been pushed off course. I mean, it's just the other total disaster. Your that year the mercy of the wind and the waves. A young got a clue where you're at. Paul says, I urge you to take hard for there will be no loss of life among you, but only to ship for there stood by me this night an Angel to go out. Angel God, to whom I belong to whom I serve in the angel told Paul, do not be afraid. You must be brought before Caesar, and indeed God has granted you all and those who sail with you. Verse twenty five, so keep your courage. Men, for I have faith in God, then it will happen just as he told me. Okay, storms like this, lungs suddenly they may last a long time. The expectation and focused. We lose, and sometimes now remember, this the storm came Paul and the ship did not need to be there. Paul warned them. Don't go. Don't care what the weather says I don't care what the thing is, we can't go because if we go were going to lose everything ever met in the storm were you told people to avoid it, but they can listen in. I told you guys, you should do this with gentleness and any. I called yourselves, and I know those things until people think before they listen that I was right. But these storms can cause you to feel out of control and the expectations and focus on even more difficult because you know you are smart enough not to go there, but they work in the article with the while Paul was on a prison ship and he is not even unable to say we're not going back to listen to their people out of five years. They were violent storms can be a divine interruptions into the plans of man is along for the ride and you are in a place where storms have happened where these two pressure fronts collide and it has nothing to do with you. You're involved in the storm that isn't about you, but God has a better plan in the expectations once storm is there that God cannot see you through the focus that the plot is upon me, he will take you through. God has promised on the third lesson here is you are in this storm, not for yourself, when you are in this form because God wants you to be there for other people. You are God 's instrument that he is going to use in this situation for the people around and what is the word Paul has keep your current telling these people keep your courage. I have faith in God, the God that I serve told me is not the meaning loss of life shifts go on shift history, but none of us will die. That's what God says and why all their nominating choice. It was always a prisoner and he told the people, not the sale. Nobody listened. So he is there because God put him there to take care of all the other people, so what shall separate meeting the expectations of our life are what all things work together for good to those love God and are called according to his purpose. The focus. What shall separate me from the love of God juncture of relation trial sell life or death. There are passwords in the things above and below like to separate me expectation. What can stop the plan of God in my life storms may be evil pressure colliding with the mind will, but the purpose is greater than who we are. We're serving someone greater than ourselves. Expectation. I'm more than a conqueror through Christ, the woman with the issue of blood. She pushed through the crap. Our focus reach out and touch God hear from you build your expectations are you saying Jesus is not about what manner of man is this that even the wind and waves obey while Jesus is not in the boat, there's a store, but yet he will speak to us that he will inspire us to step out in faith and country. It's what God will do in us, and then what God will do through us. The storms of life focus in expectation before you see in this graph. There was an island that needed a message. There were soldiers needed to hear the word of God. There were slaves are needed to be set free by the message of Paul and they were shipwrecked on the silent and they had to stay there. The entire winter months. Three months six months on much treatments five upset about it all started off with a miracle. The miracle. Paul is gathering room number. None of them lost their lives. That's the first, second, once they were gathering sticks, snake bit, Paul/ radon. He took it. He hunted over the fire. Everybody saw it. This is hello. He may live through this, but he's got to be a bad man because the gods gotten the breakfast, take off. He didn't die and he had a message from God. He wasn't there because of something he did do something other people did, and he was the messenger of God with the message, so you see storms of life good and evil high-pressure low-pressure, they come through our life, God is with me, God is cut my life working with me and me, and then God uses me to touch others jealous that the whole love. So now when you think of the storms understand. I still love the look of the weatherman Isa Lothair I keep coming tracks off of in our lives, highs and lows are always going to be there trying to drive us down or lift us up, we can use the store. I would think of Eagles, no Eagles used a high pressure to take them up. They never allow themselves them enough sense since to not be caught in the low-pressure, which would drive him to the ground about us don't allow low pressures low times to drive us down. Always allow spirit of God rises God we serve and call the store, the God we serve can help us walk on the circumstances, the God we serve will give us the word from him. To those around usWill Wright held that the historians on this goal of about the preacher who is a wrong preacher and in the farm farmer came to bad weather, whatever the farmer and I came to church is the only one there. Former purchases. While you know, Bob, should I treat you. Knowledge and the farmer said, while you know if I had one, and the barn on it. Okay, so he preached a sermon. The priest. The whole thing, and whatever then when he was done, the asked the farmer what to think as well. I certainly wouldn't get it. The whole hey Mao fell by now I would give you all a mouth. This is one of those assignments that I know I'm while you could tell me afterward out of you like it or