Tony Evans’ New Year’s Message for 2022
this new year’s eve i want to challenge
all of you to read the well-known story
in mark chapter 4 verses 35 to 41.
it talks about a storm
and we are in a storm aren’t we
uh we’re in a virus that’s a storm it
keeps changing the weather keeps getting
worse in this storm and that affects
economies and
how things supply chains and uh all
manner of things some of the frustration
about schools opening and closing i mean
we’re in a well we’re in a bad storm
while the disciples were in a storm
in mark chapter four
but they were in a storm while
simultaneously being in the will of god
jesus said let us go to the other side
they were crossing the sea of galilee
and they were doing exactly what jesus
told them to do
and they still
ran in to a storm
just because you’re in the will of god
doesn’t mean
you don’t have bad negative
circumstances i’d love to tell you
follow jesus and that won’t you know you
won’t have a storm but you know they
were in a storm while in the will of god
well we’re getting ready to cross over
we’re getting red cross over to a new
year
and we’re crossing over in a new year in
a storm
and when the storm began to rage
there was not only the external storm
that was the the wind called the lilac
in scripture that was tossing the boats
causing these professional professional
fishermen to be scared to death
but then there was an emotional storm
they were it says they were afraid
and this is scary right now i know in
our humanity you know i know we blood we
believe god we trust in his word but we
can still get scared you know we can get
a little terrified
when things hit us and we hear about
tragedies and we hear about people
getting sick and loss of life and
people being laid off who didn’t get
vaccinated and the government just
trying to find the answers to this thing
i mean
it’s scary okay or it can be scary
so there was an emotional storm
but you know the worst kind of storm in
this passage there was a spiritual storm
it said they went over to jesus they
woke him up
and said do you not care
and when you’re in a storm yeah
if you would be honest sometimes it
feels like god doesn’t care because if
he cared why would he allow me to go
through this when i’m doing what he told
me to do which was get in the boat and
go to the other side
so they’re
they’re going through it
you’re going through it i’m going
through it we’re going through it
we’re in a storm
what it says jesus was asleep on a
pillow um says a cushion that’s a that’s
a pillow okay
that meant that he meant to go to sleep
whenever you sleeping on a pillow and
you didn’t tuck that thing under your
head that means you’re not sleeping by
chance you’re sleeping by purpose
he went to sleep on purpose and i know
sometimes it feels you know and i know
the feeling
that you dial in heaven and the line is
busy
it looks like feels like god is going on
a vacation and has left us to fend for
ourselves finally we look like we were
things were getting better and here we
go another variant you know
uh and it looks like god is asleep well
they they aroused him it said and said
don’t you care
don’t you see our fear our pain don’t
you see the
the the
struggle we’re facing right now and you
you say nothing in fact you’re snoring
you’re asleep we’re bailing out water
then jesus said
um
uh why are you so timid when they woke
him up from his sleep
why are you so timid
that’s almost like asking a swimmer who
gets out the water why are you so wet i
mean you know isn’t it obvious jesus
given what we’re going through we’re
trying to cross over
and we’re in trouble
we’re trying to cross over from 21 to
22. yeah and we are in trouble okay
then jesus christ
looked at nature and said
peace be still
jesus christ looked at nature looked at
the circumstances and said peace be
still
well now if he says peace be still that
must mean peace was moving because he
told peace to be still
when you are in the will of god
you’re in the safest place to be even
when you’re in the midst of a storm
if they would have really remembered
what jesus said what did he say he said
let us go to the other side he didn’t
say let us go halfway and drown
he said gentlemen we’re going to make it
but we’re going to have some trials as
we try to make it
and i’m going to sleep i suggest you get
your pillow and go to sleep with me
in other words he calls them timid
because they forgot his word because of
how big the circumstances were
i am not undermining the circumstances
family friends i’m not saying this isn’t
serious i’m not saying we shouldn’t be
cautious i’m not saying we shouldn’t be
deliberate in what we do and the
decisions we make
i am saying if you are living your life
in the will of god and if we are living
our lives in the will of god
then this is the opportunity
to see god at a whole another level
this storm we are in not only the
medical one but anyone that’s affecting
you right now
is an opportunity
to see the god of nature because nature
is going crazy right now just like that
storm was in mark 4
to see god
rule and overrule our circumstances
and meet us in the midst of it
and jesus is laying on the boat he’s
getting wet you know i mean you know
it’s his it’s a bad weather situation
but he’s still in charge he’s in charge
of covet
he is in charge
and so since he is in charge we better
get his undivided attention
and i’ve shared with you before this is
what covert is all about it’s not just
about a virus
it’s about god getting our undivided
attention on every level
doctors haven’t been able to fix it
