Dr. Tony Evans shares profound truths regarding the struggles of life. With God’s help, you can overcome the pain of life, stay steady through the storms of life, and be close to the heart of God even when you don’t know if you’ll make it through. This sermon will encourage, inspire, and equip you to come out of your test a better follower of Jesus than when you started. You can watch the full sermons from these clips below! – How to Have Strength in Your Struggles – • How to Have Strength in Your Struggle… – God Is Going to Equip You to Get You Through – • God Is Going to Equip You to Get You … – Trusting God in a Storm – • Trusting God in a Storm | Tony Evans … If you would like to download two encouraging, FREE full-length MP3s of Tony’s popular sermons: “The Sovereignty of God” and “How to Handle a Crisis,” you can do so by clicking on this link: https://share.hsforms.com/1atT9MJvXQN…
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Dr. Tony Evans is the founder and senior pastor of Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship in Dallas, founder and president of The Urban Alternative and author of over 100 books, booklets and Bible studies. The first African American to earn a doctorate of theology from Dallas Theological Seminary, he has been named one of the 12 Most Effective Preachers in the English-Speaking World by Baylor University. Dr. Evans holds the honor of writing and publishing the first full-Bible commentary and study Bible by an African American. His radio broadcast, The Alternative with Dr. Tony Evans, can be heard on over 1,400 radio outlets daily and in more than 130 countries. Dr. Evans’ sermons are also streamed and downloaded over 20,000,000 times annually. #tonyevans #struggles #stormsoflife 0:00 Intro 0:28 You Are Where You Need to Be, The Great Cloud of Witnesses is Cheering You On 14:30 Do Not Give Up, God Isn’t Done Working 29:48 Jesus Is Still God in the Storm
if we were to tell the truth
and shame the devil
there have been those times
when we have to raise the question like
Martha and Mary where were you when I
needed you because if you would have
been here
it wouldn’t be this painful it wouldn’t
take this long and it wouldn’t hurt this
bad
teacher
do you really care or is that just
theological nonsense I was raised to
believe
[Music]
let me serve notice on you right now
God is hard to understand
he can be extraordinarily confusing
his understanding is
inscrutable it doesn’t off always add up
you think he’s going this way
and he does a curve on you
and he doesn’t make sense Deuteronomy 29
29 says God has secret things
things that he doesn’t tell anybody
things that he chooses not to explain
sometimes he will explain
sometimes it will give you reasons other
times
he will hold it close to the vest
either for a time or for all time
you can ask God a question but you can’t
question God
let me say that again
you can ask God a question
but you can’t question God now what’s
the difference to ask him a question is
to say God
would you help me to understand that
to question God is to challenge him
your children can ask you a question
but that’s different than your children
challenging you
when you ask a question you may or may
not get an answer
when you challenge
you’re demanding an answer
God will allow a question he will not
allow a challenge
his understanding is inscrutable you try
to figure out what God has chosen not to
reveal and you’re going to need all of
Walgreens
there Excedrin PM you’re going to need
all the walking to deal with the
headache of his inscrutability
he says you have to understand this
because if you do not understand it when
your world is unraveling
then you will fall prey to the
circumstances
and not to the Creator Everlasting
omniscient God who is overseeing the
circumstances
I must admit
I have had my series of questions
why this why this much why this now why
this in light of all these prayers I
have had my questions and I’ve had to
back up because sometimes I move from
question to questioning
and then I have to jump back
because I’m in territory I’m not allowed
to go in
can I ask a question I can’t question
because it is up to him
what he will explain and what he will
refuse to explain
and if he refuses to explain it
it’s because
it is Sovereign knowledge it’s best for
us not to know it
don’t we do that we answer some
questions by our children and others we
don’t bother to answer
because they wouldn’t understand it
appreciate it or benefit from it
maybe not then maybe never
these people are in crisis
and in this chapter a chapter worth
reading over and over a chapter I’ve had
to read as I’ve wrestled with these
months
of one thing after another
let me just read a few verses from
chapter 40 Verse 18 to whom then will
you liking me
whom were you liking God or what
likeness will you compare with him
he says as for the idol a Craftsman cast
it he says don’t go away from God to
something God made
because that’s idolatry
who were you liking me you’re gonna go
to something I made and try to get from
something I made
information that I’m not giving you
he says
in verse 22
is he who sits above the circle of the
earth and its inhabitants are like
grasshoppers who searches out for
Heavens like a curtain and spreads them
