Preparing to Stand in the Coming Storm — Carter Conlon

Bless God. Well, the choir will be back at the end of this message and the orchestra will be back and we'll sing again a little bit more. Thank you, Jesus. Now I want to speak to you this morning a message entitled preparing to stand in the coming storm.

Preparing to Stand in the Coming Storm

Preparing. I'm going to show you in writing. As a matter of fact, I'm going to show you in red letter writing. Which means that's these are the words directly from the mouth of Jesus Christ as recorded in the gospel of Matthew chapter 7.

Preparing to stand in the coming storm. Father, thank you Lord for the abundance of your presence Lord in this sanctuary today. Thank you God. That you come and in the strength of your might and in your incredible mercy you overshadow our frailty.

You cover Lord the feebleness of our hearts. Lord you give strength where we are weak and Lord. I thank you God that you will enable us to hear this. You will quicken the word Holy Spirit quicken this word to our hearts and our minds quicken my physical body.

Oh God, I thank you for this today. Let your kingdom come let your will be done. And we ask it in Jesus name. Preparing to stand in the coming storm. Matthew chapter 7. Going to start at verse 7 keep the gospel of Matthew open.

That's the only text we're going to be using. All morning. Matthew chapter 7 beginning at verse 7. Ask. And it shall be given you seek. And you shall find knock. And it shall be opened unto you. For everyone that asks receives and he that seeketh find it and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.

For what man is there of you whom if his son asked bread will he give him a stone? Or if he asked a fish will he give him a serpent if ye then being evil. Know how to give good gifts to your children.

How much more shall your father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him? Therefore all things whatsoever you would that men should do to you. Do you even so to them for this is the law and the prophets?

Let's stop there for a moment. We're going to be going through some more of this text, but we'll we'll stop at verse 12. You know, I hadn't really fully understood. How much and how lavishly God wants to give to us until I became a grandfather?

You know when we have a concept of God is the father. I've often thought of that myself over the years as a father. We have a tendency to say son. Those shoes are good enough. You can wear them for another semester at school or Those pants are sufficient or that etc. Etc.

When we reason our giving and It seems that when you become a father a grandfather your reasoning goes right out the window as far as giving goes. Last summer I was with my little grandson Landon and we were eating together at McDonald's restaurant in Canada and Chicken fingers and fries and we're having a great talk grandpa to a two-and-a-half-year-old at that time.

And then he said to me pointed out the window to a small strip mall across the street. And he said I I want to go there. I said, okay, let's go there and I thought I thought he would want to sit on the moor tractors and such like things that are There as you go into this this little mall and he took me by the hand when we went in the door.

He led me into this store. And then he said where is it and he went to this huge basket of stuffed animals and wandered around it. And finally said there it is and he found this polka-dotted fire dog stuffed fire dog.

Pulled it out took it to the counter and just put it on the counter. And so I without questioning I just went and I paid for it and Took his fire dog under his arm grabbed me by the hand and out the door and we went Very methodically down the hall to another store walked in To the store went to the farthest aisle on the left down halfway down the aisle and it was trucks all kinds of trucks.

Toy trucks and he pushed through a lot of the things went way into the back and he said there it is and he pulled It out and he said this is a really cool truck. We walked together to the cash. He put it on the cash and he said to the saleslady This is a really cool truck never any never any doubt that is his Papa's gonna pay for this.

So we put these things in bags. We headed home and When we got through the door He took his stuff out put it on the countertop and his mother immediately says Landon I told you last week that you couldn't have those things last week.

With the help of my children we set up a train set that I bought for him. Now. It's a really nice train set. It's got a light on it. It's got a smoke comes out of the the front of it. It's got a horn everything.

It's really nice train set. And so this summer he knows he's going to get this so I set it up and then a laptop computer has a little camera on it so we showed him how it runs and After he'd seen it because he's in Canada.

We were here in The area and I said, well, what do you think and he looked right into the camera at me? And he said did you buy me a race car set and then he said to me now? He says Papa when you come to visit.

He said you need to get two seats on the airplane one for you and one for all my presence on the airplane. And he said and don't forget to bring Rocky. That's my daughter Kate's dog. He said you can put him under this seat.

He said that's how that's how dogs travel now. He's a 66 pound old English Bulldog. I don't think he'd fit under the seat of an airplane. But it's a good thing and I thank God that that's how he sees his grandfather.

Seeing God as a Generous Father

And it's it's good when you and I understand how much God wants to give to us. Jesus himself said if if you being evil now that's in comparison To the goodness of God if you if you being evil know how to give good gifts to your children.

How much more shall your father which is in heaven give good things? To those who ask him how much more and you've got to see God this way you and I have to see him this way. There's a longing in the heart of God to bless his children there's a longing in his heart to give us the things that we need and You've got to see that this morning or you're not going to fully comprehend what we're going to be talking about.

And I'm so glad that my grandson and I'm speaking specifically of my oldest grandson. Even though there are others and there will be others said but there's so much more That I want to give him. Than the stuffed animal and A plastic truck and all these other things that I've had the privilege of giving to him there.

I want to give him over the years things that will help form his character and give him strength and Understanding about the full purpose and the reason for his life here on this earth. I want to give him true and lasting gifts.

