Fighting the battles of life:
1. A
rock solid faith is a moment in time where one decision makes all the
difference.
Psalms 144:1-2 “1
Praise the LORD, who is my rock. He trains my hands for war and gives my
fingers skill for battle. 2 He is my loving ally and my fortress, my tower of
safety, my rescuer. He is my shield, and I take refuge in Him. He makes the
nations submit to me.”
a. Do
you help people in your life fight battles?
i. What
do you do when the battle gets too heavy?
ii. We
must help people fight the battles of life!
iii. We
must be a church that fights through when battles occur, when they attack our
homes, our belief in Christ, our marriages, and God's ordinances we must fight!
iv. Feb
3 2014 wreck
v. Feb
5 surgery
vi. Feb
6 removed chest tube
vii. Feb
6 a bad day (peace of God)
viii.
Feb 7 a very productive day (God is able)
ix. Feb
8th released from the hospital on a SATURDAY! Which I was told never happens.
1. Fracture
to the face
2. 8
rib fractures on my right side
3. Pelvis
fractured in 4 places-the only bone that holds all of your body’s
weight so they operated on it where they installed 2 nuts a long bolt and 2
large screws
4. Laceration
to the face, head, foot, hands, liver, and spleen.
5. 2
fractured vertebrae.
6. Punctured
lung, where I had to have a chest tube and was in the ICU for 3 days.
7. Was
told by PT that I was doing things in two days that is takes most people 2
weeks to accomplish on less than half of the pain medication.
a. I
had a family to take care of, places to go and people to get to!
b. What
will you do when all else is against you?
c. How
will you respond when the devil takes a destructive strike against you, your
health, your family or your children?
d. What
if he directly works to annihilate your God calling, your God mission, and God
encounter?
e. What
the devil intended to destroy us with; God used directly against him to propel
us into our purpose for Him.
i. Reach
lost people in Ukiah.
ii. Do
everything possible to bring those who are far from Him close to Him.
iii. Value
God, Value others, and Value the Mission.
iv. Risk
everything to reach everyone.
f. I
could have sat around listening to everyone who was telling me, "Michael,
you have to get your health in order.
i. Michael,
you need to take some time to get this together.
ii. Maybe
you need to just wait.
iii. Pastor
Mike I think the wisdom of God for you at this time is to wait on Him."
g. Or
maybe now is the time to pull the trigger.
i. Maybe
now is the moment that the Creator of all things is banking that I'll move
forward in His calling, I'll step out in faith, I will leave everything and
follow Him.
2. Having
a rock solid faith in God is a decision, it’s a
choice and it’s an important one.
a. As a
matter of fact it is the most important decision a human being could ever make
because that decision is tied to eternity not just a lifetime.
b. I
never thought that our vows would have been so challenged, or tested as they
have been in the last year, TK.
i. I
remember telling my beautiful bride to leave the hospital room because I didn’t
want her to see and experience me this way. I begged her to leave and she
refused saying, “I will always be here for
you, that is my lifetime commitment.”
1. Loyalty
is one of life’s most costly qualities; it
is the most selfless part of love.
2. To
be loyal, you cannot live only for yourself.
3. Loyal
people not only stand by their commitments; they are willing to suffer for
them.
c. I
was completely astounded that 80+ people showed up at the hospital the night of
my wreck in a major snowstorm.
d. They
were more concerned for my physical well-being and my family than they were for
their own selves.
e. Then
knowing that TK and my boys never left my side I was overwhelmed.
i. A
couple of days after my surgery when I came off of the morphine, TK began
explaining what had happened to me I immediately told her I didn’t
want any visitors, no one.
ii. I
began to get depressed trying to navigate through all that the doctors had said
to me.
1. I
was scared, frustrated, even starting to get bitter.
f. I
have always been a working machine and now what will I do to take care of my
family.
i. The
devil began to torment my mind, my spirit, and my attitude so bad, so
drastically, that I even contemplated quitting.
ii. Quitting
ministry, quitting service to others, and most importantly quitting in front of
my wife and my children.