out like a tent to dwell in he sits over
the Earth
he’s not in it he’s over it
verse 25 to whom then will you liken me
I’m the incomparable one that I would be
that I would be his equal says the Holy
One
he says let me help you out lift up your
eyes verse 26 and see who has created
these Stars
the one who leads forth their host by
number he calls them all by name you
know how many stars
there are
there are millions of stars
he says one I created them all
two I got a name for each one of them
and I’ve never forgotten forgotten any
one of their names
thirdly because of the greatness of his
might and the strength of his power no
one of them is missing they’re not
allowed to fall out of heaven
he created them named them and told them
to stay there
so he is powerful to make stars
but he’s personal to know each one by
name
so he’s the big God up there and he’s
the intimate God down here he’s a God
who created you but who still knows your
name
we call that Transcendence
of their
imminent involved down here
and he says who do you know that can do
that
to whom will you liken me
when my world your world our world is
collapsing as life would have it happen
unfortunately
he says you run to this God not from him
you don’t go to anything that competes
with him
which is idolatry you know position him
in an inferior location
just because
life has collapsed on you
it reminds me of the humorous story of
the
the pope who had to make an address at
the United Nations
when his plane landed the chauffeur
picked him up opened the door let the
Pope in to get a seat
the chauffeur got behind the wheel to
drive him from the airport to the United
Nations where the pope was to make a key
address
the pope however was running late
and said to the driver I need you to go
fast I’m running behind I’ve got to make
important address to the United Nations
that’s when the driver said I’m sorry
sir
I’ve already gotten two tickets
that are unpaid
if I get a third ticket
they will arrest me and I can’t risk
speeding and getting a ticket
the pope said but I have got to get to
the United Nations
on time I’m in a hurry
he then told the driver to pull over
the driver pulled over
the pope got out the car and told the
driver to get in the back seat
he said I’ll drive
the pope then got behind the wheel and
sped
to get to the United Nations
as he was speeding down the road to get
to the United Nations he passed the
police car
going a hundred miles an hour
the lights on the police car began to
flash
pull up behind the limousine
and pulled it over
there were two policemen in the car
the police car one of them got out went
over to the window
roll it down
the window was rolled down the policeman
looked at the driver
turned around and walked away
he went back to the police car
his friend who was still in the car
said
you didn’t give him a ticket he said I
sure didn’t
he was speeding almost 100 miles an hour
he sure was
but you didn’t give him a ticket I sure
didn’t
why didn’t you give him a ticket with
that kind of speeding he says cause you
don’t know who was in that car
he said well what was it the mayor no
was it the governor
no
was it the president
no
then who was in the car that you
wouldn’t give him a ticket
he said I don’t know who was in the car
but the pope was his chauffeur
[Applause]
see a lot of us have this backwards
we want God to be our chauffeur
we want God
to serve us
we want God to adapt to us
he says to whom were you liking me
a low view of God
in a crisis
means the crisis will control and own
you
a high view of God
in the crisis
means that the crisis has no longer the
last word
do not settle for the creation
don’t go looking at the stars for your
horoscope
he says I made those Stars
they don’t dictate your future
I dictate your future
I am a king and I’m not a Burger King
where you get to have it your way
he says I want you to recognize me even
in the crisis of life
but we live in a day
of the dumbing down of God
a God who only exists to bless us
help us
Deliver Us
Empower us
but not a God who can dictate to us
we we live in a day where if I give you
your two hours you ought to be happy God
and so when the world caves in
and we’re not used to dealing with the
character of this God
we got all these blame games on God
because he is God when times are up
and I had to remind myself he is God
when times are down
he is God when babies are born
and he is still god with mates
are deceased
he has to be still God in both scenarios
for you to make it through any scenario
he must be God
[Applause]
treated and respected
as such
[Music]
Toulouse heart means to quit to throw in
the towel to run away to abandon the
circumstance in one way or another
that’s what the Bible talks about when
it talks about losing heart
the book of Hebrews was written to
Christians who were losing heart
this is a book written to discourage
Christians who didn’t know whether it
was worth it to keep going
the struggle was too great The
difficulty was too daunting
the pain was too palpable
and the question was
is it worth keeping going
and many wanted to quit
they wanted to go back to the old way
they wanted to abandon Christ to abandon
Christianity
so the author of Hebrews writes the book
to challenge them not to lose heart
so we find ourselves
in Hebrews chapter 12.
