The Healing Word

Announcer: The Healing Word Ministry, on one place, is brought to you by the generous donations of people like you. At any time during today's message, feel free to send a prayer request or make a donation using the links provided. Now, I pray you will be blessed as Pastor Jack Morris delivers a message from the word of God that will encourage and strengthen your faith in him.

Pastor Jack Morris: With you in salvation and redemption and forgiveness of sins, with you in your life journey, with you in your crisis, with you in your home, with you in your marriage, with you in your career, without Jesus, it's danger.

Announcer: Do you find yourself in the middle of a crisis today at work, at home, financially? On today's Healing Word, Pastor Jack Morris is going to look at ways we can react to difficult situations in our life and how Jesus can make all the difference. Let's join the congregation at the Largo Community Church for the message Christ and our crisis.

Pastor Jack Morris: The title of the message is Christ in our crisis. Now, notice I made crisis plural because life is is filled with crisis. There's there's a crisis and then there's another crisis only followed by another crisis. And so it is in life. There's sometimes a brief oasis between crisis, but crisis comes to all of us and will continue to come. Life is comprised of a series of crisis. A crisis is when you're overwhelmed by a problem. And if you are being overwhelmed today by a problem, you do not have the ability to cope with that problem, at least temporarily, then listen today.

Listen with all your heart because God has an answer. What you have been praying for, God has heard and now has brought that answer to you through his word. Overwhelmed, inability to cope, at least temporarily. A problem, a crisis could be a death in the family, a death of a spouse, death of a parent, death of a child, a crisis. A crisis could be the loss of a job. A crisis could be when a a married couple one has an affair. It's a crisis. A a stroke, a heart attack, a surgery that alters a person's life completely.

It's a crisis. Any significant change Now, listen to me. Any significant change that impacts you directly, not indirectly. You hear about it or it happens to another family member, that's not a crisis. But when it comes to you and your life and it impacts you directly, a significant change, that's a crisis because a crisis will never leave you where it found you. Your life will be altered. These series of crisis continue to change. Our lives are continually changing. Every time we have a crisis, we experience a change. Our life goes off in another direction. Life is a series of crisis.

Webster defines a crisis as a turning point. Now, it's interesting. The Chinese have two words or two characters that spell crisis. The first character, first Chinese character is the word danger. The second Chinese word is the word opportunity. And so when you take these two words, the Chinese take these two words, the word the character for danger, the character for opportunity, and they put them together and make one word, that word is crisis. So in every crisis, there's a danger. In every crisis, there's an opportunity. You decide. We're going to look at the disciples in a storm.

They were in a crisis, but Christ came because they welcomed him and invited him. Let me give you just a little bit of the background. Jesus had fed 5,000 with five loaves and two fish. A great miracle, a marvelous miracle, an outstanding miracle. The disciples were tired. Jesus was exhausted. So Jesus put the disciples in a boat and told them to go to the other side. He would stay behind and dismiss the crowd and then go to the mountain and pray. The disciples were trying to cross the sea when a great storm arose. And the storm almost brought them down to death.

Jesus was on the mountain praying, but he saw the disciples in their predicament. They did not have the ability to cope with this storm. So in number one in your bulletin where the sermon outline is, write down the word experience. We experience many crisis. And I'm going to take this story of the disciples and I'm going to draw an analogy between what they went through and some of the crisis that we go through in our lives. In verse 48, I want you to look up at the screen and read verse 48 in unison, the first part of that verse.

Together, he saw the disciples straining at the oars because the wind was against them. Here's an analogy of life, the struggle that many of us go through when a crisis happens. They were straining at the oars, at the oars. They were they were pulling. They were trying to go forward, but the wind was against them. Their their effort was futile. They they couldn't go forward. But the scripture says Jesus saw them. Isn't that marvelous? It says look at it again. He saw the disciples. Say that.

Congregation: He saw the disciples.