1. I
was in such a tsunami of emotions.
g. When
Alec and Chase walked into the hospital room I was completely awestruck by
seeing them.
h. I
hadn’t seen Chase since the wreck while in my right mind from the morphine.
i. We
had quite a moment-expound.
i. Then
the boys both as close as they could possibly be to me began to tell me that we
were being attacked, being attacked by the devil and maybe even hell itself.
j. The
boys said dad, we have to go, Ukiah needs us, they need our hearts, they need
our working attitudes, they need our never quit spirits, they need us, all.
i. We
told them we were coming and dad we have to get back to work.
k. TK,
chimes in with the boys saying we know this is the devil and we know he is a
liar, so forget this and lets move on.
i. We
all began to cry, pray, and immediately I got a second wind and experienced an
uncharted moment in time that I will never forget.
1. I
hate when they use my preaching on me.
l. I
told them how right they all were and that I was sorry for even thinking of
quitting on them or in front of them.
i. I
begged for their forgiveness and thanked them for their love for God, their
passion to do His work, and I said, “let’s do
this, together.”
ii. There
is not one person in this life that could have come into my room and had those
drastic of results except TK, Alec, and Chase.
1. When
I was at my absolute worst my family was at their absolute best, they literally
came to my rescue and for that I am eternally grateful.
2. That
next weekend we were all in the House of God, my hands raised in worship and
moving my body as much as I possibly could to worship wholeheartedly.
3. A
rock solid faith advances without knowledge of outcome.
a. I've
come too far to stay stranded here!
1 Samuel 18:1 “After
David had finished talking with Saul, he met Jonathan, the king's son. There
was an immediate bond between them, for Jonathan loved David. 2 From that day
on Saul kept David with him and wouldn't let him return home. 3 And Jonathan
made a solemn pact with David, because he loved him as he loved himself. 4
Jonathan sealed the pact by taking off his robe and giving it to David,
together with his tunic, sword, bow, and belt.”
a. David
and Jonathan were men of faith who had their eyes upon one another.
b. They
had a confidence in one another's faith, in one another's purpose, and
especially in one another's God design.
c. Jonathan
was a young man of courage, strength and determination who looked to and relied
on God.
i. He
was a mighty soldier highly respected and trusted by the men he led.
ii. These
character traits were clearly evidenced when Jonathan fought against a garrison
of Philistine soldiers with only his armor bearer by his side.
iii. Trusting
in God, he slew 20 Philistines in a half-acre area of land.
d. If
you remember the backstory whoever killed Goliath the champion of Gath got the
King's daughter, neither him nor his family would ever pay taxes again, then
immediately become rich because he now is royalty.
1 Samuel 17:55
"As Saul watched David go out to fight the Philistine, he asked Abner, the
commander of his army, "Abner, whose son is this young man?" "I
really don't know," Abner declared. 56 "Well, find out who he
is!" the king told him. 57 As soon as David returned from killing Goliath,
Abner brought him to Saul with the Philistine's head still in his hand."
e. Jonathan
saw David kill Goliath who had been mouthing off for 40 days straight.
f. Then
he witnesses the young warrior enter the Kings presence, with Goliath's head
still in his hands!
g. Next
he just became a brother-in-law.
h. Finally,
he is absolutely intrigued by the courage, power, faith, bravery, and confidence
of this powerful man of God.
iv. Moved
to love him, respect him, and honor him as much as his own life.
i. A bond
had born so strong that they promised to never let anything come between them.
j. Saul,
upon hearing the people praise David in singing, sought to kill David from that
day forward.
v. But
Jonathan’s respect for his friend only grew.
vi. Begging
his father not to chase David down, or to kill him.
k. He
even traveled a great distance to see David in hiding, knowing that his father had
spies watching his every move.
l. Jonathan
intervened on David’s behalf so often that he put his own life in danger, one time
narrowly escaping death at the hand of his father.
vii. Both
princes of Israel, one by birth, the other by marriage, in line for the throne.
viii.
Each had accomplished great feats, relying on
God for victory.
ix. They
were zealous, driven, resourceful, courageous, bold, meek, and humble.
x. They
knew and respected government, wielded authority, and served those under and
over them.
xi. Loyal
to one another and to their king.
m.
They could have been enemies, rivals, yet they
set aside jealousy, resentment, competition, and the lust for power, choosing
instead to become the closest of friends.
n. Real
men, who understood what it meant to lay down their lives one for another.
4. A
Rock Solid Faith is a rescuing faith.
a. Jonathan
and David made a covenant, a solemn agreement to keep up, maintain a cordial
respect to each other, to support each other's interests both in life and death.
i. A
covenant not founded in mere words, but in sincere affection, and was lasting
and unbreakable.
ii. Such
covenants are ratified by certain ceremonies, and in the presence of witnesses,
that the persons will be sworn brothers for life.
