From Multiplication to the Storm — Claude Houde

From Multiplication to the Storm

Please turn with me to the gospel of mark chapter 6. Gospel of mark chapter 6. The title of my message this morning is from multiplication to the storm. From multiplication to the storm. I had to say it twice.

I ask forgiveness of our my dear friend my brother who gets the title for the Website and I said from multiplication to the storm and he looked at me says what I said from multiplication to the storm.

And then I walked away in two minutes later. He said listen brother. What's the title again, and I? Know I know we we you think it should be from the storm to multiplication from brokenness the blessing from From pain to purpose.

Seasons of Blessing and Storm

I understand. But all of us know it is a spiritual reality. That as we walk with Christ in our lives and in ministry in serving him. That we will walk through seasons where we went through a time of blessing a time of multiplication and maybe a time where we felt Finally Oh God one area of our life is really coming alive.

Our son it's going better at work or or after a struggle in your in your work there there's a breakthrough there, but then your son or your daughter starts to and then you you'll have a Breakthrough spiritually, but then the doctor will call you and say there's a scan.

There's a lump. There's a It's it's cancer there how many of you understand the reality of I was in Multiplication and here I am going through a storm say yes, please. We're gonna look at two. We're gonna look at two miracles of Jesus that Jesus tied together the the miracle of multiplication and the miracle of The calming of the storm now these two miracles.

I usually taught Considered and understood separately as if they're two different stories, but Jesus brought them together. Jesus taught that you have to there. There's an understanding. There's a revelation of on how we go through our Multiplication and blessing season into the storm and out of the storm into deeper multiplication in the gospel of a mark chapter 6 at the at the end of the Verse 51 a middle of the chapter verse 51 he says then and Jesus went up into the boat to them.

This is in the storm and the wind ceased and they were greatly amazed in themselves Beyond measure and marvel for they had not understood. About the loaves see two miracles tied together, but they are not understood about the loaves because their hearts were hardened.

So we will pray this morning and ask for a spirit of revelation. And maybe you have been going through and then through the internet and now on our different campuses and in Jersey. You will have people that have been going through there was a season of blessing and multiplication and then you're coming face into a Storm, and if there's not this is in your case this morning.

This is a reality in the cycle of walking with God. And we have to know we have to know what we must do when we go from Multiplication to the storm so we pray God we pray for a spirit of revelation in this place.

We pray for cloven tongues of fire upon each of us. Oh God that there would be a spirit of truth if a brother or sister man or woman here or through the next Weeks months and years through the internet around the world is watching this message and is going through a season of Storm after multiplication not understanding.

What is going on the disciples are going with a hearts that are hardening through the storm? Because they do not understand so we pray Oh God that you would the Holy Spirit would lead us into all truth.

We pray for an open heaven. We take authority against any lies confusion Opposition distraction of our enemy and we claim this morning this message this moment in you to be a moment of Defeat for the kingdom of hell lies and darkness and of great victory for the kingdom of God in our lives in Jesus name and all of God's people shout amen and Give him praise for what he will do this morning.

The Multiplication Miracle and the Hardened Heart

Now we read for multiplication to the storm and we read in Mark chapter 6 and in verse 30. And then the Apostles gathered to Jesus and told him all things both what they had done and what they had taught.

And he said to them come aside by yourselves come come to a deserted place and rest a while come with me. But there were many coming and going and they did not even have time to eat. So they departed to a deserted place in the boat by themselves.

But the multitude saw them departing and many knew and ran their own foot from all the cities they arrived before then and came together to him and Jesus when he Came out saw a great multitude and he was moved with compassion for them having the.

Because they were like sheep without not having a shepherd and so he began to teach them many things. What must we do when we go through multiplication to the store season of storm. I want to propose to you that we must renew our hearts.

We must receive correction and we must remember and Recognize some kingdom principle that I'm going to share with you at the end of the message that I believe will make a difference. We must we must renew our hearts the the disciples needed for their hearts to be renewed their hearts were Hardened as they went through the storm because they are not understood.

There was a hardening of the heart and because of weariness and and maybe because of a certain woundedness. That was it in them. The Bible says that Julia know the Previous chapter that Jesus had sent them and they are doing his will they are doing his work.