government officials haven’t been able
to fix it
uh
you know the center for disease control
hasn’t been able to fix it
that’s because god is talking and he is
screaming he’s saying folks you better
give me your undivided attention okay
the passage concludes with this phrase
it says
they were very much afraid
when they said what manner of man is
this
that even the winds and the waves obey
him ooh
now they were afraid of the storm but
they were
super afraid
of who jesus was
you know
sometimes we’re
we’re afraid of the wrong thing we
should be
fearing god more than fearing
circumstances but the circumstances feel
so near us
and we’re affected physically or
circumstantially by it that is it’s easy
to stop fearing god and start fearing
stuff
well i’m gonna ask you to join me and
i’m gonna join you and we’re gonna fear
god together yes we’re gonna be wise
with circumstances
but we’re gonna believe
that if we fear god who controls nature
which means he controls viruses
that he can speak the word
and he can change the trajectory of the
situation
you know our problem
we’re either not in god’s will
or
we’re not approaching our storms the
right way
let’s get in god’s will which means we
hear his word and obey his word he said
let us go to the other side so guess
what we’re going to cross over 21 we’re
gonna cross into 22 and we’re gonna do
it in the storm but guess what we’re
gonna get i’m gonna get my pillow i’m
gonna get my i’m gonna get my cushion
you get your cushion
and you lay back and you talk to god as
you get ready to cross over and you say
god
i know it’s uncertainty but you’re my
covering you’re my protector you know
i’m gonna wear my mask when i’m supposed
to but i’m my my eyes are gonna be on
you i’m gonna trust you
during this storm i’m gonna trust you
during this financial crisis i’m gonna
trust you
during this uh relationship whatever
that storm is i’m gonna trust you
and i’m going to take a deep breath
and i’m going to rest
in your truth
this is why you need to listen to the
word of god hear the word of god we go
and respond to the word of god
and not be so timid yes we have to be
human
to a point but not to a fault
because god is in the equation
so we had to trust god now as we cross
over in this storm
we’re to believe that god has a will he
has a plan
and if he let it rain if he let it if he
let the virus
mutate
then he’s up to something bigger than
what we see right now
and he’s up to something
and he’s up to something worldwide
if if there’s any reason to believe
god’s word is now because the bible says
in the end times
the enemy is going to have a worldwide
plan
well god’s letting us know he can
control a worldwide plan
so we better talk to a worldwide god
so i want you to
get close to god this new year’s eve
talk to family and friends pray together
pray for one another as you cross over
pray for the storms that one you are and
another
a fellow saint happens to be going
through a fellow family member talk to
each other encourage one another
i know the boat looks like it’s filling
up doesn’t it looks like you’re gonna
drown
ah you’re not gonna drown
not if you’re in the will of god
you’re gonna take it to the other side
whatever that means in your life or
whatever it means for us crossing over
the calendar
uh we’re going to make it through this
storm
either christ is going to come back and
take us up out of here
or he’s going to show us his will taking
us through here
as we cross this wilderness into the
place of blessing either way
we’ve gotten through the storm
love you
and i’m gonna believe god with you
to take you to victory and whatever that
means as you cross over a little boy was
on the plane
with his uh um grandmother
and they hit some turbulence they hit
storm in the sky
and it was vicious the plane was going
up and down and jumping all over the
place and it was just crazy
and the woman was all scared and crying
and squealing out and holding on to the
seat
and the little boy was just playing with
his little toy
and he was full of laughter and gayty
and the
grandmother got a little bit muffed she
got a little bit
irritated exacerbated frustrated
boy how can you play at a time like this
how can you play when things are so bad
he looked over to his grandmother and
said grandma i think you forgot
your son my daddy
he’s the pilot
see when you know who’s
in the cockpit when you know who’s
running the plane when you know who’s
flying this thing in the storm
you can be calm even when the bumps
are giving you
discomfort
god is in charge he’s in the cockpit
yeah put on your seatbelt be responsible
but smile
let the joy of the lord be your strength
give him praise while you pray for the
ending of the virus and the storms that
you face
but remember he’s in charge
may god give you a blessed
2022
as you
serve him
and as we serve him together
love you god bless you father
cover your people
wake us up to your purpose
and bring attention to the world that it
cannot leave you out
and have order
we give you the glory
for a new year as we cross over together
in jesus name amen
Amen
I totally agree.It does sometimes physically feel, that God is quiet and looking the other way or asleep,but, He is not asleep nor is He ignoring us His children.In His Sovereignty, He will move in His timing,not ours.I can not believe it will be 2 yrs in April since my hubby passed away and I was constantly asking for prayer and I was crying a lot.God has and is helping me with His peace to connect with mine.Why ? Because He loves me & He’s faithful.Thanks Pastor.
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