He will do whatever it takes to us to make it happen in us. Whatever God is trying to teach you and you ain't learned it. Get ready because the ride ain't over yet. The rough ride is not over yet.
Welcome to Treasure Truth with pastor and author James Ford, junior senior pastor of the Christ Bible Church in Chicago. I'm Steve Hillard. Glad that you're with us as we continue a message called The Perfect Storm. It's taken from acts chapter 27, and I think some of us can relate to what we just heard. We have recognized the fact that God allowed a storm into our life. We can look back in hindsight and see, yep, he did that because he ultimately wanted me to learn this about him.
And so the next time a storm comes along, you begin to say, alright, God, I want you to show me what you have for me in this storm because I want it to be as short as possible. Show me what I'm supposed to learn in the midst of this storm, because I want it to be over with. But very often God doesn't allow the storms to work in that way. Well, he might choose to do that, or he might be trying to teach us patience and perseverance. And so he lets that storm go on around us.
He might really be trying to teach us dependence. And if that storm was cut too short, we wouldn't ultimately be learning to really depend upon him. Or we may think that we have it all figured out. This is what God was trying to teach me in the midst of that storm. But ultimately, that's not what God was trying to teach you. And the storm isn't over yet.
Because of that, I think the best we can do is to continue to look to Christ, to spend time pursuing him, to be in Scripture, to be yielded to what he would have us do and to teach us and to stay there. And in hindsight, you'll be able to look back and say the storm was over as such in such a time, and in that God taught me this. Very often when we're in the middle of that storm, we don't see it. We can't recognize it, we can't predict it, and we don't know exactly what
God is doing. So we're just called to be yielded and surrendered to him in the midst of that storm, to hold on because that rough ride isn't over yet. He's going to decide when it's over. What we're going to wrap up this message, the perfect storm on today's broadcast. So if you can one more time, open your Bible to Acts chapter 27 as we continue the teaching, here is Pastor Ford.
Even when the storm is your fault and you're in sin now, you don't believe me, do you? Look at judges chapter 14. I'm going to show you something. Judges chapter 14. We talk about him all the time. We need to leave him alone. Samson. He man with a she weakness. Yeah, yeah. Women were not his problem. He was his problem. Yeah. So what happened? Now watch this. Remember, he goes down to Timnath and saw a woman in
timnath of the daughters of the Philistines. But his father and his mother knew not that it was of the Lord. Let me get this. God knew this man's proclivity. He knows all of ours too, don't he? And everybody has a proclivity, don't we? What's a proclivity? Every one of us has a sin that we're fond of. How do I fight what I like? Yeah. Every one of us have one. Yeah. And so what happens that he didn't
know that this was of the Lord? In other words, God chose him not just because of who his parents were and that God knew. I'm going to use this man's sin to accomplish my purpose. Now the storm is his sin. Then he got a haircut and the devil's barber shop. And then what happened? Listen. Listen to this. But his father and his mother knew not that it was of the Lord. That he sought an occasion against the Philistines. For at that time the Philistines had dominion
over Israel. Do you see what that verse is saying? He's responsible for his sin. But God is going to use his sin for his ultimate purpose. So this man goes through this storm, gets his hair cut and all that kind of stuff chained, read into the story that he killed more Philistines in his death than he did in his life. And then remember this he's overcome by guilt because God didn't say he had to die. He asked God to kill him. Yeah, let me die with him.
So God said, sure, I'll do that. But here's the point. Here's the point what you're going through right now, you need to get on your knees, is what you need to do and see what God is trying to do in your life, and then work with him in getting that accomplished because we're all over the place. I want to try this, and I want to do this, and I want to do that. What's God say? Do. What's he say? Do. Not what your pastor says. Not what your mama, your big mama. Your daddy says uncle Willie. Bubba.
