Crises abound in this world, but as children of an omnipotent, loving Father, we can rely on His steadfast faithfulness to bring us to the other side of every storm. In this message, Dr. Stanley teaches from Paul’s second letter to Timothy, explaining what it means to face struggles with love, power, and a sound mind.
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next on InTouch when facing storms in
our life
we all face storms in our life and they
come in one of three forms they could be
the physical or it could be emotional
well it could be spiritual that’s just
part of life we live in a fall in the
world when sin came in the world
everything changed and so we have to
learn how to adjust to the storms that
come into our life because they’re gonna
keep coming always has been that way
since Adam and Eve fell in the gardens
it’ll always be that way till Jesus
comes there’ll be all kinds of storms
that we face and we either have to learn
how to face them how to survive them or
we get defeated by them we find
ourselves missing out on God’s blessing
because we don’t know how to respond to
the storms in our life if I should ask
you this morning can you remember a
storm in your life in which you were
challenged in your faith maybe
challenging your beliefs about different
aspects of the Christian life we could
all stand the issue is do we know how to
respond to them then we know how to
respond to them in a way that we come
out victorious and stronger as a result
of the storm and I don’t think that if
God allows a storm in your life that his
ultimate purpose is to bring you out
stronger I didn’t say he sins every
storm because many storms are the result
of sin in our lives but the issue is how
do we respond to them and so when Paul
was writing to Timothy and if you’ll
turn to 2nd Timothy chapter 1 he was
writing to him because he knew that he
was going through a storm in his life
and he was the pastor of a church in
Ephesus and that church was in turmoil
and so he was going through a very
difficult time Paul knew that he was and
he wrote this second Timothy knowing
that in mind so I want you to look at
this first verse and we’re just going to
read through the seventh verse Paul an
apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of
God according to the prom
of life in Christ Jesus the Timothy my
beloved son grace mercy and peace from
God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord
I thank God whom I served with a clear
conscience the way my forefathers did as
I constantly remember you in my prayers
night and day which is his way of saying
I’m praying for you Timothy and I know
you needed
he says longing to see you even as I
recalled your tears so that I may be
filled with joy for I am mindful of a
sincere faith within you which first
wilt in your grandmother Lois and your
mother Eunice and I’m sure that it’s in
you as well word of compliment and
assurance to him then he said for this
reason I remind you to Kindle afresh the
gift of God which is in you through the
laying on of my hands for God has not
given you a spirit of timidity but power
love and discipline now he knew that it
was going through a difficult time he
knew that he was very discouraged and he
knew that he needed some help
and so when he said in this verse Kindle
afresh the gift of God which is in you
that is if you think about a fire and
it’s getting dimmer and dimmer and
dimmer and you want to throw coal on it
a wood on it or kerosene whatever it
might be
they cause it to flame up and what that
word really means here is to inflame the
gift of God within you he become
discouraged he looked around he thought
these folks were his friends and some
other warrant he thought they wanted the
truth of the gospel and they didn’t and
pastoring and a church like that which
was a crossroads of the world he was
very discouraged and Paul said something
to him here that is so very very
significant
we two go through difficult times in our
life storms that we don’t invite storms
that come from people we think that love
us storms that come from seemingly
nowhere but there they are
so he was discouraged and he could tell
by his writing that he was discouraged
and he needed encouragement so he said
for this reason I remind you to Kindle
afresh that is stir up the embers the
Kindle afresh the gift of God which is
in you that is all of us have the Spirit
of God who is within us when we trust
the Christ as our Savior if I should ask
you today can you remember time in your
life when you felt that sort of cool and
your Christian life is growing sort of
cold and if I should ask you what
happened you could probably tell me what
caused it but the fire you used to have
is no longer there and you begin to
doubt some things about the Word of God
and at one time you would have defended
the Word of God with your life and now
you find yourself compromising when your
friends ask you well what’s going on in
your life ah nothing they know that it
is you know that it is and you’re able
to discern within your own mind and
heart that you have drifted away from
God to some degree or the troubles and