where he says therefore since we have so
great a cloud of witnesses surrounding
us
let us also lay aside every encumbrance
and the sin which so easily entangles us
and let us run with endurance the race
that is set before us
fixing our eyes on Jesus the author and
Perfecter of Faith who for the joy set
before him endured the cross despising
the shame
and has sat down at the right hand of
the Throne of God for consider him
who has endured such hostility by
Sinners against themselves so that you
will not grow weary and lose heart
my challenge for me
as I preach to me as I preach to us
is simply to never give up
as hard as things have been as hard as
things are
the author of Hebrews is telling them
and is speaking to us and he’s saying
never give up
in chapter 10 for example he says in
verse 35 therefore do not throw away
your confidence which has great reward
for you have need of endurance
so that when you have done the will of
God you may receive what is promised
verse 39 and we are not of those who
shrink back to destruction
but of those who have faith to the to
the persevering of the Soul
what he is simply saying is
don’t give up
as hard as it is
as challenging as it has been for me for
you and I speak to us
the word of the Lord for today in the
reset that he is doing is don’t
give up
now that’s easy to say
and I’m sure most would agree with
having heard it
but a lot of things are easier to say
than to do
especially when you’re overwhelmed
by life’s negatives negative realities
so he’s going to say
three things
to help you and me and us
in spite of all the turmoil we are in
personally
ecclesiologically culturally racially
politically socially economically
never give up
the first thing he wants to say is
to encourage you never to give up
therefore since we have so great a cloud
of witnesses surrounding us
therefore since we have so great a cloud
of witnesses
surrounding us
now whenever you see the word therefore
in the Bible you must ask what it’s
there for
therefore means in light of what I just
said
that’s what I’m getting ready to talk
about but it’s predicated on what I just
said now you have to read all of Hebrews
11.
to get his point about the cloud of
witnesses
a witness
gives agreement or testimony to
something
a witness in a courtroom gives testimony
to the reality of what is being said he
calls them a cloud of testimony givers
or Witnesses
he says these Witnesses are surrounding
us
present tense
they’re right here right now and they
will testify many of you who grew up in
the old church remember the preacher
saying can I get a witness
what he was asking was is there anybody
who can confirm what I’m saying
the author of Hebrews says there is a
cloud of witnesses there is a body of
people who will testify
that you can make it and that you ought
never give up
that testimony is given by men and women
who are described in chapter 11.
now obviously time will not allow us to
go through 40 verses in chapter 11 over
each person
but I will sum it up with the first
couple of verses of chapter 11.
now Faith is the Assurance of things
hoped for the conviction of Things Not
Seen
for by it the men of old gained approval
by faith we understand that the worlds
were prepared by the word of God so that
what is seen was not made out of things
which are visible
the cloud of witnesses that he goes on
to describe
he will say the words by faith
then he’ll give the name of the witness
and then he’ll tell you what the witness
did
he will say by faith this witness
Abraham Abel Noah Enoch Sarah Rahab on
and on and then it’ll tell you what they
did
by faith
so the testimonies that he gives in 11
leading him to talk to us beginning in
chapter 12.
