The Weapon May Be Formed but It WON’T Prosper

I want us to get started with Matthew 8.

We're going to read some scripture.

But in Matthew 8, verses 23 to 27, it is a story in the Bible where Jesus is saying, sleeping through the storm there's a huge storm going on he's with his disciples and it is scary out there imagine you're in the middle of the ocean like waves and all of the thunder lightning all these things are going on and jesus is asleep so his disciples are frustrated they're like asking him how can you be sleeping right now like don't you see that there is a storm but jesus's heart posture throughout it all is he's asleep he knows to be still and that god is in control and it is such a powerful reminder whenever we feel like we have to like fight the the battle or we have to do more than god can do that we would just trust him so we're gonna read verses 23 to 27 then jesus got into the boat and started across the lake with his disciples Suddenly, a fierce storm struck the lake with waves breaking the boat, but Jesus was sleeping.

The disciples went and woke him, shouting, Jesus responded, Then he got up and rebuked the wind and waves, and suddenly, And I believe that this storm is significant to the storms that we face in our lives that come and go, they come and go.

But the posture of our God, the posture of Jesus is to be still.

Be still and know that I am God.

He is modeling to us how we should be when there is a storm.

We should be resting as sons and daughters.

So he challenges them and he responds to them.

Why are you so afraid? Don't you know that our father is going to take care of it? Don't you know that it's all taken care of? Don't you know that...

You are a child of God.

So as we read these stories in the Bible, we're never told that there's not going to be a storm.

You know, sometimes I feel like we're so surprised at the trials and the tribulations that we go through.

And we're like, why is this happening? Why is this happening? And we it's like it surprises us.

And I've come to the point where I'm like, wait, nowhere in the Bible does it say that that we're not going to face trials and tribulations.

Nowhere in the Bible does it say that we're not going to face hard times or challenges and things that come up every day.

Nowhere in the Bible does it say that.

Actually, it says that we are going to encounter storms and we are going to encounter difficult moments, but that we can trust in a God that is going to take care of it.

So there's so many different stories as I was just sitting, talking to the Lord about this, of how many people in the Bible, mostly every single story in the Bible is a story of betrayal, attacks, false accusations, persecution.

impossible situations like if you are going through betrayal persecution people rising up against you impossible situations that does not mean that you are not walking with god that actually might mean that you are walking with god and you are a threat to the kingdom of darkness and even though the enemy can have a plan God has the final word.

God has the final say and God has the victory.

So we have to live from that place of victory.

A story that's really been ministering to me lately is the story of Joseph.

If you are not familiar with the story of Joseph, Joseph was betrayed by his own brothers.

And you shared with his brothers that he had a dream that he was going to do big things and his brothers were envious of him.

I want us to get started with Matthew 8.

We're going to read some scripture.

But in Matthew 8, verses 23 to 27, it is a story in the Bible where Jesus is saying, sleeping through the storm there's a huge storm going on he's with his disciples and it is scary out there imagine you're in the middle of the ocean like waves and all of the thunder lightning all these things are going on and jesus is asleep so his disciples are frustrated they're like asking him how can you be sleeping right now like don't you see that there is a storm but jesus's heart posture throughout it all is he's asleep he knows to be still and that god is in control and it is such a powerful reminder whenever we feel like we have to like fight the the battle or we have to do more than god can do that we would just trust him so we're gonna read verses 23 to 27 then jesus got into the boat and started across the lake with his disciples Suddenly, a fierce storm struck the lake with waves breaking the boat, but Jesus was sleeping.

The disciples went and woke him, shouting, Jesus responded, Then he got up and rebuked the wind and waves, and suddenly, And I believe that this storm is significant to the storms that we face in our lives that come and go, they come and go.

But the posture of our God, the posture of Jesus is to be still.

Be still and know that I am God.

He is modeling to us how we should be when there is a storm.

We should be resting as sons and daughters.

So he challenges them and he responds to them.

Why are you so afraid? Don't you know that our father is going to take care of it? Don't you know that it's all taken care of? Don't you know that...

You are a child of God.

So as we read these stories in the Bible, we're never told that there's not going to be a storm.

You know, sometimes I feel like we're so surprised at the trials and the tribulations that we go through.

And we're like, why is this happening? Why is this happening? And we it's like it surprises us.

And I've come to the point where I'm like, wait, nowhere in the Bible does it say that that we're not going to face trials and tribulations.

Nowhere in the Bible does it say that we're not going to face hard times or challenges and things that come up every day.

Nowhere in the Bible does it say that.

Actually, it says that we are going to encounter storms and we are going to encounter difficult moments, but that we can trust in a God that is going to take care of it.

So there's so many different stories as I was just sitting, talking to the Lord about this, of how many people in the Bible, mostly every single story in the Bible is a story of betrayal, attacks, false accusations, persecution.

impossible situations like if you are going through betrayal persecution people rising up against you impossible situations that does not mean that you are not walking with god that actually might mean that you are walking with god and you are a threat to the kingdom of darkness and even though the enemy can have a plan God has the final word.

God has the final say and God has the victory.

So we have to live from that place of victory.

A story that's really been ministering to me lately is the story of Joseph.

If you are not familiar with the story of Joseph, Joseph was betrayed by his own brothers.

And you shared with his brothers that he had a dream that he was going to do big things and his brothers were envious of him.