They are preaching and teaching and healing and and witnessing and serving and battling darkness. And when they come to Christ They shared with them that we read that they they are telling all of their exploits and everything that they that they are doing but Jesus is seeing that the side behind the facade of Activity enough enough being out of breath almost spiritually that there is a there is a tiredness.

There's a feebleness. There's a weakness. There's a a Weariness so he says come on Let's get. He takes them away from the activity and he takes them on the boat and they go. They go into under the sea and and how?

How amazing it must have been in the presence of Christ? Away from the crowds a demanding crowd as they heal me and and deliver me and and Understand me and free me and listen and speak to me and teach me and bless me and oh They just it's so beautiful on the lake.

They must in there just just the presence. It must have been like on the Mount of Transfiguration just this presence or just the presence of Christ. His words. It's so peaceful. It's so Wonderful, but the Bible says that as they're getting across in this beautiful play.

Yeah, this place of blessing that the crowd knowing where they were going. This is what we just read made their way around and was waiting for them on the other side. Hey, it's us. And it's not in the text, but but I could hear a moan from the disciples.

Oh not them. Not them again. There's a weariness. But the multitudes came to meet them and you see this weariness in their disciples. Reaction was a set a little bit later. So send them away but Jesus was moved with compassion as we go through our Multiplication to storm and the weariness and the the busyness Can can cause us to spin?

I like this definition by the Christian philosopher Soren Kierkegaard who speaks of busyness. With his sentence busyness his definition is that state of constant distraction that allows people to avoid difficult realities and maintain self-deception.

Busyness state of constant distraction that allows people to avoid difficult realities and maintain self-deception. And they were in that state of of weariness enough and oftentimes. It is a reflex. It is our instinct many of us.

It is our nature many of us when we are going through a storm to just keep moving and often time. The storm itself is so consuming someone in your family is sick or are there you're going through a battle with your children or son.

There's a situation at work or in your house. So there there's a there's conflict and it's it's consuming all and yeah and often time. We have a carnal reflex a new human nature reflex to to relax or to to even Dizzy ourselves even more not to stop they their hearts needed to be renewed.

Because of their weariness and their hearts needed to be renewed because of their woundedness. Because if you know they what the event that's just before if you understand the verse we we began to read with the verse with the Apostles come and they tell Jesus all they've done.

But the very very very previous verse and events is the beheading of John the Baptist. Is that awful lot insane? Unjust terrifying and disgusting Moment where John the Baptist the holy man is is put in prison and and he he confronts with justice and truth the adulterous king and his mistress and their and their wife and mistress and she in an in an orgy of decadence and and and dirt there in an orgy of Insanity the the crazy King says ask me whatever you want I'll give it to you and and the daughter dances before him and then and she runs to her mother what shall I ask ask for the head of John the Baptist the Bible says they didn't sign a sanity of the wicked King and and the the gays the group that is there and that orgy and that decadence that sense of filth and then and immediately to verse 27 the King sent an executioner and Commanded his head to be brought and he went and beheaded him in prison brought his head on a platter and gave it to the Girl and the girl gave it to the mother and when his disciples heard that they came and took away his corpse and laid it in a tomb.

Then the disciples gathered to Jesus and told them all the things they've done and they talked there's no stopping. There's no they're going in and they their previous moment. We don't know if it was a day or week or what it was, but they actually take the beheaded body.

They they're everything every fiber of their being is screaming out. How come? How can that be how can that be allowed how it's so unjust it's Unexplicable, it's it's beyond understanding there. They're hurt they're wounded so so deeply, but they keep they keep running.

They run and they run and they run and they they and Jesus says stop and come with me. You need to come in my presence. They didn't even have time to eat. And I'm speaking to men and women this morning as we go through the storms of life from multiplication into a storm.

Weariness and oftentimes woundedness that we don't even care or tend to that. We just keep running keep dizzying ourself not even sometimes feeding our soul feeding ourselves. Spiritually the voice of God calls out and says you must renew your heart in my presence.

You must renew your heart. You must feed your spirit. You must stop and bring your hurt your pain your question your weariness your storm to me that my spirit would come. Comfort strengthen rebuild and give you direction say yes, please.

In their weariness they needed to in their weariness they needed to to. To be mended in there in their weariness in their woundedness. And even I would say for us the heart becomes hard through the storm because of our weariness or woundedness.