not, but I I I I really I read I really like this idea so I will share with you this morning and hopefully it's for you because Matthew chapter five will start there. Matthew chapter five verses twenty five to thirty four. The general money or is it someone downstairs window without the one on the log was downstairs and unbound out there. They were Michael Mister soul said to be a grandma Hanna and I handle as well. A lot children. They remind us how old we are now not by saying just by their physical agent of Matthew twenty five misusing Matthew five, beginning in verse twenty five. This is not the woman of the woman who has the issue of blood, and that how much he has to focus in an and the subplot I might workplace my son is entitled the storms of life, but the subtitle 's expectations with focus so as we think about storms by others. Explanation when we think of storms and OECD watch the weather map with all those type things high high-pressure low-pressure well high pressure is that the wings are circulating clockwise and rising low pressure their circulating counterclockwise descending to left, like tornadoes are clocked counterclockwise and funneling down. So whenever you have the two of them meeting you have conflict. So when you have high pressure low pressure and whenever they are really violent after we come up with our strong storms and you know where the tornadoes and flooding in the Elm disaster. Things that that they collided this picture here is kind of immune system beautiful picture of two fronts. You know the high pressure. The low-pressure combining and job posting one to circle a little bolder moves of that you are that the fifth and so when you're looking at the looking at this massive front moving in and there's no way that you can stop the there is no way that you can stop the high pressures low prices from coming into your life or coming across the United States are going around the world. You can't stop up there, always in motion, so we will always have highs and lows while at the bummer is moved to the Bahamas, where there's always highest excuse me if they has a low pressures coming through their with the hurricanes and things out, there's always start with the county to all I ever size allows up the challenges and and and and, again, this is just for illustration but there is good and evil in our world and that there are there in constant motion is in constant motion, so it's able will what happens when the children collide in your life. For now, we are tempted by the things that we are out. We are drawn away by our own lusts, and entice so they are tempted by the very things that our own weaknesses as all the storms of life. The evil of life in Central like to tempt us and end up in the high my life is our relationship with Jesus Christ is always trying to take us to rise above it and that and the lows are caught in a costly trying to create turmoil and stress and end-of-life home AL make disaster on what Sony 's things are always in him becoming a twilight in and out of our lives so were never going to have a situation in a never dynamic time in which they are not high. The love as a drug life, and that encouraging, but it's the truth. You will have highs and lows will have good days and bad days in an end. We are cyclic, you know we run in cycles. Whether its monthly cars of every six weeks or whatever we are seasonally cycling we ought. We have our highs and lows in the springtime summer fall winter we have are. You know where constantly in the cycles of life and soul. What are they to us of how we interpret what let's look at what Matthew chapter five verse twenty five, when we have that it methods up to five pulse fuses Mark chapter five. I'm sorry they fixed it because I said Matthew and I met Mark says, not Matthews, Mark chapter five. I can read my writing would be good so you may also write. I wrote a Bismarck after finally can read my chapter five verse twenty five that we know Mark chapter five verse twenty five Libya should get somebody else you would shell out that it enjoys better. They are my chapter five verse twenty five, a large crowd followed and priced around a nasal yell at the people around you are a woman who was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years she had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and has been all she had. Yet, instead of getting better. She got worse when she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his quote because she thought if I just touch his clothes. I will be healed immediately. Her bleeding stopped and she found her body that she was freed from her suffering. At once Jesus realized the power had gone out from him to turn around the crowd and asked to touch my clothes you see the people crowding around to his disciples answered in the last trust me by Jesus Camp. Looking around, seeing who had done it then. The woman knowing what happened to her came and fell at his feet and trembling with fear, told him the whole truth, he said to her daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace, and be freed from your suffering is that there are many challenges in our life. Okay, many turmoil Sunday Sun oils, prolonged periods of time. Then he aggravated a place where you needed to feel the touch of someone you feel that the aloneness of life is more than you can vary whenever you're in a crowd or any group of individuals, and you feel all alone will know that God is the one waiting for us to speak our need for us to reach out and to touch him know that for us to call out for God as for Austin all that are needed in front of us and that's an end. I must be an expectation of what we want to do with that need where do we want to go with it. So this one, and then you have this incurable condition costs that that she had been seeking for the physicians and everyone to to take care of her and help her and we find that it didn't work out her condition continued to get worse and in that society. She was excluded. She was an outcast and it was in the state of constant sharpening that some more inner spirit. The knowledge the faith. The expectation came onto her tube to