Sunday Evening Worship Service (June 12) | Pastor Anthony “A Voice in the Storm”

oh the name of jesus is the all-encompassing remedy to whatever it is you have need of if you're having trouble verbalizing tonight what did it exactly need that you need to pray for you just call out on that name jesus and then the holy ghost will begin to activate inside of you and as we've been preaching about for the past i don't know 60 years every sunday it'll advocate for things on your behalf that you don't even know that you need to pray for so if you came in here [Music] if you got need of something [Music] or maybe you came in here and you don't know why you're here what if you lift up your hands and just call it on that name it's as simple as that and the holy ghost will begin to activate right there inside of you in jesus name amen and amen i'm excited to be sunday night at fac you can make your way back to your seats keep that same the same spirit i know often said is uh kind of a cliche what a spirit is in this house well i i make no questions about it tonight i know the answer to that to that question i don't even ask the question because it's god's spirit that's in here and he's continuing to move deliverance has already taken place and healings have already taken place and i believe that he's not done yet just the same i want to say a special welcome tonight to two guests marilyn seymour and jeanette pack we want you all to know what an honor it is and what a privilege it is for us to have you worshiping alongside of us could we give them a great big hand and we hope you feel the love of jesus christ manifest through god's people here at fac and it's a high honor to worship with you a few messages we received this morning this afternoon i want to say tuning in with us brother michael sister flory kennedy all the way from jerusalem israel and then also the entire durango family is in kenya for a few weeks over the summer and uh he's brother during has been in contact with me and was telling me congratulations on the on the new edition and i'm if you're listening right now get on the archives you told me last year you were going to take me with you i still love you but i'm very envious because they just have an awesome time when they go over there but let's give everybody a great big hand that's tuning in online we're clapping for you tonight and it's an honor to have you tuning in uh with us and what a what an amazing resource it is uh to just go out through all of the different means and media whether it be facebook or youtube or our live television broadcast on sunday morning or on the radio what whatever it is that's out there we're going to try to to get this message out amen i was so privileged yesterday to assist in the uh of alex and eumanuela cross's uh wedding and it was a beautiful celebration but let me back up one more before that i had i was privileged last week to preach at camp yada in walnut mississippi and we had just uh an amazing time and uh james wilson preached the second half of that camp i i told him in in baseball the leadoff hitter if he can just get hit by a pitch or something just to get on base and then he'll get hit home so that's that's what i did i just tried to get on first there and then the power hitters came in but uh we just had a tremendous service and people shouted and rejoiced and i'm a hundred percent for that and uh everyone was a lot of people proclaiming revival it's taken place and i believe that it was and and i believe in revival i believe in jumping and shouting and expressing how great god has been to us and i'm 100 for that and i hope that takes place tonight if i can keep you awake while i preach but uh yesterday we experienced pentecost as well and revival as well with the marriage of alex and emmanuel who said what are you talking about [Music] emmanuella received the baptism of the holy ghost not at a camp meeting not at a national youth convention not at a sunday evening service but at a sleepover with some friends in high school had a bible study break out and she prayed for an hour and god filled her with the holy ghost right there at that sleepover and then the the testimony continues with her friends and and family and the great i leave family that that's here with us and servicing i can't think help but think his sister hannah moore began to tell this during the this her speech at the reception what if hannah you know maybe that was a night where you know i don't i'm too tired to even tell anybody about uh this truth or maybe it was a night when a high schooler who had every uh statistic in the world on their side where you know i'll get serious about this thing when i get a little bit older and i'll just kind of live how everyone else and most of society is right now what what would have been the outcome yesterday wouldn't have taken place the many that has been baptized and received the holy ghost from that one high school sleepover i want you to know that that is pentecost just as much as us rejoicing and celebrating and god's spirit is continuing to move in this day and do you know who his spirit is going to move through and do you know who his spirit is dependent upon moving through you every conversation our conduct uh you all as i've mentioned several times you you all preach the greatest sermons that are ever preached and your day-to-day walk yeah and it's an honor a high honor to be a part of this great congregation if you have your bibles turn with me to the book of acts chapter number 27 we're going to read three verses of scripture and we'll begin reading at verse number 24. i guess it's two verses of scripture but we'll get to the third one a little bit later on acts 27 24 saying fear not this is an angel of the lord speaking saying fear not paul thou must be brought before caesar and lo god hath given