Pastor Jack Morris: He saw the disciples. He sees us when we are in a crisis experience, when we think that we are all alone and no one else knows or experiencing what we're experiencing, no one sees what we're experiencing, no one understands where we are. Yet, the scripture tells us he sees. He is the omniscient one, the omnipotent one, the almighty one. He sees and he sees the disciples. Now, the question comes am I a disciple? Am I a follower of Jesus? Everyone goes through crisis, sinner and saint alike. But when the Christian is going through that crisis experience, the Christian has Jesus seeing, looking out, observing all that is happening and all that is going on.

I I counsel a number of people and I see these dear ones at times that are going through a crisis on the job or in their career where they work. They're they're they're pulling at the oars. They're they're straining to get ahead. But life seems at a standstill. They seem to be stuck. They they've trained hard, they have worked hard. It's promotion time. They they're ready for it. They burned the midnight oil. They they're they're ready to be promoted only for somebody else to get promoted. It's been a crisis. It has affected them emotionally. Now, they could become very bitter, discouraged, even depressed over what has gone on.

It looks like an injustice has been done to them. Now, life can hold them, stick them, stuck them in that position if they will allow that to happen. But that is happening. That does happen to so many other so many people in their career, on their job. How about in their marriage? How many people are going through a crisis experience? The the marriage isn't going forward. It seems as though the relationship is stuck. The romance has gone out and to the best of their ability, the couple is trying to get the the romance back into the marriage again.

They go to church, they go to counseling, they buy books on marriage, they and family, they go to seminars on it, but nothing is happening. It's a crisis experience. There is danger and there's opportunity. They are at a crossroads. Is the marriage going to succeed or is it going to fail? These are some of the experiences that we experience as Christians even in our walk with God. What about a divorce? A divorce is perhaps one of the most devastating emotional experiences in society. It seems as though society has a pill and a prescription for everything.

But divorce leaves lives shattered, people hurting, people broken. Listen, friends. When divorce happens, if it happens, you can either go through it or grow through it. Did you hear what I said? Don't feel like a failure. So many people do when a divorce happens. They withdraw, they shrivel up, they retreat. They they feel as though they have miserably failed. But it is a time to grow in God and go forward. You can break loose. What I'm talking about this morning is crisis, crisis on the job, crisis in the marriage, crisis at divorce, crisis at death.

Crisis, they happen, they come. We experience them, but we don't have to be defeated by them. Can you say amen?

Congregation: Amen.

Pastor Jack Morris: We don't have to be defeated. Look at verse 48. He saw the disciples straining. Now, look at this, the last part of this verse. He saw the disciples straining at the oars because the wind was against them. Okay, go to the second part of that verse now. Now, read it. About the fourth watch of the night, he went out to them The wind was contrary. You know, sometimes life makes things so difficult. And it feels like you're you're just always bucking a headwind. Life doesn't cooperate. Life isn't working with you. It just isn't working at all.

But no, I want you to write down in in number two Jesus comes to our crisis. He went out to them walking on the lake. He went out to them. Say those words.

Congregation: He went out to them.

Pastor Jack Morris: That's I I want you to remember that. Jesus sees, but what he sees motivates him to do something. He went out to them. He goes out to his followers, his disciples who need him, who are in a difficult place, who are in a crisis experience. Jesus goes out to them. Now, I want you to listen to this. Here here's something so so very very interesting. In the original, in the Greek, the the present or the imperfect tense means he is continually active. Jesus never stops acting. He goes out to them. Jesus went out to them simply meaning there is no end to his action, meaning he continues to go out to them.

He doesn't go out part way. He goes all the way to wherever your need is and he meets that need where you are and where you're experiencing your problem. He went out to them. Friend, listen. He may have answered a prayer, but he'll answer another one. He may have answered two prayers, but he'll answer another one. You do not bankrupt heaven. Someone says, you know, I don't think I should keep on asking. Yes, you should. You should keep on asking because Jesus is no more the poor for answering one prayer than he is the answering a dozen prayers.