But for us many times it is also because of our worldliness that in times of storm if you begin to and even through a through it the the All all around us all around us of what there's a worldliness that comes and seeps into our spirit now.

They weren't even able to feed that so busy not even feeding themselves and the question of the spirit for us today is. What are you feeding in your life? And what are you feeding your soul with? Few years ago years ago when I traveled in this as an evangelist I I went different many many different churches, and I always remember this church in Kentucky in the deep deep.

Out of the cities of Kentucky and and I was just a French guy from Montreal. I end up in Kentucky and this was a really means that all of Kentucky. But this this area was very very rural and it was very it was amazing great church.

But very very bang bang bang bang banjo, and it was just whoa it was really I mean, I I was just I was from Montreal. You know I'm from the streets in Montreal, and this is so it was just that and I'll never forget.

There was a brother who got up. It was testimony time, and there's a brother that got up. It's a French guy doing a Kentucky accent so bear with me. The brother got up, and he a tattooed all over and praise God.

He was exploding with the testimony what God had done in his life completely saved him alcoholism and everything else that and Violence and crime and his wife was with him and they were they were shining and he says one of the things I used to Do before I used to make a lot of money in the dogfights I would raise pitbulls for in the dogfights say not and I always made money.

Because I always knew which dog was going to win. And I knew where to bet to make the money. He was doing this all by himself that and you you wonder how did he know let me tell you how I knew and he He says I always knew which dog was going to fight and which I was going to live and which dog was going to die.

Because I knew I knew I was always feeding one and starving the other. The disciples are not time to eat so the question of the spirit is who what are you feeding? Are you feeding your flesh, or are you feeding your faith?

Are you feeding your your worldliness or your worship? Are you feeding your bitterness or the blessing of God? Are you feeding lost? Netflix HBO Internet Facebook Instagram and much of it will not feed your spirit will not renew your heart.

Are you feeding your hurt criticism and murmuring and endless questioning or are you feeding your hope? Are you feeding are you feeding your flesh? Are you feeding your flesh your faith and as you go through your desert the voice of God as Jesus took the disciples.

The voice of God through the ages from Hosea to Jesus to me and you or say I to behold as you walk in your desert I will bring you from your wilderness and there I will speak comfort to your heart. God wants to bring you in your time of multiplication to the storm to come away come away with me.

Let me speak to your heart words that will make a difference in your life speak to your heart. Years ago. I was preaching I did a pastor's conference in Egypt. And it was a one amazing moment preaching to 500 pastors in Alexandria most of them being in persecuted areas and the stories were I was teaching them and felt just to sit at their feet because They some of these men were such heroes of faith.

I'm present for their faith and yet the joy the purity of the worship and the strength and the love for God and the joy. That was there was it was amazing. There was a man there who was The an elder a father in the faith who had been serving for years and years and they all the men looked to him with such Respect and love and they loved him so much and I and they kept telling me stories testimonies of his life.

According to what I was told he was one of the first pastors in Egypt 50 years ago who baptized people who and a Revival that came but he he was in prison many time and and he was it was at the heart of a revival of God's spirit among Arab people in Egypt and he He was a father to them but in the years and and God and multiplied his ministry.

But in the fall in the previous years, he was struck with Parkinson, but with such Such severity it just hit him so hard so so fast and here I was in it On the platform and I would see him in the second row and and he would literally with with sweaters.

He would like time his body because his arms would go in every direction. He just couldn't control his body and and I I had had His assistant as a young brother tending to him told me how he's been retiring and he's so hurt and he's so it's so it's so Difficult for him to see himself in that state and so he's moved he's resigned and he's he's giving us all these books.

He told all the young men you come into my library get all my books. I'm just I can't serve anymore and it in this One service that I was speaking. I was speaking on renewing our hearts renewing our passion.

He will not throw away the He will not throw away the the dry heart. He will renew it. He will resurrect it if it and I made a I'm in an altar call and was one of most poignant moments of my ministry when I saw this brother and and all the brothers over there just was so shot because he he went up as if the Spirit of God had reached him so deeply and he and he took away that.

Like the sweater that was around his arm and he came up to the platform and and and after the service He says because of you it's because of you. I'm back in ministry. I'm telling the guys get me my books back I want my books back.