thee all them that sell with thee wherefore sirs be of good cheer for i believe god does anybody believe god tonight that it shall be even as it was told to me he's saying god told me this and i believe what god told me i want to speak to you for a few moments tonight on the voice in the storm the voice in the storm right where you're at because our posture don't make a difference if we have faith and just lift our voices up to heaven and let's just pray over this word right now mighty god we thank you for what you've done we thank you for in advance by faith for what you're going to do lord as this word goes forth tonight a voice in the storm lord let somebody's heart know let somebody with whatever calamity they might be experiencing that you are there lord let there be a sweet assurance and a refreshing tonight and courage for tomorrow knowing that you are with us every step in the way no matter what we face we thank you we praise you we turn this message this sermon over to you in jesus name we pray amen and a man a voice the voice in the storm if i simplified this sermon into three words i could say and you all would agree 100 life brings storms without warning the darkness moves in and we are surrounded by a raging storm these storms could personify in a lot of different scenarios in our life whether it be sickness abuse financial ruin family problems death other crisis situations can come upon us without warning our hope though as believers and professing in jesus christ is in fact that god will not leave us stranded during the storm that he will sustain us restore us and comfort us we preach about it we sing about it and that is our hope and it's a sweet relief to know that during times of peril and difficulty to have faith that god is on the way it's not unusual to hear the analogy of a storm within the context of a sermon or a song going forth and it's referring to the challenging circumstances of the life that every individual will encounter for instance jesus spoke of wind and rain pounding houses built upon the rock and built upon the sand and he uses the metaphor often of a storm to represent the pounding situations of life to make his point we could go back and look at the book of job and he used the idea of a storm metaphorically and also he literally experienced a storm as part of the trials that he had to endure and much property was lost and lives were lost others who spoke of storms in a metaphoric sense included the psalmist the prophet isaiah and ezekiel just to name a few and many of you could just look throughout the lids of your bible and point to and have scriptural corroboration referring to storms perhaps the imagery of a storm best describes the challenging struggles and trials of life because each and every one of us have all experienced storms and we have experienced their ravaging power and if you say i i haven't yet just be assured that you will if you live in this earth we have all experienced life events that have brought devastation and we have all experienced life events that have brought about suffering and it just seems natural to us when we see a storm beginning to roll in when we're just walking through just what seems to be a normal day with the sun shining and the birds are chirping and the grass is green to see the road the clouds begin to roll in and the storm doesn't start off severe at first but it just we know that it's going to continue to intensify suffering is no stranger to individuals in this life and many people have suffered and lived through excruciating situations heartbreak and disappointment are common companions to those who live the human experience it's so much so that the psalmist spoke of having tears both in the day and at night but the lord we know when we read is near to the broken and ready to bring deliverance and ready to bring help and relief but regardless of life's storms for the lives of believers it's comforting truth that god will allow him he can speak comfort if god if we'll have faith in him can speak strength and he can speak peace right in the midst and be that voice in the storm we face first peter 4 12 says beloved think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you as though some strange thing happened to you don't think that it just took place because of some extenuating circumstance don't don't think that it was just a coincidence that it took place because the creator of this world who controls all things in our life storms come at us and don't be surprised when they do suffering trials troubles are the way of human life such experiences fall every individual whether that person is a believer or whether you're a non-believer jesus christ spoke of the heavenly father causing the sun to rise on the evil but also on the good and he will send rain on the just and the unjust in other words we all experience the same benefits of life and we all encounter the same hurts and troubles and trials and they're part of being a human on this earth but a mark of a person's character it's not whether or not you or he or she encounters storms but it's the response to the storm that determines our faith walk the character of who we are in christ because be assured that storms not might not maybe not if they will come in acts 27 10 we find the apostle paul warning a roman officer that the voyage they would take to rome would be one that would be met with extreme danger not just danger that would be enough for me on its own but extreme danger scripture did not tell us what prompted paul's warning but it's a safe assumption especially looking back at the scriptural context from our vantage point that the holy spirit was urging him to understand that this voyage was going to be met with great deal of difficulty in extreme danger the apostle paul was also very experienced on sea and knew the times