He answers prayers. He sees your struggle and he goes out to you where you are and he keeps going.

Announcer: We'll be back with the conclusion of today's message in just a moment. But first, here's an invitation for you to make an impact on reaching souls with God's word.

Pastor Jack Morris: Hello, friends. I'm Pastor Jack Morris. I just want to take a moment to thank you for your prayers and your donations in that order, prayers and donations. I need both from you and it this ministry is to continue. And I believe it's God's will for it to continue. I'm going to need your partnership more so than ever before. I thank God for you. I trust that the Healing Word is a blessing. Pray that God's word will go forth in mighty power for the saving of souls and for the healing of lives, emotions, and bodies. God bless you, dear one, in Jesus' name.

Amen.

Announcer: If the Healing Word has blessed you or someone you love, we invite you to prayerfully consider pledging your financial support. Simply visit the healingword.com and click on donate now to make your tax-deductible contribution. Together, let's continue to share the beautiful blessings of God's word with the world in need.

Pastor Jack Morris: Problems, crisis, difficult conditions sometimes imbalance us. We're we're not walking like we used to walk. We're not walking straight. We we're we're none plused by what is going on in our lives. We're trying to gather our senses about us. We're looking for a direction to go in. Friend, listen. Here's the direction to go in. Look to Jesus. Look to Jesus. He is looking to you and he's waiting for you to so he can get your attention and for that invitation to come from you. And then he's going to move out to where you are to bring the blessing that you need.

He knows your need. And he's coming to you to bless you. He went out to them. Now, Jesus does not expect any of us to meet him halfway. Did you hear what I said? You know what his expectation is? Oh, hallelujah. His expectation is that you believe that he's coming. Hallelujah. That's what he expects of you. He is a love force that comes into our situations, into our homes, our marriages, our careers, wherever we're experiencing difficulty and problem. I want you to think with me today and I don't want you to raise your hand, but I'm asking the question are you going through a crisis?

Have you gone through a crisis? Is your life back on track? Or are you still imbalanced by what has happened? Well, Jesus is walking today and he is walking toward you. Now, this is what he says. Look at verse 50. Look up at the screen. You see where it says verse 50. What's he say? Take courage. This is what he says. Take courage. Come on, read the rest of it. It is I don't be afraid. Take courage. It is I. Don't be afraid. Now, I want you to listen to me. The first thing Jesus does when he reaches the disciples in a crisis was to tell them to take courage because courage drives out fear.

And these disciples were fearful. Most of the times a a crisis will leave us in a in a very vulnerable state of fear, of wondering of where is my life going to go from here? How am I going to put my life back together again? But Jesus says to them don't be afraid. Don't be afraid. That that's what he's saying to his children today. Don't be afraid. It is I because when Jesus is there, there's nothing to fear. Friend, Jesus is in your crisis. Don't be afraid. There's nothing to fear. Notice again, he didn't steal the storm.

This is so important what I'm saying now, dear friends. So important. The first thing he did was to identify himself, to make contact with the men in the boat one-on-one. Jesus and me. The the the first thing he wants to do right now is not to cure you of your crisis experience, but to come and into a relationship with you in that crisis. He wants to identify with you. He wants to connect with you. He wants you to see him. You have been seeing the storm. You have been seeing the crisis. The crisis has blinded you to everything else that's going on around you in your life.

The the crisis now has just loomed up and Jesus is saying it is I. It is I. It's I. It's I. He wants you to see him. You want to get rid of the storm, don't you? You want to get out of that scary situation. Of course you do. But Jesus says I want you to know me first. I want you to have a relationship with me first. You know, there's a lot of Christians that have drifted. The wind has blown them off course. The storm, the crisis has blown them off course. Life itself has blown them off course.