is a testimony
that the key to making it and not giving
up is learning to live by faith
so that that’s the key the way you’re
going to make it
I’m going to make it in spite of the
headache and heartaches of life
is to learn what they modeled and that
was learning to live by faith
he says faith
is the conviction or persuasion
of what you don’t have empirical
evidence to validate
in other words
faith has to deal with unseen reality
faith is different than sight
is something you have empirical reality
you can look at it with your own two
eyes he says faith is the Assurance of
things hoped for
it involves an expectation hope
it is being confident about the
expectation
and the way you know you’re confident
about the expectation is that you move
in faith even though you haven’t seen it
yet
so you don’t see it
but it’s real
and you have to move by faith in light
of what you do not see
he says let me illustrate what I’m
talking about
he says we know
that the worlds were created by the word
of God
but I don’t know that anybody has seen
God
so what you see the world
came from somebody you don’t see
in other words
we know God is real not because we’ve
seen God but we’ve seen what he can do
I’ve never seen Picasso but his work
speaks for his name
I’ve never seen Mozart but his work
speaks for his name
there are many things we believe that
we’ve never seen
the source of
if you and I are going to not quit give
up throw in the towel we must learn to
live by faith
and faith is not merely the event when
you got saved it is supposed to be the
lifestyle that you live now that you are
saved
Romans 1 17 for example says that we are
to go from Faith to Faith for the just
shall live by faith faith is supposed to
be a lifestyle not an event alone
he says in Romans 14 23 whatever is not
of faith is sin
so to not live by faith is to live
sinfully
he says in second Corinthians 5 7
that we walk by faith not by sight
so if you from Missouri
and you need to see it first
then you will be subject
to the circumstances around you
and be limited by them
since we have a cloud of witnesses
Witnesses testify
you know when they have a professional
boxing match
heavyweight boxing match
previous Champion comes come into the
ring and shake the contestants hands
previous heavyweight champions come in
and shake the hand and this guy in this
corner the guy in this corner
what they’re saying is I’ve been in this
ring
I fought here before
and I’m here to testify you can come out
a winner
they bring past Heroes to give testimony
about a present battle
chapter 11 is full of men and women who
went through what we’re going through in
different times different sagas
and they give testimony I’ve been there
I’ve heard where you’ve hurt struggled
where you’ve struggled been rejected
where you’ve been rejected but I’m here
to testify you can make it by faith
now I’m often asked the question
do people in heaven know what we are
dealing with
are they are is there an awareness
in another dimension
of what we’re going through in this
dimension
he goes into it in more detail
uh later on in his book
in chapter 12 this same chapter
when he begins to talk about verses 18
through 24 you can read that on your own
but he says we’ve come to Mount Zion
and he says that we’ve come to a place
with burning fire
and he says in verse 23 we’ve come to
the general assembly of the Church of
the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven
he says we have come to a place where
folks have already gone
so there is in some mystical way a place
of contact
Between Heaven and Earth it’s another
dimension so we don’t see it and feel it
but it’s real so when he says in verse 1
we are surrounded there is a sense in
which
in the intercessory work of Jesus Christ
those who have been faithful to God who
have gone before
partner with him
in continuing us moving in faith
there is a point of contact the details
of which we can’t get into today but the
point is these Witnesses are here to
give testimony don’t you quit and I
don’t know about you but I need that
testimony on some days
so yes it’s the testimony of God it’s
the testimony of his word but it’s also
the testimony of being surrounded
when he talks about Abel in chapter 11
he says Abel who was dead still speaks
there there is a voice even though
he had already died
so there is this point of linking
between the dimension of the physical in
which we live
but the contact with the spiritual in
which we are to exist
and so when I worked my way through this
chapter 11 and was reminded of all of
those who had the struggle by faith
now some of these people
you don’t know how they got in here
you don’t know how they got in there you
say they don’t belong in here
but that’s the good news you can start
Where You Are
you can start Where You Are
and say the rest of my life I’m going to
live by faith I’m going to act like God
is telling the truth even though I don’t
see the result yet
foreign
they woke up Jesus and said in verse 38
teacher do you not care that we are
perishing see that’s a spiritual storm
because their circumstances were out of
control and their emotions have gone
crazy now they question whether what