the trials and the heartaches you have
sufferings getting the best of you even
lost your smile you’ve lost your joy
you’re about to lose your hope you’ve
begun to even question the Word of God
and some verses that you thought were
just anchor verses for you and no longer
significant to you you’re not not
reading the Bible like you used to
you’re not praying with enthusiasm and
faith as you used to and so what happens
is your spiritual life grows cool and
then it gets cold and then you begin to
wonder God is this real or is it not
real that can happen to anybody
it happens to people who go through
difficult times but people who are not
really versed in the Word of God
people who listen to others and will
tell you well you know if I were in your
position when anybody tells you that
throw up five red flags because they’re
about to tell you something that you
probably do not need to hear if I were
in your position they don’t know what
going on in your life they only know
what they see what they reflect by your
countenance Paul is writing the young
Timothy and he knows what he feels
Paul’s been there he knows about
persecution he knows about heartache he
knows about troubles and trials and and
so he’s writing to him and saying to him
God’s not given you the spirit of fear
ultimately but of power and love and
discipline therefore based on who you
are and what you have do not be ashamed
of the testimony of our Lord or of me
his prisoner but join with me in
suffering for the gospel according to
the power of God who saved us called us
with a holy calling not according to our
works but according to his own purpose
and grace which was granted to us in
Christ Jesus from eternity that is
spark it up Timothy for those are some
coal on the fire you don’t have to
listen and believe what you’re hearing
and so as a result of that he’s simply
giving him some sound advice about how
to respond to these things you don’t
respond the trials heartaches and
difficulties by simply listening to your
friends or your family because naturally
they’re prejudiced and it may be that
God has you on a conviction about
something that you need to get rid of in
your life and your friends no listen God
loves you everything’s gonna be okay
just ignore all these feelings no you
can’t you can’t ignore the feelings that
God has given you because he wants the
brain change in your life about
something and I’ve been through a few
storms that I don’t I wouldn’t even want
to discuss and all of us have storms
that a public in storms that are private
but we have storms and the issue is how
do we respond
and his response to Timothy was a
response that all of us need to listen
to carefully and so I won’t get into the
emotional storms and physical storms he
went through but they’re there when I
think about people getting in difficult
situations and become fearful and what’s
going to happen I think about them in
this light it stifles my capacity to
think and to act wisely if I give in to
other people’s comments and give in to
my feelings sometimes it causes us to be
very indecisive we can’t make up our
mind about things sometimes it
diminishes our capacity to do the things
that we really astruc many of doing
because something is not right
something’s going on in our life that
God needs to deal with their trials
it doesn’t mean listen all trials are
not the result of sin trials come
because you’re a believer trial comes
because there is going to be separation
there’s going to be indifference there’s
going to be criticism there’s going to
be misunderstanding and that can happen
within the family out of the family
where you work whatever it might be we
find these things happening and so what
happens is it undermines our sense of
self-confidence if you don’t know how to
respond correctly then you begin to
wonder what do I believe am i right am I
wrong am i listening to God did God
really say that to me and so what
happens is we are sort of tormented by
our emotions and we vacillate go in from
strength to weakness yes and no maybe
and maybe not
and you may be here this morning going
through some difficulty or hardship or
pain and you find yourself questioning
or watch this the devil is your enemy
and he will throw coals on your doubts
and on your fears to encourage you to
doubt God question his will for your
life question your relationship to him
stop reading the Bible stop praying talk
to your friends join the crowd and the
next thing you know you’re backslidden
you out of out of fellowship with God
because you’re listening to the wrong
people and not reading the Word of God
and not bringing it to him
listen to this carefully you can’t bring
anything to God that’s too big for him
you come up you can’t bring anything to
God that’s too heavy for him he can
handle it you can’t bring anything to
God for which he does not have a perfect
answer every single time you may have to
struggle to get there if you have
drifted in your spiritual life not
reading the Word of God not praying and
these things begin to develop in your
life people begin to look for some
solution when if you go back to the