Friend, your Christianity has become imbalanced. But Jesus is here and he's walking straight toward your boat, straight toward you, straight toward you. And the first thing he is saying look at me. Get your eyes on me. You've got your eyes on a dozen things. One of them is Jesus, but 11 of them aren't Jesus. And the 11 is crowding out number 12, Jesus. You got a dim view of him. It is I. Don't be afraid. Take courage. You've got to reach out for it. You have to reach out. You have to look. This is the very first thing he says.

Until your storm is conquered, you have to see Jesus first. We we we pray, Lord, heal me. I want to be healed. Lord, get me out of this predicament. Lord, help me get that promotion. Lord, heal my husband, heal my wife, heal this marriage. We want the storm to go away.

Congregation: Amen.

Pastor Jack Morris: Jesus wants us to see Jesus. See Jesus in the storm. Hallelujah.

Congregation: Yes.

Pastor Jack Morris: And if you see Jesus, the storm will take care of itself or Jesus then will take care of it. But you have to see Jesus. The storm is about to sink your boat. It will sink your boat. Remember danger and opportunity, the two Chinese words. There's danger there. There's death there. The life has gone out of you if you let it go. You're withdrawing. You're shriveling up. Come on, Christian. This isn't the victorious Christian life that he has for you. But when you see Jesus, everything is going to change. Everything is going to change when you see Jesus.

And now notice what it said. Look at verse 51. Look up at the Where is it? Oh, I see it. Verse 51, you see it? Come on, read it. Then he climbed into the boat with him. Oh, boy. This is the miracle of all miracles. He climbed into the boat with him. After they saw him, after they recognized him, the problem still wasn't over. The crisis still wasn't over. But what did Jesus do? He stepped into the crisis. You got a problem? Jesus will step into that problem. Or do you have an impossibility? Let Jesus walk into that possibility.

He's walking straight toward your possibility impossibility today. Jesus stepped into that boat. He stepped into that home. He stepped into that career. He stepped into that that that that grief situation that was whatever it is causing grief. Jesus is going to step in. There's a couple of prerequisites before the storm goes. First, you have to recognize it's Jesus. You have to get your eyes on Jesus. You have to say, hey, this is not my imagination. I have a life connection relationship with Jesus. And then you have to say, Jesus, come on in. Come on in.

Come on in. He waits to be gracious. He waits for your invitation. He's going to get into your boat. He's going to get into that situation with you. Notice it says then he climbed into the boat. What's the next two words?

Congregation: With him.

Pastor Jack Morris: Oh, there is the greatest of all miracles. There is no miracle on earth greater than what you just said with them. With you in salvation and redemption and forgiveness of sins, with you in your life journey, with you in your crisis, with you in your home, with you in your marriage, with you in your career, without Jesus, it's danger. With them. Is Jesus with you today? Do you see him? Have you invited him in? Have you connected in a new relationship with him? With him. That's the miracle. The miracle isn't the storm being stilled. The miracle is Jesus becoming the preeminent one.

Jesus being seen, Jesus being accepted.

Announcer: Sometimes we find ourselves moving from one crisis to another. But as Pastor Morris shared in today's message, we can overcome each one if we focus on Jesus and follow him. He will not only see us through, but that difficult situation may even turn out to be a blessing. I invite you to seek him today through the Bible and prayer. We hope that today's message has been a blessing and encourage you to walk closer with God. As we conclude today's program, here is Pastor Morris with some special requests. Looking for a little extra support and inspiration, be sure to check out everything waiting for you at the healingword.com.

You can pray now with Pastor Jack Morris, lifting up a need in your life and access uplifting messages on topics that matter to you meant to restore your faith and strengthen your spirit. Need a prayer, submit a request, and Pastor Morris along with the Healing Word community will be there to pray for you. If you feel called to support this ministry, simply click donate now to make a tax-deductible gift. All this in Morris just a click away at the healingword.com. Head over and explore it today. Join us tomorrow for another Healing Word message. Until then, blessings on you.