they have been believing is true
see
if the truth be told and you would tell
the truth and shame the devil
there aren’t many of us who haven’t
questioned God
who haven’t said I’m not sure I should
be believing this anymore
I’m not sure I could should be
continuing this because what I’m hearing
on Sunday and what I’m experiencing on
Monday don’t
I heard the preacher say
that you care I don’t see you caring for
me
I I heard the preacher say you can fix
it but you ain’t fixing it for me
I heard somebody say You’re A Healer I’m
still sick I heard somebody say you’re a
lawyer in the courtroom but I’m in
trouble
I heard somebody say that that you will
be a friend to the friendliest and I
feel more lonely than ever
so what I heard about you
and what I’m experiencing
don’t match and I’m not sure
this is real
if we were to tell the truth
and shame the devil
there have been those times
when we have to raise the question like
Martha and Mary where were you when I
needed you because if you would have
been here
it wouldn’t be this painful it wouldn’t
take this long and it wouldn’t hurt this
bad
teacher
do you really care or is that just
theological nonsense I was raised to
believe
tell the truth and shame the devil there
are those times in our lives
particularly when the storm rages we
don’t have this problem when there’s no
storm
we prayed in the Lord we’re waving our
hand in the air like we just don’t care
when there is no storm
but in the middle of a storm
especially one that just shoots up on
you unexpected that looks like it will
wipe you out
and you’re terrified afraid insecure
because you’re overwhelmed
that naturally leads to a spiritual
question
where were you God
let’s go a little deeper
because verse 38 says Jesus himself was
in the stern asleep
on the cushion
no you didn’t
oh no you didn’t Jesus
I’m in a storm and you’re snoring
I’m in a storm and you’re sleeping
what good is a savior who sleeps when
you’re in your storm
we call you savior
Jesus this is not the time to be tired
because we’re in a storm
not only is Jesus asleep
he’s asleep on a cushion
a cushion is a pillow
so he’s not only asleep if you asleep on
a pillow that meant you meant to go to
sleep see if you didn’t tuck the pillar
up under your head that’s not like
nodding off that’s I’m tired I’m going
to bed let me get this pillar just right
and I’m gonna get on now lay me down to
sleep
pray the Lord my soul to keep you know
this is serious sleep so that meant he
sleep on purpose
so not only is Jesus
asleep not only is asleep on purpose
he’s asleep in a storm okay now I got
another problem
cause he’s sleeping on me
and he’s in the same storm I’m in
because he’s on the same boat I’m on
he sleep
on the storm and the only way he gets up
is I got to wake him up
it says they woke him up
so he deep he’s sleeping so that Jesus
why the storm not messing with you
because if you’re messing with everybody
else on this boat and you are sound
asleep and we got to shake it and bake
it we got to stir you
uh one version says they had to arouse
him which means they didn’t just say
Jesus
time to get up
no they had to shake him back that Jesus
wake up
that’s when you crying out because it’s
so bad so deep for so long
and they they they they they shook him
and they said
don’t you care
because if you can’t we wouldn’t even
have even if you were tired we wouldn’t
have to wake you up
you got you getting wet like we getting
wet the boat’s flipping and flopping you
like it’s flipping and flopping us
and you are asleep have you ever noticed
something
when you were taking your midterm exams
how quiet the teacher was
remember that
the teacher would either leave the room
or go sit behind the desk
she wouldn’t say anything he wouldn’t
say anything
why wouldn’t the teacher say something
because you’re
taking a test
so the teacher is quiet when you’re
taking a test
because you should be taking the test
off of information already received
so
so the teacher not saying much
I know you want to raise your hand and
say teacher number five number five I’m
having trouble with number five wake up
teacher wake up teacher
but right now the teacher
it’s quiet
teacher doesn’t have much to say
because you’re taking a test
and so they’re In This Storm they’re
struggling Jesus asleep
and they had a question
where were you
do you you care about me you cared about
me I wasn’t going to be going through
this like this
don’t you care how bad was it that we
are perishing
so this is Major
we think we’re going to drown out here
and die
I’m gonna die
we all have sponges in our homes
you dip the sponge in water
it becomes full of it
and then when you apply a little
pressure
what was soaked in comes out
now if you squeeze and unimersed
you know you you squeeze it
but you never immerse the sponge
don’t look for something to come out
because there was nothing absorbed in
what storms have
an amazing ability to do
is to show you
whether what you heard in the sermon was
soaked
whether it got beyond the external
hearing the message
and whether it was soaked in but the
only way what is soaked in the sponge
comes out is when there’s a little
pressure
you put you squeeze it you you press it
and all of a sudden whatever was soaked