grow and to see Jason 's wedding, the small linen in this point she had to push through the crowd. Chad pushed through the, the doubts that she would have worldwide and the end in the AL poster that the traditions that told her that she was on fleeing NCAA and the traditions of dollars. It was really worrying to be there to touch Jesus, but she declared in our hearts if I just touch his clothes. I will be healed. That's the expectation thing in our life, no matter what happens to us. There are expectations, what do you expect to happen. What he expect that. What do I expect to happen with my life in my life in my circumstance. Why do I expect the perfect storm to arise in the movie. I just totally overwhelmed us, though I expect that no matter how great the storm that God is good. Be with me and insult. We learned these things when we experience these things in our life and verse twenty nine, says immediately. Her bleeding stopped, and she felt her body that she was freed from her suffering her expectations were met her focus was to touch Jesus and her focus was if I touched him. I'll be healed. Expectation and that's it. That's what were looking at today in the storms of life. The situations of my in the highs and lows colliding our life. What is our expectation and what is our focus, so that the really good this woman really know who Jesus was immediate. She know that she was touching God, religious, she does know that she was touching this man who was exceptionally different than anybody else in that time. Matthew chapter eight verse twenty three to twenty seven and this is Matthew. Matthew chapter eight. I'm not hypothetically do the whole love. I begin alone, all while because of how goes together. I and it is really something. I think that you're even that you'll remember it's something that I remember a something that is to fall into the sequence here yet, you really get a picture on what Bob. What this means in and it's a little different picture than I than I've ever had before. So Matthew chapter rate versus twenty three to twenty seven then he got in the boat and his disciples followed him without warning. So Jesus is in the boat with his disciples again are going out on the sea of Galilee without warning a furious storm came up on the lake so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping disciples went and woke him about us. Jesus was sleeping in the disciples went and woke and saying, Lord, save us. We're going to drown. He replied, you have a little faith, why are you so afraid that he got up and rebuked the winds and waves and was completely call the men were amazed and asked what kind of man is this, even the winds and waves of me the stars reveal our expectations, storms reveal our focus right now, our expectations were usually our expectations are. Jesus is called the storms of my life. I want peace and tranquility on. They want peace and tranquility twenty four hours seven days a week. Thank you I was a you know or not I get just a call okay this is the bad people out of my life. Not that I watch the news on the radio, newspaper and on a garbage that goes on in the foil politics in our society are paid attention to. I'm calm. I am twenty. Right anyhow, I'm something like that. The trademark Michael, but then I check comes around, so bailout is going on when people listen, you don't not here, but hailstorms reveal our expectations and we like things to be call that point. So the disciples in the and in this art are are taken by surprise. Now notice that Jesus finished not affect embarrassed that Jesus is an as come here and there is known about. You would think that if you're in the boat with Jesus. Everything 's fine, but if you are in a boat with Jesus. Everything is good, but where they had done Steve Dowling. Now the same downlink is not the I have a thought someone was a lot like one of our Great Lakes, though it's not like the Great Lakes. The same Galilee is thirteen miles long and seven miles wide but not very big. You can see one into the other library or you can see him of using entirely we're all just a big rig like five hundred and fifty feet deep, and its shoreline is six hundred and eighty eight below sea level, Solon Spartans can't remember what happens when low-pressure counter clockwise and descending so that the Spartans coming off of the Mediterranean are hanging the land and then on a downhill slide right into the much greater than the Steve Dowling and the Sea of Galilee is like, and in his mountains around, and that the one hand, the state is trying to open corridor like this when you will luck out at the gap out of Johnstone, you have the mouse going across in the nurse there is then that gap there. While that's what happens at the Steve Dowling, there is chatter like that kind of a gap and went in. So the storms come off of the Mediterranean is all downhill and that a negative funneled through this funnel through what happened when the Bush Sharon everything into a puddle. It makes sense to me. So you have this place where they are the storms described shoveled out into the sea of Galilee, and then funneled in there and all of a sudden will have twenty four play in a matter of the time the storm 's dissent from the Mediterranean found into the sea of Galilee and him got some violent sport because as soon as it hits the ceiling galley is going up again because the Mount Vernon on all sides, so you've got the perfect place for a perfect poor recipient rapping about students. Kenny got these fishing boats, so it's a perfect place for violent sudden storm that can produce waves in excess of twenty feet in Matthew chapter eight. This violent storm came up with Jesus is asleep in the boat. The expected dignity experiences, sailors I was in a panic brought in the expectations were going to drown the focus let's make Jesus into a little ball in us is about to make sure we don't have storms only. Lord save us or we drown with parents. So all of us living here on earth a better place for human cost by buying event something happens in the first expectation that we have is the rushes through my mind it's all over were going under. Things