and the seasons of the mediterranean and where he was going and when you have anointing coupled with experience and intelligence it's a it's a mighty fine duo and sometimes it will tell you to say hey this is not a good idea and paul was compelled to urge caution and he communicated it best he could however the officer took the advice of the captain and the owner of the ship over the admonition of paul to say now is not a good time to head to rome so we read that they set sail under the waters and they were destined to become raging troubled seas as the apostle paul foretold to the holy ghost and through his experience that it was not a good time to sell they were headed straight into what would be a devastating storm and as surely as the ship headed for rome was destined to encounter turbulent seas so our lives in this world will encounter the trials common to humankind and we all must deal with the suffering the hurts and the troubles and trials none are exempt from life's disappointments none are exempt from life's pain none are exempt from life's illnesses but we suffer disease and physical pain and we suffer the loss and death of ones that we love so dearly each and every one of us if you live long enough you will suffer and have to endure these afflictions and all will deal with these human elements as they are part and parcel of a life lived in frailty and mere mortal flesh everyone must face storms in life some here under the sound of my voice might be dealing with a particular circumstance where as i mentioned earlier everything was going good and you can see you don't have to be a meteorologist to see that the clouds are beginning to roll in on a situation or there's some of you under the sound of my voice or that are currently in some of the most tempestuous waves that you've ever experienced and you're having to suffer and endure a storm in your life that you certainly wish would get on through everyone will face storms but our hope is living with the abiding assurance that through every temptation through every trial and struggle god will be present the praise team sing about it and this is our sermon tonight that we can lean on him and therein discover the strength and help we desperately need god was with paul in his life through his miraculous conversion at damascus through his three missionary journeys throughout asia minor and according to paul's own testimony he endured many struggles and difficult moments over the course of these years and travels second corinthians 11 we read that in 23 are they ministers of christ he said i speak as a fool if you look at all the stuff i'm doing but i'm a fool for christ i am more in laborers more abundant and stripes above measure and prisons more frequent in in deaths off of the jews five times received i 40 stripes saved one thrice i was beaten with rods once i was stoned for ice i shuffled shipwreck a night and a day i've been in the deep and journeys often in perils of waters and perils of robbers and perils of my own countrymen and perils by the heathen and perils by the city in perils in the wilderness and perils in the sea and perils among false brethren and weariness and painfulness and watchings oftens and hunger and thirst and fastings often in cold and nakedness besides those things that are without that which have come up on me daily are the care for all of the churches that even though i suffer through all of these things and i have this laundry list of the stuff that i've had to endure i counted all as a prize i counted all as an honor and yeah i might be being betrayed by those that i love most dear i might be enduring one of the most difficult storms of my life but hey how is the church doing how is my commission and my calling doing and he says i count it all worthy because he knew the lord was working for a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory he said this is light affliction and he said i'm chief of fools as the lord was with paul through many storms and trials he is emmanuel god with us and the storms of life we encounter can draw us closer to the lord jesus christ we do not enjoy the suffering of storms in our lives but like paul we are strengthened in our relationship because of them bm launderville wrote the following the vine clings to the oak during the fiercest of storms although the violence of nature may uproot the oak tweening tendrils still cling to it if the vine is on the side opposite of the wind the great oak is its protection if it is on the exposed side the tempest only presses it closer to the trunk what's he saying in the storms of life god will either intervene and shelter us or he will expose us and man i like those times when he intervenes and he shelters us and i can praise and rejoice but when he exposes us that's the times in our life that it needs to just press us even closer to that oak press us even closer to that thing that we're living off of and that's elevating us and it's those times in our life that we look back to and point back to the most devastating times the the the most severe of storms that i can say i made it and i can get through this god spoke to paul in the midst of the mediterranean storm as jesus promised to never abandon us but always be with us and he is as close as the mention as the praise he's saying about he is as close as just the mention of his name and the broker you are the closer he is to you he's close to me right now when those that were with him had a plot to kill him the apostle paul in a few chapters earlier it says in the night following the lord stood by him and said be of good cheer paul this is before we get to our key verse for thou has testified of me in jerusalem he's receiving his calling and and commission and and the lord is continuing to speak to paul this is four chapters earlier and this is when those