Pookie nim. What is God telling you? Because you gotta connect with that and you gotta roll with that. I get this, let me bring this in. What did Paul want to do more than anything? Does anybody know what Paul wanted to do? Where did he want to go? More than anywhere else? Rome. That's his destination. Question. Did he get there? Yes. How? Chained in a slave ship.
He's going in a slave slash prison ship. Now, I don't know about you, But what it says to me is this you may like the product, but you may not necessarily like the process. But we don't worry about what's happening in the process because God is going to put us through it whether we want to or not. We focus on the product. This is where I'm going. And so therefore I'm keeping my eyes on the prize. I'm not detouring because this is where God has taken me.
And so Paul went to Rome. He got what he wanted. It was just a rough ride getting there. How many people know that God works that way? Why? Because of the next reason. Because of the next reason. What's the next reason? Because God sends us storms to perfect us. Now, now here. Here it is. What's going on? These guys that are on here, they're not listening to Paul. Now they're listening to Paul. Paul had shared with them. I got a word from God about what we're going to do.
So Paul told them. He said, listen, let me give you some reassurance. This ship will not. Well, first he reprimanded them, you ain't listen to me. Uh. Then, uh, he gave them reassurance. An angel of God came to me. Then he gave him revelation and told me ship would be lost. But you won't. And then he talked about
his reliance, I trust God. Then they turn around and say, okay, if you trust him, since you told us what you told us and it came true, then what we're going to do is we're going to believe what you just told us. See what happened to them. The word perfect. You know it already, right? What is the word perfect? It's our old friend who could holler out what it means. Come on. Real quick. What does it mean to be complete? To fulfill the purpose for which you were created? That's
why you got to tap into purpose. Purpose keeps you from drifting all over the place. And so he promised them that. That God is doing a work here it is James chapter one. He says, my brethren, count it all joy when you fall into divers temptations, knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that you may be complete
and entire, lacking nothing. See, it's not so much of what's happening to us that we ought to focus on is what God is trying to do in us that we are to focus on. Because God is more concerned about what happens in us than what happens to us, and he'll do to us whatever it takes to make it happen in us. Wait a minute. Let me say it again because you didn't hear it. He will do whatever it takes to us to make it happen in us.
Whatever God is trying to teach you and you ain't learned it, get ready because the ride ain't over yet. The rough ride is not over yet. Every time I think about it, I think about Billy Nunley, the baddest dude in Westinghouse High School. He would get high and come down the hall with his shirt off and the teachers would be hiding. I'm serious. He's rough stuff. Then I found out Billy Nunley is 20 years old in the 11th grade. He a man. No wonder he can
whoop everybody. What happened to Billy? Had to do it over and over and over. And you wonder why it's over and over. Why am I going through this? Over. Because you ain't learned. That's why. And you going to keep going through it until you do learn. Because God is trying to perfect you. Remember. Remember our old friend. Remember that? Who remembers dokey Maso? Anybody? He says the trying of your faith. Trying. That's the word, dokey. What does it mean? It means to assess, to approve. It's
kind of like concept cars. Like those. You see them crashing those cars? Are they trying to show us their cars don't work? No. They're trying to prove the cars are reliable by testing them before you get it. God wants to approve us to other people. Okay, I know I made it too hard. He wants people to see that when you used to cuss him out, you now
bless them up. Where you ever have anybody say, how are you able to go through this when other people who go through this are tore up from the floor up? How do you handle stuff like this? We only say it's Jesus that gives us peace in the midst of our outer storm, our outer turbulence. He's trying to do something in your life. When are you going to work with him and let him see? You're not going to force you. But what he'll do is keep sending the storms.
He'll keep sending the storms, and then you'll begin to like everybody else in the Bible and in all of us, you begin to say, you know what? What do you want me to do? God says, there it is. What do you say, here I am? Send me. Yeah, that's that's what he's looking for. And so he wants to protect us. Listen to Romans five three. And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also, knowing that tribulation worketh patience. So God change us. Hey, Peter, you're going to deny me?
