Rock Solid Faith / Encounter

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.