And when he told when he told that testimony Multiplication into a storm and when he told that testimony there was such an anointing that without him saying anything I was just hearing it through the interpreter and just expect expressing I needed after all these years I needed my heart to be renewed and young men and men of all ages and women started silently to move out of the audience.

And come and join him on the platform to on their knees to say Oh God I need my heart to be Renewed and you need your heart and I need my heart through the storm to be renewed in love and in peace and in trust.

And in compassion and in faith, I need my heart to be made new again. Say yes, please. When we go through Multiplication to the storm we must renew our hearts and we must receive correction. There was no amen.

Receiving Correction Through the Storm

I wasn't expecting any Jesus corrects them. Jesus when he came out saw the great multitude and was moved with compassion splodgy. So me in the Greek He was so moved inside That he had to to go to them.

But not the disciples the disciples that peace send them away the people are tired the people are discouraged. It wasn't the people who were tired and discouraged. It was the disciples. The people needed Christ were coming to Christ, but the disciples heart had dried up.

He had to correct them send them away. Jesus says no. You give them something to eat. We don't have the resources. Bring what you have let them go back to where they came from. Let them that let the city take care of them.

No, you have something to give them when when the storm came. They suppose he was a he was a ghost but immediately talked to them. No, don't don't be afraid. It is I there's a correction through the storm in the in their direction in their actions in their words in their Perspectives and their priorities and how they see how they speak how they think what's in their hearts what the decisions they're making you see.

It's correcting their attitude. They are not understood because their hearts were Hardened. They needed to change they needed to be corrected. They needed to repent they needed to change and break patterns.

They needed to grow they needed to change and to be corrected so that God could fulfill his purposes in them. I want you to smile don't do it aggressively but smile and say to the person next to you. You need to change say that to somebody next to you.

Hey now now. Now now I see some wives who really took the opportunity there. They're really You need to change his four words and this lasted three minutes. I don't know what's going on. Just to make sure say to the person I need to change say that the person actually used to make sure.

See much shorter much shorter. I need to change in 32 years of ministry and of training people to fulfill the call of God on their on their lives. I've been face-to-face with tens of thousands of leaders hundreds of students in our Bible school that are now serving the Lord in the nations and I I am more convinced after Those 32 years that I am absolutely convinced that the number one prerequisite the one number one quality and prerequisite for fruitful and and and Impactful ministry or life Christian life abundant life is a teachable spirit a Teachable spirit.

Through the storm out of abundance through the storm Jesus wants to teach you to deepen you to change you to correct you a teachable Spirit. I've come to the conclusion that no matter what the background I want to say that to somebody here that has had a horrible background no matter what the background No matter what the family or social background no matter what the mistakes no matter how huge the mistakes no matter how Heavy the past no matter no matter how how dense or intense the the wombs of the past.

There is no I want to declare it to break a lie of the enemy over someone today. There is no limitation to what God can do to a man and a woman with a teachable spirit. There is nothing no limitation to what God and time can do.

Through a man in a man and through a man with a teachable spirit. God loves to take the feeble foolish uncapable Things of this world you and me and I and to transform them Transform them to his glory if we allow him if we have a teachable spirit.

And the paradox is this however. No matter how talented gifted called destined knowledgeable charismatic professional proficient a person is I Can't and God can't do anything with somebody who's not teachable.

It's impossible. I it was one of the biggest mistake of my early years of ministry. I would see a gift or I would say potential I would see the person that I would be try to to try to change them try to have and be patient and then spend Years sometimes when there is that hardened Unteachable spirit it there's nothing nothing that can be done only.

There's no progress. There's no fruit. People are hurt people quit. They go from a church to another to a place to another they keep jumping around. So the Spirit of God would ask the question of all of us today when you are going through out of multiplication.

Into a season of storm. Can God correct you. Can God speak to you. Can God change you can God use? someone. To speak into your life now just a journey. A few verses in the in the Proverbs. There's tens of them.

I just allow the Holy Spirit to take the word that made. This can make a very big difference in your life. Adjourning the Proverbs we must receive correction 1017. He who receives correction finds the path of life, but he who refuses correction will go astray and lose his way.

We can lose what we work for so hard to build and to gain if we resist correction. Stubbornness stifles the supernatural in our lives. Proverbs 12 1. He who loves instruction and correction loves knowledge.