are never going to get better. Things are going to can get better. They're blind and I follow her. But Jesus replies one reply Wednesday why you're so right, the mouse you love little faith, why are you so afraid the challenge of this for first lesson of store. It reveals to us the kind of Jesus that is in our book. What kind of Jesus is in my boat. What kind of man whenever one is radon was insane. Jesus rebukes this time and an unmanned verse twenty seven. The men at the same. What kind of man is this even the winds and waves obey him. Sometimes the storm to come into our life are solely to prove to us what kind of God we serve. What kind of God is this that can speak peace to my storm and everything changes. Even the winds and waves of they so, what is the new expectation. Expectation, why were you out with the new expectation. Jesus Ms. Whitney can do anything. Even the wind and waves obey him what the focus Jesus. So the disciples have to wake him to find out what type of man. The sense and when they woke he called the store I second floor Matthew fourteen Matthew fourteen versus twenty two twenty three Matthew fourteen versus twenty two to thirty two. Excuse me Matthew fourteen twenty two immediately Jesus made the disciples given about an go-ahead and into the other side. So they've just finished feeding the five thousand and there that once again proved what type of Jesus is visited with them. You can take five loads and five five five pancakes and into sardines and fees five thousand men plus women and children while what kind of Jesus visits that face that they didn't about Jesus doesn't get in with the bigger loan. Go ahead of him to the other side, while he dismisses the crowd verse twenty three, after he had dismissed them, he went up on the mountainside to buy himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, but the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against another storm came up 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, Neve cried out in fear. But Jesus immediately said, take charge and as I do not be afraid, Lord of the Joe Peter replied, tell me to come to you on the water verse twenty nine, he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and began to sing cry out. Lord save me immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him, you little faith, he said why did you doubt when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down those two were in the boat worshiped him, saying you truly you are the son of God, so you've got at least a miracle, a major miracle L, Perry Onyx are miracles are nearly come in different sizes off this one is a major miracle five thousand people are fed from five five pancakes into starting a member that's a remember that seminar brought them brought in five pancakes into sardines and I tried the dog they have nobody to sardine, so they were still here when the church was over, so there is a storm by Jesus as a weapon. What is the fear of the store. The fairness farm. The second view. Here we have in this farm is that raw alone first one chooses in the boat with us and he constantly evaluate the wins away what kind of diocese now we have a storm comes up with some Jesus is with us, were all alone. This so while allowing out to do what is the expectation of this point were on. We know what kind of a man. Jesus said, because a storm he feeds five thousand, but he's not here. So what's the lesson now Jesus came walking on water. Now that's not the less verse twenty seven. Take courage, it is. I didn't be afraid first twenty eight Lord that is you, Peter replied, come to you on the water. The lesson here in this storm is not about Jesus. It's about Peter is about the disciples. It's also about you and I the expectation of what we can do when we are focused on Jesus, the storm. When the highs and lows come in our life. What are we going to do about why Scott going to do through us. Prompted by a prompted by the word of God that what God can do and us is that why can't walk on water while you're right, but this is not our store. Mrs. peters for this is the disciple store, walking on water is taking a step of faith that is in obedience to the word. It is in obedience to Christ, prompting, and this is where you and I and our highs and lows in the storms of life. When we hear the word of God, and we focus on the word of God and the word of God hearts and prompts us come to me like get out about now from where your eye and move on with your life gone on and step out and stay focused. Who's the book is because whenever we lose focus. We said, it's about what we can do in our store. What God will do through us in our store for storm teaches us who it is that wherewith the second storm teaches us who we are in our store, walking on circumstance so high pressure winds that circulate far hi rise low-pressure wins that circulate counterclockwise and down and down a lot like life, the wins that we face lift us up or drive us down, lift us up, beat us down highs and lows. Life is filled with highs in the we watched the weather Channel partner pressure here in winter we have the wraparound Northeastern nor Eastern 's that come around storming pickup all the Bush Jura from the from the ocean and come around through New York and hit the top high hello there, whatever from Canada and freeze the water and drive, drive it down into Central Pennsylvania and we have to repeat itself on an oyster watch the weather channel is about a guy who we know they been wrong all week, but as the visit. We have highs, lows, the lowest of all my gosh, it's all for now is like the guy so far storm shows us who got his second line shows us who we are. There's going to accept twenty seven verses thirteen to forty four in a readable act, chapter seventeen, six unit acceptance twenty seven five favorite guys& they all bought by Doctor is wrong information. Sorry said that remote writing twenty seven versus thirteen forty four thousand, said Margarita at all verse twenty two. Paul is not a prison ship date is fourteen days. In this store. Fourteen days they have been able to see the sun and was done and they gave up hope of