Why would you let him? Well, I told him, but he didn't want to listen. But what happened? Get this. Peter was one good fall away from letting God use him. That's some of y'all. You one good fall from letting God use you. Because it wasn't until he fell that he became open to the fact. Jesus says, there was something in me that I couldn't see, that I didn't have the commitment I thought I had, and he showed it to me now, I believe.
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what difference this teaching is making in your life. Again, come to treasure truth radio.org. Here is Pastor Ford.
What did he do? Remember when Jesus restored him? We talked about that too. So what did he do? He left ministry. Went back to fishing. Why? Because he was disappointed. Ministry shouldn't be this way. Ministry shouldn't be this hard. I shouldn't have to bump heads with the people I'm trying to help. And eight other disciples went with him now. Matthew, what are you doing? Going fishing. You are an IRS agent. You deal with money like Brother Bryant. You don't know
nothing about no fish. Just shows you the power of leadership. That I'll go do something that I'm not even qualified to do if the right person is leading me. And so what happens now? He says children, remember that I love it. Why? Because they're adults. And he says, children, have you any meat? In other words, is what you tried to do working for you? It's a Doctor Phil moment. How's that working for you? He said we fished all night. We caught nothing. So he left Jesus in ministry to
get fish. But he didn't catch any. Jesus, said Cassius net on the other side. And they caught 153 fish. Now here's what he understood. I left Jesus for fish, but I didn't get any. And now Jesus came and got me and asked me how I was working. It's not working. So now I have fish. I understand fish are not as important as Jesus. Stick with Jesus. He'll get you the fish. Keep trying to get the fish on your own and you're going to end up with nothing.
We fished all night. We have nothing. We'll stick with Jesus because he knows where the fish are. Look at the proximity of the fish. They were right on the other side. Wow. Now you know that was miraculous, right? In other words, he made them appear, and they caught him. Now, Peter, I'm trying to perfect you. Oh, yes, Lord, you are. Because now I'm leaving the fish and coming to you. I left you for fish. I didn't find any. You restored me by calling me your child. I'm your child
no matter what happens in my life. And so now I got all these fish. But I don't want them. Pulls off his outer coat, jumps in the water and swims to Jesus. Then when he gets to Jesus, Jesus is on the shore, got the catfish frying the spaghetti and the coleslaw and the Kool-Aid in the mason jar. It's all ready. Ready. You see that I'm leaving. Ministry is hard. I just share with them this morning the stats from pastors. Do you know that 70% of pastors
in the US will retire in pure poverty? Only one out of ten will retire as a pastor of a church. 1500 pastors left the ministry every month Months last year 1500. I thought it was wrong. I did it again and again. 1500 per month. And you know, it's the old. It's the old. Lord, if you'll keep them humble, we'll keep them poor. Never mind, Lord, we'll do both of them. And so what happened? I leave Jesus in ministry because ministry is hard. Don't pay much and I run to
get the fish. That's what I do. I'm a fisherman. And remember it says he went back to his boat. So he never did destroy his boat. He was hedging his bet. If I ever need to leave here, I'm going to save my boat. So what happened after this? He's perfected. What does he do? He leaves the boat. He becomes like Elisha, who slew his oxen. He's a farmer. He slew the cattle. Why no turning back? No turning back? Because anybody who puts their hands to the plow and
turns back is not fit for the kingdom. So I leave Jesus for fish and I don't catch any. But Jesus comes and gets me and I get fish. I leave the fish for Jesus because I realize now he's more important. And when I get there, the fish that I wanted, I don't have to clean them. I don't have to cook them. Jesus has it all. Everything is ready. And it wasn't a process. It was. Whoop! There it is. I've had that happen to me so many times. I wish I could just testify how many times I've trusted