original cause you’ve a watch this you
have ignored the fire and so now it’s
getting less and less the flames are
lower and lower and you would look for
something to blame for it blame yourself
you neglected your relationship to God
you neglected your time of prayer and
meditation and even when you have been
praying and things go wrong that doesn’t
mean you quit praying just that doesn’t
mean God’s not listening and sometimes
God allows very difficult situations and
in life to do what to grow us up you’re
not going to always have everything your
way because you’re a believer and when
we indicate to people just trust Jesus
and everything’s fine
Jesus trust Jesus now he’ll may break
loose in your particular situation
sometimes a husband or wife gets saved
in the oven does not and sometimes the
children get saved and the parents are
not so listen Jesus not only is the
Prince of Peace
he’s also the source of conflict when we
have a relationships with people who
don’t believe what we believe so when I
think about how God works in that life
thinking about what he listened to what
what Paul said to him now watch this he
said for this reason I remind you to
Kindle afresh the gift of God which is
in you through the laying out of our
hands now watch this but God has not
given us a spirit of timidity that is of
fear
but of power love and discipline he says
here’s what God has given us and it’s
this part that I want us to look at
primarily we have three watch this
whatever you are facing in life you have
three resources three resources that are
adequate for whatever situation you may
be facing that a divine there from God
and they’re encouraging so what of it
listen to what he said he said stir it
up don’t don’t give in to it stir it up
and notice he said for God has given us
power love and discipline think about
that for a moment so what what kind of
power the power of the Holy Spirit when
you trust in Jesus Christ as your Savior
the Spirit of the Living God came into
you and watch this he didn’t just come
in he came in to you to to seal you as a
child of God that settled that forever
you eternally saved but also to empower
you to enable you to live a godly life
every single believer has within him or
her the power the enablement the
strength to live a godly life and so
when troubles and difficulties come he
says now don’t don’t forget this you
have the power of the Holy Spirit living
within you you need to Kindle that truth
stir that truth up and ever been times
in my life when I have been a little
discouraged and but I learned him really
quickly in life the first thing to do is
not to go talk to somebody the first
thing to do is to get in the Word of God
and find out what did he say and he said
I will never leave you enough for safety
and he said I will be there for you and
he always has the right thing to say for
us and he simply said stir it up he said
now for God has not given us the spirit
of timidity but of power the power of
the whole of the Holy Spirit then he
said not only power but he said love so
think about this
often times we get discouraged here we
don’t feel loved
maybe somebody’s mistreated us and I’m
sure and that’s what that’s what he was
going through and when people turn
against you and I can remember time in
my life and years ago I probably they
think that I’ll remember most when I was
becoming the pastor of the church and my
friends who had been so kind to me and
I’d been friends to them
one Sunday this was in the heat of the
battle one Sunday they’d meet me that
they all thought you’re done greet
guests and so forth and they tell you
tell me pass them pray for you 11 you
just don’t worry about a thing the next
Sunday the same people would walk by me
look at me not shake hands not say a
word and they told me four totally and I
would find out that during the week they
said something and so forth now you know
what when you’re walking in the spirit
of God the love of God is gonna be in
your heart and here’s what he said he
said put the wood on the fire throw some
kerosene on it
remember who you are remember what you
have you have not only the power of God
but you have the love of God within your
heart and that love goes two ways and
that love is love from God for you
God loves you Timothy don’t forget that
remember your mother and your
grandmother remember how they loved you
remember what they taught you about
God’s love and you know you can stand
most anything if you know God loves you
and there may come times in your life
and you feel like nobody else cares well
let me ask you a question I think you
can be honest about this would you
rather the world love you but not God or
had you rather God love you and not the
world anybody knows answered that
question right
they’ll make sometimes in your life when
you don’t feel that love when you feel
shut out banished ignored but God’s
relationship with you will never fall
apart
never never never and so he was saying
to Timothy Timothy listening remember
this three things you have the power of
God within you second you have the love
of God and not only that he uses this
word self-control or a sound mind which