surviving an intraocular holiday. They scrap the ship what they did was they took cabled ropes put them underneath the ship now they did that and I'll put them underneath the ship brought them up over and tied ropes together to hold the ship began on a literally tied to ship together the same, and in this industry on was a violent storm, but verse twenty two. I urge you now. Now I urge you to take, take heart, for there will be no loss of life that my favorite everyday identity. Now fourteen days being tossed around on on on not on the ocean and the navigation system. Black is akin to the stars them no idea where the wrap, then no idea what the hell, why, how far they've been pushed off course. I mean, it's just the other total disaster. Your that year the mercy of the wind and the waves. A young got a clue where you're at. Paul says, I urge you to take hard for there will be no loss of life among you, but only to ship for there stood by me this night an Angel to go out. Angel God, to whom I belong to whom I serve in the angel told Paul, do not be afraid. You must be brought before Caesar, and indeed God has granted you all and those who sail with you. Verse twenty five, so keep your courage. Men, for I have faith in God, then it will happen just as he told me. Okay, storms like this, lungs suddenly they may last a long time. The expectation and focused. We lose, and sometimes now remember, this the storm came Paul and the ship did not need to be there. Paul warned them. Don't go. Don't care what the weather says I don't care what the thing is, we can't go because if we go were going to lose everything ever met in the storm were you told people to avoid it, but they can listen in. I told you guys, you should do this with gentleness and any. I called yourselves, and I know those things until people think before they listen that I was right. But these storms can cause you to feel out of control and the expectations and focus on even more difficult because you know you are smart enough not to go there, but they work in the article with the while Paul was on a prison ship and he is not even unable to say we're not going back to listen to their people out of five years. They were violent storms can be a divine interruptions into the plans of man is along for the ride and you are in a place where storms have happened where these two pressure fronts collide and it has nothing to do with you. You're involved in the storm that isn't about you, but God has a better plan in the expectations once storm is there that God cannot see you through the focus that the plot is upon me, he will take you through. God has promised on the third lesson here is you are in this storm, not for yourself, when you are in this form because God wants you to be there for other people. You are God 's instrument that he is going to use in this situation for the people around and what is the word Paul has keep your current telling these people keep your courage. I have faith in God, the God that I serve told me is not the meaning loss of life shifts go on shift history, but none of us will die. That's what God says and why all their nominating choice. It was always a prisoner and he told the people, not the sale. Nobody listened. So he is there because God put him there to take care of all the other people, so what shall separate meeting the expectations of our life are what all things work together for good to those love God and are called according to his purpose. The focus. What shall separate me from the love of God juncture of relation trial sell life or death. There are passwords in the things above and below like to separate me expectation. What can stop the plan of God in my life storms may be evil pressure colliding with the mind will, but the purpose is greater than who we are. We're serving someone greater than ourselves. Expectation. I'm more than a conqueror through Christ, the woman with the issue of blood. She pushed through the crap. Our focus reach out and touch God hear from you build your expectations are you saying Jesus is not about what manner of man is this that even the wind and waves obey while Jesus is not in the boat, there's a store, but yet he will speak to us that he will inspire us to step out in faith and country. It's what God will do in us, and then what God will do through us. The storms of life focus in expectation before you see in this graph. There was an island that needed a message. There were soldiers needed to hear the word of God. There were slaves are needed to be set free by the message of Paul and they were shipwrecked on the silent and they had to stay there. The entire winter months. Three months six months on much treatments five upset about it all started off with a miracle. The miracle. Paul is gathering room number. None of them lost their lives. That's the first, second, once they were gathering sticks, snake bit, Paul/ radon. He took it. He hunted over the fire. Everybody saw it. This is hello. He may live through this, but he's got to be a bad man because the gods gotten the breakfast, take off. He didn't die and he had a message from God. He wasn't there because of something he did do something other people did, and he was the messenger of God with the message, so you see storms of life good and evil high-pressure low-pressure, they come through our life, God is with me, God is cut my life working with me and me, and then God uses me to touch others jealous that the whole love. So now when you think of the storms understand. I still love the look of the weatherman Isa Lothair I keep coming tracks off of in our lives, highs and lows are always going to be there trying to drive us down or lift us up, we can use the store. I would think of Eagles, no Eagles used a high pressure to take them up. They never allow themselves them enough sense since to not be caught in the low-pressure, which would drive him to the ground about us don't allow low pressures low times to drive us down. Always allow spirit of God rises God we serve and call the store, the God we serve can help us walk on the circumstances, the God we serve will give us the word from him. To those around us