God and whoop, there it is. Whoop! There it is. Every time I turn around, it's like. It's like, I'm telling you, if I don't do anything else, I learn how to walk by faith. I learned how to deal with lack and poverty and all those other things, because I know what God is able to do. I know what he can do for me. I know it, I know it, man. And it's like, wow, let me just say a couple things. Couple things ain't even on my notes. Uh, you marry people, you engage people, you dating people. You're
in a situation now that's adverse. You know, you're thinking, hey, there's only one. One thing we can do. Get out of this. God is perfecting you in the midst of that. And even if he's not perfecting you for who you're with, he's perfecting you for who's coming. Because no matter how flat a pancake is, it got two sides. And so God wants to work something in you and work something out of you so that whoever, whoever la de da de everybody, you are prepared. Because remember, remember I told
you about marriage. Marriage is not about finding the right person. Marriage is about being the right person. Amen. Amen. And so here's the last one. Here's the last one. Let me do it real quick. My time is gone. He gives us storms to resurrect us. Now you know the rest of the story. The rest of the story. What happens? Paul is bitten by a viper, a poisonous viper. And so they're expecting him to die. God doesn't allow the poison to take effect. See, sometimes your setback is your
set up for your comeback. Really? That's what it is that God is going to raise you up again to resurrect you again. So that Paul, on his way to what he wanted to do, go to Rome and preach the gospel on this little island because God resurrects him through a storm. The whole island gets saved. Man. Hey, I don't know who I'm talking to, but. But I came to tell you tonight that. Listen, storms can be perfect. Storms, uh, that God God allows these storms. Now, let me let
me say this real quick. So Matthew 14 there on the storm. Now remember, Jesus sent them into the storm. Now what is it that they got out of the storm that they didn't have before, the storm that they never would have had? Had not the storm come? Okay, okay, here it is. Here's what they learned. The power of the word. Jesus. Can I play? Come. Don't need a whole verse. One word. He walked on water, defied gravity. He did what? Jesus did. You remember what I tell you?
Why did Jesus walk on the water? Holler it out, holler it out so they could know what's over their head is under their feet. And so what did he do? He gave him, through the power of the word, the ability to do what he just did. So his faith in that word. I know we say he took his eyes off. Jesus began to sink. That's not why Jesus said. Why did you doubt? You doubt the word of God? He didn't say. Why did you look away? Why did you doubt? You doubted the one word that enabled you
to walk on water. Come. You doubted that word. You begin to sink. When you doubt the word, you sink. You get in despair. You get desperate. So they learn the power of the word. What did they learn? Persistence of prayer. Because he said, Lord, save me. A noun, a verb and a pronoun. You ain't got time for all that. O thou God that dwelleth in the. Lord save me. He learned the power of prayer and Jesus lift him up. Boom! Put him back on the water.
What else do they learn? They learned about the presence of Jesus in the midst of a storm. Say, what do you mean? Remember what they said? And they were exceedingly afraid of him. Wait a minute. They were afraid of the storm. Weren't any adjectives in front of their fear of the storm? They had a greater fear of Jesus than they had of the storm. Because they learned the power of his presence, the power of his precepts, the power of prayer, and the power of the presence
of Jesus Christ. And they said, what manner of man is this, that even the winds and the waves obey him? See what happens. You see what he did with them in that storm. He wants to do the same thing with you and with me.
Wrapping up our message. The perfect storm. That's Pastor James Ford Jr. Here on treasure. Truth. Really? A hopeful look at acts 27 over the past number of broadcasts. And if you missed one, you can always listen online. Come to our website, treasure Truth Radio. You can stream programs, download mp3's, or order copies of the broadcast on CD. You can also listen with the Moody Radio app. If you don't have that yet, we'll link you to the
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Donation link that's at Treasure Truth Radio. Well, thanks for letting us know you're out there and that you're listening, for giving and for listening today. Thanks also to our producer, Amy Rios. I'm Steve Hiller. Treasure truth is a production of Moody Radio, a ministry of Moody Bible Institute.