really means a disciplined life he says
God has given you the power the love and
a sound mind you know what a disciplined
life is about a disciplined life is an
ordered life it’s a life that’s under
control it’s a life that faces
difficulty hardships trials troubles
dissension conflict separation whatever
it might be and still stands unmoved did
you get that same in it stands unmoved
why because you’re resting in the power
of God and then the love of God for you
and no matter what goes on you can still
stand
whatever the suffering whatever the
storm may be that’s blowing hard against
your life a disciplined life is a life
committed to Almighty God and does not
waver with the winds all of the false
doctrines God has given us a
relationship listen that within him that
makes us adequate for any storm that
comes our way and so here is Timothy and
he receives this letter
can you imagine what he must have felt
he read that Paul how did you know
exactly what I was going through how did
you know that what’s happening and I
think about it this way when everything
around us who comes unglued and falls
apart and we don’t see any answer
there’s one place to go on your knees
in the Word of God trusting him because
he listened he will solidify your
position he will listen he will make it
your way clear he will give you a sense
of confidence and boldness and assurance
that you can stand anything that comes
your way if you’re obedient to God so
what was he saying – he said Timothy I
know you’ve gone through a song running
from a prison I know I know about that
and Timothy knew about what Paul went
through and so I’m sure when he read
this letter he knew in his heart he was
hearing reading the words of a man who
had already walked the course that he
was now suffering he was in a storm and
I know this this morning didn’t a group
this size many of you are going through
storms maybe if some on your job storm
in your marriage so many kids stormed
their parents still many a physical
being stolen with your finances come
from all different sources
watch this the storm has many origins
the answer is only one and that is our
Heavenly Father through the Holy Spirit
in his love and his ability to work in
our lives to live lives that are settled
on the word as he says here the sound
mind a disciplined life a disciplined
life takes them hate takes the storms
and no matter what comes
it’s immovable because it is sealed with
the Holy Spirit
filled with the Holy Spirit and adequate
through the Holy Spirit that you’ve
never trusted Jesus as your Savior
none of those counts you’ve been trying
to live in a world of conflict
and sin and disobedience and rebellion
and all the other things without him and
so you have to come to the place you say
Lord I’ve rebelled against you I’ve
ignored you I’m asking you on the basis
of your promise you said if we confess
our sins you’re faithful and just to
forgive us of our sins and to cleanse us
from all unrighteousness I’m confessing
my sin to you I’m agreeing with you that
I’m living in sin I’m asking you to
forgive me and I repent of my sin I turn
away from that I’m turning to you as my
only hope and asking you to forgive me
and from this day forward by your
strength your energy your power your
discipline I choose to live a godly life
I don’t understand all the means right
now but I choose to live it and I want
to get in your word I want you to teach
me the truth here’s my life
Lord God you’ll never be the same since
it’s a choice you make now watch this
this world is going to change except for
the worst if you thinking things are
gonna get better
and you’ll be able to live the way
you’re living you’re in for a mistake
sin is sin this world we live in is
wicked the devil is loose unbelievable
things are happening and we have one
hope one assurance that’s to be found in
the personal relationship with Jesus
Christ you can have that if you’ll do
what I just said otherwise you’ll get
deeper and deeper and deeper into sin
into me in the pain and the suffering
with nowhere to go it’s foolish when you
have been offered the gift of the love
of God the presence of the love of God
the power of a loving God the provisions
of a loving God if you will simply
surrender your life to him
and ask him to do it amen father we
thank you for loving us thank you that
no storm is too great for you and I pray
for someone here today who is in the
middle of a song who desperately needs
rescuing
and there you are willing to listen to
their confession the surrender of their
life to you and I pray father that those
seated here today who are going through
little storms medium storms big storms
intense painful storms give them the
courage to be willing to admit it
confess it and take that step but some
to know Christ as their Savior for
others to come back to the Word of God
where they used to be crying out to you
trusting you to mend their broken hearts
fire up the fire within them that is now
just coals for your adequate use of
tissues and you’ll do it because you
promised in Jesus name Amen
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