He who hates correction is a fool is stupid. I don't write this stuff. I just read it. He who rejects correction is a fool. She or he becomes blind to the pattern of his the patterns in his life keeps repeating the same mistakes.

Hurting the people the same way and he is bound in a cycle or she is bound in a cycle of bitterness and always a blame of others 1318. Poverty and shame will come to him who doesn't keep a teachable spirit.

But he who highly regards correction will be honored. Correction is not Condemnation it is grace and love. Unconditional. It is not to demean us it is to develop us. It is not to beat us down. It is to build this up.

It is not because we are disqualified. It's because we are destined by God for his purposes that he loves and corrects us. Harsh consequences 1510 harsh consequences are for him who ignores or forsakes the way and he who despises.

Correction will die. The way is Christ, but it's a way of change of change of correction. The way is true the the truth the way is truth, but it's a truth that is to transform us. You can have the doctrine of grace and be and have the doctrine of Christ and of the way and of truth.

But if you don't have a teachable spirit you could actually be walking the doctrine of grace with a spirit of legalism. I'm not gonna name a name, but I a few years ago I was in a conference where one of them at that time if we look at 2000 to 2014 it was one of the most well-known Pastor who started a church a movement of churches amazing communicator amazing developer of churches church planting multi-site and A doctrine of grace taught with great great passion and great zeal and he pioneered a church who became a huge surgeon and that church became a movement of churches and 2000 to 2014 in 2014 the thing that struck me and people that that that saw him behind the scene is that even in the pulpit but behind the Scene there was a harshness.

There was an arrogance. There was a cutting to the man. There was no it wasn't immorality it wasn't it wasn't heresy. But there was a harshness to him and to the world the Christian world's amazement and bewilderment.

At the end of 2014 everything imploded. The church exploded the church closed its door the church asked him to leave the movement. He found him asked him to leave and close closed door here closed. Oh everything closed and it was it was it was and after that you would hear men of God to men of God who says I?

Met with him. I talked with him. We sat with him a board of elders sat with him. There was a great giftings great knowledge great truth, but it was not that there was no teachable spirit. I say Oh God today when I am in multiplication and I walk through a season of storm.

Give me the humility to open my heart. What do you want to teach me? What can change what must change in me search me? Oh God and see there would be in me any wicked ways that I would find the paths of life say yes, please.

Questions through questions to the storm. What can I learn from this storm is? There a part you're gonna love this one. It's gonna get quiet for a second. Is there a part of this storm that I bring on myself and my family?

That I am responsible for as a pastor you see people that go through the same cycles of storms. From getting into debt to other things to to strive to fight to neglecting their family you see a Cycle in a cycle, and you'll have some people say sometimes things like how come these things always happen to me.

There's a cycle my God stop in the middle of the storm and say Lord is there something? What should I hear from you show me teach me speak to me? What's must what must I keep what must I let go what must I change?

Transform me into your image. I don't want to go through storms that I bring on myself. I want to bring glory to you now. I'll be transformed by you say yes, please correction. Correction we must receive receive the the the correction.

I was preaching on forgiveness. In the beginning of this year after our times of fasting and prayer, and there was two families. They went to another church for years. They've been coming for two years to our church and and and all adults and they had in 2015 the the sadness that the profound hurt of the father the grandpa the kids and the father.

Passed away, and his wife just a few months later these grown adults and and all our professions. They all were professionals, and they're Christians, and they they have kids. But they to they had the grief to lose their mom and lose the dad in the same year and it was a family of the doctor the father was a doctor and the mom was a nurse and they they had them they have done well in Life good Christians that went to churches and and and went in an astonishing way in the grief.

They had been so blessed and now they're going through a storm of grief of hurt. Everybody's hurting. Dad is passed away mom is passed away, and it was so fast and so there's a lot of unsettled things, but but to to to my astonishment, and we prayed and tried to counsel and They began to fight over the inheritance but in a really bad way in a nasty way families with families and and then brother the big brother and sister and their Husbands and men and it started to get so crazy that actually they got lawyers involved.

So lawyers now and and and a Christian mediation was tried. And there was nothing and just became it and and they would it was very we we as elders prayed. We were about to have to do something because they were coming to our church.

Everybody was coming to the church, and and I would watch them from the corner of my eyes. They're like stones. They're just there's nothing coming in out. The Bible says the man or woman who's under offense is like a man in a dungeon in a prison.

