TPC Connections

Sermon Notes

WHEN STORMS STRIKE
“God’s Help in Your Storm”
4/28/24

Is 41:10 “Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’”
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As we said last time—STORMS HAPPEN TO US ALL.

They are threatening, sudden, and unexpected.

—They shake and challenge our faith
—They threaten our sense of well-being
—They affect us emotionally and even physically
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Storms come in all shapes and sizes!

Paul mentions 4 kinds of storms we can experience.

In 2 Cor 4:8-9 he identifies, first:

—The storm of being HARD PRESSED—“We are hard pressed on every side, yet not crushed.
HARD PRESSED is the kind of storm where circumstances are bringing intense pressure on you and your faith from every direction.
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—Then he identifies the storm of PERPLEXITY—“We are perplexed but not in despair.”

Storms of perplexity are when things seem out of control and you don’t know what to do.
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—And then Paul talks about storms of PERSECUTION—“We are persecuted but not forsaken.”

The storm of persecution is when you experience attack in the form of rejection, threats, or abandonment over your faith.
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—And then fourth, Paul mentions the storm of being STRUCK DOWN—“we are struck down but not destroyed.”

Struck down is when you’ve been, as it were, flung to the ground in spiritual warfare as in a wrestling match.
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Storms can last a short time, or be drawn out over a longer period of time.

David’s storm with Saul stalking and chasing after him lasted ten years.

But the storm Paul and Silas experienced when thrown into the Philippian prison lasted only one night.
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We also saw that storms serve a purpose in the life of the child of God…There’s a message in your storm.

With every storm we experience there is:

a lesson to be learned,
wisdom to be gleaned,
maturity to be gained.

As Job’s lengthy storm of suffering came to an end, the Bible says “then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind” with a four chapter message to him! (Job 38:1).
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We also saw that Storms:

1. Reveal our weaknesses (and strengths),
2. Deepen our understanding of God,
3. Prepare us for the next level.
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Now today I want to talk to you about God’s promise of HELP in your storm.

While God has never promised us a storm-free life, He HAS promised us several things while we are IN the storm.

In out text, God is speaking directly through the Prophet Isaiah to His own people that are languishing in Babylonian captivity.

They are in a long 70 year storm of their own making.

Through their own disobedience they have lost everything.

The Babylonian army has invaded Jerusalem, destroyed the Temple, burned the city down, and carried them away.
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Yet even though they failed, God calls them–not His failures, or His disappointments.

But He calls them His servants, His chosen, the descendants of Abraham—God’s friend.

Even though they really, seriously blew it, God still loves them!
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And now in verse 10 He encourages them, beginning with the words “FEAR NOT…for I am WITH YOU!”

I haven’t walked away, disowned, forsaken, or forgotten you.

No, instead—I am WITH YOU in your storm…in the middle of your pain, heartache, and deep regrets!

If I know God is with me, I can go through anything!

But you have to know it!

ILLUS: I read recently of a little boy who was afraid of the dark.
One night his dad told him to fetch a broom from the dark, unlit back porch.
He told his Dad he couldn’t because it was so dark, and his Dad said,

“Son, don’t be afraid, Jesus is out there.”

So the little boy went to the back of the house, opened the door, stuck his hand out into the porch and said,
“Jesus, would you hand me the broom?”
The truth is, no matter how dark things are, Jesus promises to be there with you!

Matthew 28:20 “I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

So fear has no place in us due to the promised Presence of God!
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Then God adds to “fear not” the command, “Be not dismayed…”

DISMAY is different from FEAR.

DISMAY means to look around anxiously in a state of alarm.

It’s about focusing on all the wrong things:

you’re focused on the problem,
the enemy,
the threat,
the trial.
Your upcoming bills,
that scary doctors report,
your troubled marriage,
your rebellious children

God says, DON’T BE DISMAYED, don’t let the storm take your focus away from God!

FEAR looks within; DISMAY looks around; but FAITH looks up!

Isaiah 6:3 “You will keep in perfect peace…all whose thoughts are fixed on you!”
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Then God gave them 3 powerful promises as anchors for their soul.

First:

I. I will strengthen you

Just one chapter earlier, God tells the same people:

Is. 40:30-31 “Even young people become worn out and get tired. Even the best of them trip and fall. 31 But those who wait on and trust in the Lord will receive new strength. They will fly as high as eagles. They will run and not get tired. They will walk and not grow weak.”

There is NATURAL strength, and there is SUPERNATURAL strength.

Natural strength has a limit—a breaking point.

But supernatural strength has its source in the God who “never wears out or gets tired!”

And when you lean on Him, His strength becomes your strength.

Look at Paul’s prayer for the church:

Eph. 3:16 “I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit.”

This is how Paul could say, “I can do all things through Christ who STRENGTHENS me!”—Phil. 4:13
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Secondly, God promises…

II. I will help you

I love the Psalm that says:

“God is our refuge and strength, an ABUNDANTLY AVAILABLE HELP in trouble. 2 And so we need not fear even if the world blows up and the mountains crumble into the sea.”(Ps 46:1-2).

Catch that: Our God is abundantly available to HELP US!

The word “help” means “critical assistance that meets an urgent situation (delivering very needed aid).”

—God’s help appears when we can’t take another step,
—when our own resources run dry,
—when there seems to be no answer to our dilemma.

ILLUS: in a store waiting for help

Man may fail you.

An ambulance may get there too late, Or a fire truck may not arrive in time to save the house.

—but God is instantly, abundantly available to render critical assistance!

Heb. 4:16 says, “Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to HELP in time of need.”

God says, “I will HELP you!”

Heb. 13: 6 “So we say with confidence, ‘The Lord is my HELPER; I will not be afraid.'”
And finally, in our storm God promises:

III. To uphold you

I will strengthen, help, and UPHOLD you!

When you’re barely holding on, God will hold you up!

Ps 37:23-24 “The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, And He delights in his way. 24 Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down; For the Lord UPHOLDS him with His hand.”

SATAN says, “I’m going to take you down.”
God says, “I will uphold you!”

UNBELIEF says, “You will one day fall and perish.”
God says, “I will uphold you!”

Your FLESH cries out, “You can’t resist me!”
God says, “I will uphold you!”

Your TREMBLING HEART says, “How can I endure:

such temptations,
such losses,
such fiery trials?”
God says, “I will uphold you!”
So in the storms of life we’re to reject fear and dismay, for He is with us, and will strengthen, help, and uphold you. LET’S PRAY!