that were around him had a plot to kill him notice what he says and the night following the lord stood by him and said be of good cheer paul for thou hast testified of me in jerusalem so must thou bear witness also at rome and then four chapters later i would certainly call that a storm when your friends are trying to take you out a metaphorical one if you will but also four chapters later we see a literal storm and our key verse says and now i exhort you again paul be of good cheer it's going to be all right for there shall be no loss of any man's life among you but just the ship for there stood by me this night he said a voice in the storm an angel of god whose am i and whom i serve saying fear not paul thou must be brought before caesar don't forget what i called you to do and lo god hath given thee all them that sell with thee wherefore serves be of good cheer for i believe god that it shall be even as he said god was telling paul that i have called you for a specific purpose and i have a divine calling on your life because you are going to testify in rome you were going to go bear witness right in the court of caesar because nothing would prevent paul's fulfillment of the calling because god was guiding paul every step of the way and god said first and foremost he said you're going to go right into the court of caesar and the second time he says again be of good cheer don't forget you're going to rome he said i'm not addressing your current situation but i'm giving you a promise for the future and let this promise for the future be proof in the present that your current calamities are not going to destroy you he said you are going to testify in rome you are going to be brought before caesar and there is a future in your promise i know not giving you a detailed playbook about how you're going to get through this storm i don't have a an abc of what it's going to look like each day for you to you to endure but just know the promise that i have on your life somebody worship with me right now that the shipwreck is not going to take you out listen to me for a second jesus says to paul let me remind you again i have this calling on your life because you're going to be in rome because i've called you to stand in the court of caesar know that even though you might endure shipwreck it's not going to take you out no because i have a promise on your life that the waves may be crashing in over your head but know that it's not going to take you out you're not going to drown you're not going to starve you're not going to be killed because i have a divine promise on your life and let that promise be proof that whatever you're facing right there in the present is not going to be your demise and just as the lord assured paul through the angel he also saved all the shipmates safely to land he said i he he didn't say you're going to make it through this particular storm on this particular day but the promise to take place in the future was proof that the present wouldn't stop him and when the lord speaks we can be confident it will come to pass just as he said and we must anchor our faith securely in him and believe that he will lead us and that he is going to guide us and that he has a promise over each and every one of our lives in second corinthians 1 20 paul emphasized the certainty of god's promises he said for all promises of god in him are yea and in him amen we can mark god's promises in the affirmative because they positively and will be enacted and delivered exactly as promised our journey through life will include storms and and trials and testing and and suffering it's part of the human experience however through every storm we can be certain that the abiding presence of the holy ghost emmanuel god with us is with you and whatever storm you might be facing tonight whatever life experience and you may be facing tonight we must listen for that certain voice that's right there in the midst of whatever we're facing psalms 46 tells us that god is our refuge and strength and a very present help in the time of trouble yes on the surface as we interpret this verse it states a very present help the word help here means aid it means assistance the word trouble would cover all that can come upon us which would cause us anxiety or sorrow the word rendered present means rather is found or has been found that is he has proved himself to be a help in trouble the word present as if he were near to us or close by us does not fully accurately express the idea which is rather it means he has been found it means he has already done it that means he has he's an ever-present help that means he already has been found to have a victory in that particular situation it means that no matter what you are facing it's not some type of new calamity to god it was true in the most intimate sense that god had always been found to be such a helper and therefore there was nothing to fear in the present distress and it was a foreshadow to a time to come and that's what we're preaching about today and tonight here at fac knoxville it's about a god becoming a man that came down to earth and died for our sins he provided and became the ultimate sacrifice because up to that point we lived under the law and the law meant we had to sacrifice an unbel blemish lamb to only cover our sins not a race god was the ultimate sacrifice and it was his own son he was willing to do what he asked abraham to do or almost asked abraham to do but at the last second spared abraham that pain because he wouldn't be able to fulfill what he was asking him to do this case was still different though and notice many use the term son of god as a reason to picture jesus as a son in the way that human beings exist as a father and son the phrase is used many times in the new testament when referring to jesus one of the most well-known scriptures