There's nothing that comes in nothing that comes out. There was just so and I and we had been praying and through the fast and what we have to help them. We have to do something and the insane things was that the kids teenagers.

Were under this and then when I got talking with the family. They said it was like a it's like 30 40 years of conflict cycle conflicts. I would come and now with the passing of mom and dad it just just came to an ugly ugly explosion and I Was preaching on forgiveness a Syrian forgiveness, and it was I preached a message and then I'd prepared it so we have communion at the end and and and if the thought of of communion and if you have something it's your brother and you stop and you and and it was amazing as I I was leading communion as Pastor Carter did this morning I saw one of the brothers who was so vehement that the older brother and he moved out of his seat.

And he started to go across the front and his sister and their family two sisters were sitting over there. And he went and just hugged them. He just hugged them and this big guy to start to cry and hug them and they were just everybody just just melted and he's There and he kept saying enough enough enough.

How can we how did we get here? How can we how can we be here? I'm enough enough and in the week that followed they met with with some elders and and it's as if the the thing had vanished. It's just they settled it so fast.

And I the reason the reason why I'm telling you is that in the last year It just so happens that in the last year though two of their teenagers who had been so disgusted. But everything that had happened had been staying away from church.

I've begun to come back and I accepted the Lord recently and this morning at our church at Nouvel V. There's 50 people getting baptized in water and I looked at the list and the two daughters two grandkids getting baptized this morning.

There's a there was a risk restoration of the blessing. I Want to say to someone I want to say to all of us there is a restoration. There's a level of life. There's a level of flow that is there that you don't see right now.

But there's a step of obedience and of correction change me God that the flow of life would be restored to my life. And my family in Jesus name and we say amen everybody For multiplication to the storm.

Remembering Kingdom Principles

We must renew our hearts. We must receive correction in my last thought. We must remember Remember some kingdom principles in verse 41 of Luke chapter 6 and When he had taken the the loaves this is Jesus and the two fish.

He looked up to heaven blessed and broke the loaves and gave them to this disciple To be said before them and two fish divided among them all so they all ate and were filled and they took up 12 baskets full of Fragments and a fish.

Now those who had eaten the loaves were about 5 ,000 men and Immediately he made his disciples get into the boat. They were in his will and go before him to the other side to but say that while he sent.

While he sent the multitudes away and when he had sent them away He departed to the mountain to praise praying for them. And when evening came the boat was in the middle of the sea and he was alone At land and he saw them straining and rowing for the wind was against them now about the fourth watch of the night.

It's 2 in the morning. What they saw a he came to them walking on the sea and would have passed them by and when they saw him walking on The sea they suppose it was a ghost and cried out, but they all saw him and were troubled.

But he immediately talked with them and said to them be of good cheer. It is I do not be afraid and then he went into the boat to them and the wind ceased. But they were greatly amazed in themselves Beyond measure and marveled it because they had not understood about the loaves because their hearts were hearted.

When we go from multiplication to the storm, we must renew our hearts. We must receive correction and we must remember and recognize Some kingdom principles. I'm gonna give you three king kingdom laws that are very simple.

But if you lay hold of them, they can make a difference in your life when you go through a storm after multiplication. The first kingdom law is what we call the kingdom law of blessing. Jesus took when he had taken the five loaves and two fishes.

He took them to heaven. He looked to heaven and and he took them and he gave grace. He he blessed he he gave Thanksgiving. He thanked heaven for that for for the bread and the loaves and the fishes and and he offered them to God.

He he gave thanks and blessed them. Jesus Blessed what was clearly not enough? He blessed what was clearly not enough these Fishes and loaves were not were clearly not enough for this multitude. But there's a kingdom principle that when you go through a storm after multiplication.

You have to learn to thank God for what you think is still not enough. Thank God for your to bless. Don't curse your don't curse. You're not enough. The situation is not enough. My finances not enough.

My husband not enough. My kids not enough. My son at this time in his life not enough. My church not enough. My ministry not enough. Don't curse. You're not enough. Jesus blessed and thank God and offered the what enough not enough.

Because his eyes was on what his eyes were on to God. That is more than enough. I God I bless you for my children even in the state. They're in now because the promise is over their life. I bless you for what you give me my home.