comes out the reason why when we’re
under pressure a lot doesn’t come out
there’s a lot haven’t been soaked in
we were around the water
we didn’t absorb it so what the pressure
reveals is air
because it wasn’t soaked
Jesus is just taught the disciples they
just come from church so to speak and
now they’re under pressure
and it’s tough does Jesus care about my
pain my finances my loneliness my hurt
my depression
because I’m in his will and I feel all
this
and so
they wake Jesus up
verse 39 Jesus gets up
and he rebukes the wind and says to the
Sea
hush of us
hush be still
notice who Jesus is talking to
he going to talk to them and he’s not
talking to him right now he’s talking to
the circumstance
the circumstance is the wind and the Sea
it’s a storm
he doesn’t speak to them yet he speaks
to the situation but when does he speak
to the situation after they wake him up
so Jesus is asleep they wake him up when
they wake him up
he speaks to the circumstance that was
causing the crisis
so don’t let it be said your crisis
continues because you never took the
time to wake the Savior up
in other words you were not so concerned
about it that getting his attention to
it was unimportant
because we’ll wake up our friends we’ll
wake up people with power we’ll wake up
people who we think can change it and a
lot of times we don’t try to wake up the
savior
now I’m explaining you because I know
what you’re saying you say well he
shouldn’t be sleep
I got you stick with me here
because see I know what you’re thinking
and the reason I know what you’re
thinking is because I’ve had to think it
too
because we all face storms
different shapes different sizes equally
real
and so Jesus now turns to his disciples
why are you afraid verse 40 how is it
that you have no faith
now I don’t know about you but I have
issues with the question
I got issues with that question
because that question doesn’t make sense
to me
they wake Jesus up the boat’s fill them
with water they’re in a lilac it’s a
terrible storm they don’t even know
whether they’re going to live or die and
Jesus is going to ask a question like
that
why are you afraid
and why do you have no faith
oh I don’t know Jesus maybe it’s because
we’re getting ready to die
I mean a question like that is like
somebody asking to swim who just gets
out the water why you wet isn’t it
pretty obvious
I mean this is this is not that deep gee
excuse me Jesus
it’s not that deep
we’re in trouble
why are you afraid
why the question
well that takes us back to verse 35.
because in verse 35 Jesus said let us go
to the other side
not let me go to the other side
not let go let us go halfway and die on
our way to the other side
I told y’all when we got in the boat
because Jesus got a little texting in
him I told y’all when we got in the boat
let all of us go from here
to the others I never said on our way
there there won’t be trouble
I never said on our way there they won’t
be inconveniences I never said they’re
on our way there there won’t be
circumstances out of your control I just
told you where we starting and where
we’re going to wind up but between there
and here and there there may be
circumstances I I didn’t talk to you
about all that I just told you we are
going to the other side in fact
disciples when I told you that I heard
you amen other side of the side praise
God for the other side God’s Got Us
telling me get to the other side we’re
going to make it to the other side you
left shouting you were excited to get in
the boat with me but when the
circumstances showed up they overrode
what I said
in other words
your problem overrode my promise
so you were now living in light of the
problem no longer living in light of the
promise and when you live in light of
the problem and no longer in light of
the promise the problem will dominate
you and it will totally erase the fact I
ever made one
God never once
your circumstances he doesn’t want you
to deny them a storm is a storm you
don’t call it a Sunshine Day
a storm is reality but he never wants
your circumstance to Trump his word
not only does he not want your
circumstance to Trump his word he
doesn’t want your circumstance to Trump
his presence
because he’s on the boat too
in John chapter 16 verses 31 to 33
Jesus tells his disciples on his way to
the Cross peace I leave with you and I’m
gonna leave my peace with you and then
he says but in this world you will have
tribulation
but be of good cheer because in me you
have overcome the world
in other words yeah they’re going to be
trouble and sometimes there will be
trouble in my will you’re doing exactly
what I told you to do
but because of the next level I’m taking
you to
I will appear to be asleep
you won’t hear anything from Heaven
you’ll be like job 23 I look for God in
the north I couldn’t find him I looked
for God in the South I couldn’t find him
I look for God in the East and the west
and he was unlocatable
I kept searching for God while I was
going through hell on Earth and he was
nowhere to be found
and then in that same chapter job says
but when I come through this
I will be pure as gold
because storms are designed to deepen
your faith
and heighten your experience with him