john 3 16 is used that a father figure god gave his son jesus to die for humanity god gave his son yes but it did not happen as some perceive or interpret what kind of god would he be if he let someone else die for his people what kind of god would he be if he sent another a different person to die for humanity the word begotten comes from the greek word genomic which refers to the beginning of something i am born i am manifested the word son comes from the greek quartus which is used to describe humanity or carrying the connotation of weakness or mora mortality this refers to humanity and flesh this means that there was a beginning to the body or flesh of god stay with me for a second the begotten son because it's important to understand who we are worshiping and it's important to understand what was being foreshadowed when he says he was an ever present help so stay with me this was not a different person from god but it was god taking on human flesh and coming himself to die for us he did not send anyone else for there was no one else capable of taking on the sins of the world he is the father and he is the son he is the creator and redeemer and because of this that means he understands us and because of what he endured and suffered that means that you're not going to endure and suffer nothing that the god we serve hasn't already overcome does that make sense to somebody tonight musicians come the ever-present help talking about a voice in the storm we're talking about a voice in the situation that you've brought in to this place tonight does anyone even want deliverance does anybody want insurance does anybody want refreshing and something that's just been eating at your mind or something that you've been struggling with or that's keeping you up at night with all types of doubt and weariness there is a voice in the storm and this ever-present help was a foreshadow of a messiah to come for the word would become flesh not in a castle not carried in on a red carpet but he would become emmanuel god with us god like us god with us he would endure sickness he would have pain he would be a human being yet he would be free of sin and this gospel that we preach about is the good news it's not about a distant god that sits on a throne far removed from the everyday suffering of humanity but he became man to live and exist as you and i do stand with me he became to be that solace right in the midst of hostility he became to be that voice that no matter how dark the storm was getting no matter how loud the thunder began to roll or the lightning begin to strike down or no matter how high the waves begin to crash he came to be that soulless in the midst of hostility he showed during his sleep how to have peace during a storm and he also showed us how to speak peace during a storm that's why he's our ever present help during a time and during the storm during a time of storm you feel alone tonight the god you serve felt like that are you suffering tonight with some type of uh situation in your life that maybe it's a a medical report or maybe it's an illness or or something in you in your body that's just causing you pain the god you serve felt with that have you been betrayed by your friends betrayed by your family have some hurt he felt that dealing with maybe years of of abuse in some capacity maybe it's a very sensitive situation that no one else knows about and maybe no one else needs to know about except you and those that you can find in and trust in he knows about he felt it you ever been hungry for something in the spiritual or even in the natural he felt that you're thirsty he felt that struggling jesus felt that that's why he is emmanuel god with us that is why he manifest himself in flesh not a distant god not some other substitution but god poured himself in flesh so we could have that ever present help that help that no matter what we face he's already defeat already defeated it and he already has victory over it [Music] god's given each and every one of us a divine commissioning and a promise for our lives we've seen it when we prayed we've had visions of it we we have goals that we aspire to and sometimes it seems as we take a step forward of progress oh and then that's the time that the storm just begins to rage let that promise that god has given you that that promise of that commissioning on your life that you know was from above be proof [Music] no he didn't give you all the details how you're going to get through the storm he he he didn't give you a a specific battle plan that it's going to be a week or or a month or it's going to be this duration and time all he might just be telling you tonight hey remember that promise i gave you but let that promise be proof that he's going to lead you to that divine calling that he's going to lead you to that promise and let that promise be proof that whatever it is you're facing whatever calamity whatever whatever storm has rolled in on your life let it be proof that it's not going to take you out he's our ever-present help in a time of storm he's already been where we've been he's already been victorious and he's already defeated death hell in the grave and when you call on that name he's close to the brokenhearted when you call on that name and that that name of jesus just exits your lips he's going to i believe tonight he's going to send you a great refreshing and assurance and courage for tomorrow to let you know that i will never leave you i will never forsake you i'm not only going to be there with you but i'm going to aid you in whatever circumstance a storm of life you're facing so with every head bowed right now we preached tonight and this morning about the good news about god wrapping himself in human form to become like you and i [Music] to give us that victory to know that we serve a god that's not far removed