1. My
family has made a covenant to be there for me as well as I for them.
2. I
experienced that first hand.
a. Now
I will spend my life making them experience mine.
b. David
escaped to the cave of Adullam; these caves were more than a hiding place and a
place of refuge.
i. They
were a place of growth, training and waiting on the Lord.
1. These
caves were called hiding places and fortresses simultaneously.
a. Why?
b. Because
they can be both.
c. How
many times in the history of God’s
people, has it been proven that we grow the most, and learn the most, after His
Spirit has removed all distractions from us; taken us out of our comfort zone,
kicked all of our standards and expectations out from under us, and taken us to
a humble, lonely place, where only He and we know what’s going on in our hearts?
5. A
rock solid faith connects to their God given destiny.
a. It
was in the Cave of Adullum David pinned these words.
Psalm 142:1 “I cry out to the LORD; I plead for the LORD's mercy. 2 I pour out my
complaints before Him and tell Him all my troubles. 3 When I am overwhelmed,
you alone know the way I should turn. Wherever I go, my enemies have set traps for me. 4 I look for someone
to come and help me, but no one gives me a passing thought! No one will help
me; no one cares a bit what happens to me. 5 Then I pray to you, O LORD. I say,
"You are my place of refuge. You are all I really want in life. 6 Hear my
cry, for I am very low. Rescue me from my persecutors, for they are too strong
for me. 7 Bring me out of prison so I can thank You. The godly will crowd
around me, for You are good to me.”
b. The
cave represented a cold, dark, dreary, depressing, prison of confinement.
c. The
cave represented every one that was in distress, every one that was in debt,
and every one that was discontented.
i. Can
you imagine how important is that we don't stay in the cave but come out to
assume our rightful God mission positions?
ii. The
devil continually seeking to destroy what God has set in motion a long, long
time ago.
1. Your
life, your mission for God, and your families’ destiny.
d. I
realized in my moment of faith that I am going to be as wide open for God as I
ever was for the devil.
e. I
was a mess, living in a pigpen of my own creation, the creation of others, the
creation of sin and I was miserable.
f. At
the age of 19 I said yes to Jesus and I will never, ever, ever go back.
6. A
Rock Solid faith is contagious.
a. I
will live passionately and wholeheartedly for God, I could care less what the
devil and his cronies think about my existence.
Hebrews 5:8 “Even
though Jesus was God's Son, He learned obedience from the things He suffered.”
b. God
didn't just send me here for my family, my children, my healing, and my
opportunities but for you, for your children, for your children's children!
i. God
sent us here to minister to families, your friends, your peers, and your
coworkers, for your healing, for your God mission, for the community of Ukiah!
1. What
will they be for God?
2. What
kind of Rock Solid Faith are we to model and then what kind of Rock Solid Faith
are we to pass on?
c. Pass
on giving up.
d. Pass
on quitting in the hard times, pass on passivity, pass on unfaithfulness, or unfruitfulness?
i. Pastor
Mike. If I choose to wait does the devil win?
1. No
God is too powerful for that.
ii. If I
choose to hold off does the devil take control.
1. No,
God is greater than that.
iii. But
If I choose to wait, I lose.
iv. I
lose an opportunity to minister to the lost in this area.
v. I
lose an opportunity to walk in faith.
vi. I
lose an opportunity to do the miraculous.
vii. I
lose an opportunity to see hundreds come to Christ, thousands worshipping God
and being filled with the Holy Spirit.
viii.
I lose an opportunity to see God's great,
mighty, and uncharted miracles be fulfilled.
ix. I
lose an opportunity be what God has called, destined, and defined me to be.
1. And that
my friend is the greatest tragedy of all.
e. I'm
not telling you something I read in a cute little blog, or what someone pinned
up on his or her Pinterest.
i. I'm
not preaching something to you I read in book, heard at a conference, or saw in
a youtube video.
ii. I'm
preaching to you what my family and I have experienced, what my family and I
were drug through, and literally what we have fleshed out.
f. God
is too good to be cruel and He is too wise to make mistakes, He will use the
Devil's best ammunition, meant to destroy me, sent to destroy my family and
literally crumble his plans to ash.