from the everyday suffering of humanity but he became like us emmanuel god with us lord as we pray tonight lord you see every storm and every situation that your people your people are facing [Music] father as we as we pray tonight i know there are there are those that might have become weary or or discouraged or it may be a point of desperation but father i'm believing tonight if we can just call out on your name jesus that there's going to be a voice right there in the midst of our storm a voice that tells us that everything's going to be okay a voice that tells us it reminds us don't you forget i've got a calling on your life don't you forget i've got a divine commissioning upon your life you're going to go to rome you've got to testify before caesar you've got some great things down the road oh and let that be proof right now that this thing that you're dealing with is just going to strengthen you this let it be proof right now that this this storm's not going to to take you out oh and let it be proof right now that your witness in the midst of this storm it's not just going to save you but there's going to be some other passengers on that ship that are they're going to experience the same divine providence of safety because you were on there oh if this altar is open right now if if you want to hear a voice in the midst of your storm i believe tonight if you'll come to this altar and just lift up your your ears and your hands to heaven and just let that name jesus exit your lips let that name jesus just go up to heaven and i believe he's going to send his anointing down i i believe he's going to send his his presence down and he he he's going to touch your heart and say i will never leave you nor forsake you i have a promise on your life and no weapon formed against you is going to prosper i know you're suffering with betrayal i know you're suffering with just the cares of life and caring and putting others before yourself but i'm about to give you a divine refreshing i'm about to give you a divine reminder that there's a promise over your life and you're going to make it and your witness during the duration of this storm it's not just going to save you but it's going to be a mighty sermon and it's going to be witness to everyone else around you yes jesus oh would you pray [Music] oh he's here right now [Music] with us [Music] [Applause] he became [Applause] [Music] he's [Music] is [Music] whatever it is [Music] [Applause] but it's going to put you closer to me sometimes i'm going to shield you and protect you but i'm there with you i'm immanuel never [Music] whatever it may be [Applause] [Music] and he can help [Music] i give it up [Music] [Applause] calamity [Music] is [Applause] we love i you live without you [Music] [Applause] is [Music] jesus [Music] that's why we preach about repentance and turning our life over to christ that's why we go down in the name of the one who experiences it that's why we go down in the name of the one that offends them blessed jesus is god not a different person not a separate entity of the godhead that's why we're so emphatic and we preach it with such imperativeness because it's emmanuel god with us to know that he came for us because he loves you because he wants you to know that he suffered all the afflictions he suffered in all of the trials that you did so that he could be that ever present help and to say that no matter what you're experiencing then i'm going to be with you and that's why he came to us as the holy ghost and that holy ghost is evidence by speaking with another tongue and it'll give you reassurance it'll give you courage it'll be that reminder of your life that god i know that you're with me i know that whatever i'm facing he'll use the holy ghost he'll use his preached word he'll use a song he'll use his saying of god but if you'll just stay attuned and you'll listen there's a voice right in the midst of whatever you're facing so it's one big unified prayer right now i want us to just lift our hands across this congregation god knows every single name i i try to identify all the different things that we experience but the truth is there's a lot of things we experience that are so pride and so sensitive that we would never even let them be known that's probable that's probably a good thing but sometimes when we when we keep it down inside we never addressed him but i tell you a good person to confess to his name is jesus christ because there's not anything that you're experiencing that he hasn't already experienced and consequently that he hasn't already conquered so as we pray right now lord you see every need that is in this house you know all of the details you know all of the specifics father whether it be a marital relationship whether it be some sort of abuse maybe it's something with a job maybe it's a prayer for my family maybe it's a prayer for provision maybe it's a student dealing with some temptation right now whatever that storm is we know when we call out on that name jesus somebody called out on that name jesus lord we know that you're close to the broken we know that the storm's just pressing us closer to you and lord we place every need in your hands right now and we trust in your infallible word when it tells us that any need or issue we can just place it in your hands and call out your name jesus and you're there to meet it mighty god this is our prayer tonight and we pray a prayer of faith that no matter what we're going through that we can declare healing because of your name that we can proclaim victory because you've already won the victory and we celebrate tonight emmanuel god with us if you love jesus if you are celebrating emmanuel god with us why don't you give him a handclap of praise and say thank you jesus for coming to us yes jesus glory glory glory glory glory hallelujah hallelujah