Which will help him to face all the adversities of life and as the Apostle Paul said Be able one day after it's all done to stand. I don't want as a grandfather to be always giving my grandson stuffed animals.

Especially when he turns to a young man, there are some gifts that are just inappropriate. It's it's it's he's to go beyond this. Paul said in Ephesians 6 13 Wherefore take to you the whole armor of God that having that you might be able to withstand in the evil day and having done all To stand.

I want to give all of my grandchildren. Those things which God has planted within my heart that have helped me to understand who God is and more. So help me to understand who he is in me why I live on this earth.

What is the purpose of life as a follower of Jesus Christ? And where is the highest purpose of this calling? Found what are the true resources and riches of Almighty God and Where must I be found? So that I can do as he has done as a young grandson.

I can go to the counter. I can go with complete confidence that the things that I'm asking for my father is going to give me. Because Jesus did say if you ask it will be given you. If you seek you will find if you knock it will be open to you but first If I'm going to be able to give my grandsons These things and my granddaughters when they're born if I'm going to be able to impart anything to them.

Putting Away Childish Things

They must grow out of a childish perspective of life. There's a season Paul says in 1st Corinthians 13 11 when I was a child. I spoke as a child. I understood as a child. I Thought as a child, but when I became a man I Put away childish things.

I put them away. There's a season folks where we start asking for things that are much deeper. They're much more profound than perhaps things that we've asked for thus far in the kingdom of God. Verse 7 right through to verse 11 Talks about this generosity of God how he wants to give to his children.

How he says I will not withhold from you. You come to me and you ask and I will give it to you. But verse 12 brings everything into into clarity. In other words, this verse shows the root of mature thinking that will unlock this incredible generosity of God.

That's spoken about in the previous five verses. He says therefore that means you can't take that verse and separate it from verses 7 to 11. It's it's a summation. He's just made these incredible statements seek ask knock.

I'll give to you the things you want. Therefore he said all things whatsoever You would that men should do to you do ye even so to them for this is the law and the prophets. Everything that you would want somebody to do for you if you were in this world without God or perhaps with God and in a place of distress if you were in prison if you were wounded if You were suffering if you were depressed if you had no clothing if you had no food if you were without shelter.

If you and I were wandering lonely aimless empty sick Orphan or friendless, what would you want someone else to do for you? That's the question if you were found there, what would you want someone else to do for you?

You say well, I. I would want them to come to me. I'd want them to help me. I'd want them to give me courage. I'd want them to speak something into my life. I'd want them to come with authority and lift me out of depression.

I'd want them to have the resources to give me clothing and food and shelter. I'd want them to be able to tell me how to find my way through this Endless labyrinth of confusion in the world that I'm living in.

I'd want them to be a friend if I was lonely. I'd want them to show me the direction if I didn't know where to go. I'd want them to come with something that had weight if I was empty in my heart sick in my spirit if I was orphaned.

I'd want them to be a family to me if I was friendless. I'd want a friend as the scripture says that sticks closer than a brother and Jesus says now whatever you would want men to do for you. Do these things for them?

Now this brings us back to verses 7 to 11 because we say where would I find the resources and the strength to do all of these things. Then he says ask seek knock. You come to me and he said you you ask me if you don't have if you're afraid to go to prisons.

Ask me and I'll give you courage and love that cast out all fear. If you don't know how to minister to somebody who's been wounded. He said seek the healing that I have and am. I will give it to you an abundant measure.

And it will begin to pour through you and you won't have to pass by on the other side of the struggling and suffering people that we see every day if You need wisdom to know how to unlock Areas of depression in people's minds.

He says just knock to me and he said I'll open it to you. I'll give you these gifts. I'll teach you how to be a friend. I'll put something in your heart. That's not there the giftings of God are miraculous folks, but the giftings of God there's a point of maturity.

There's a point where you and I are not called to be children anymore in our understanding. You and I are the Church of Jesus Christ. We are called to do the work of God in the earth. Everything that Christ did you and I are called to do on a scale.

He was one man in one body. We're not he's now he's now the Son of God and in the power of the Holy Spirit has a body all over the earth. Doing as it is more than he was able to do in just that one body in one historical moment in time.

And you and I are to be that oil were to be that key. We're to be the hands of God's provision as it is for those that are struggling and suffering in our generation praise God. He says in verse 13 enter in at the straight gate.

For wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction and there be many that go in there. In other words Christ is saying to those he's teaching go in this direction. The world offers many seemingly more appealing in an alternative pathways and but in verse 14 he said but straight is the gate.

Narrow is the way which leads to life and there are few that find it. He said there are a lot of pathways out there there are a lot of opinions even in Christendom today over what it means to ask God for things and There's a narrowness in this there's a straight way.

We are called to fall in humanity. It's not even debatable when you read the scriptures. There's no other opinion that is necessary because there is no other opinion. We are to seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness.

We're to walk in the ways of Christ where to walk with the heart of God in Christ. We're to walk with the power of God the authority of God the purpose of God. We're to walk into the mountain of fallen humanity all around us praise God.

The Narrow Way and a Life of Compassion

Now there are other opinions about what it means to be a Christian and we are living in a time in history. When there are as many opinions in Christianity as there are radio stations on the airwaves today.

He said but go into this way because it's a wide gate. It's it's broad it leads to destruction and many go there because straight is the gate. Narrow is the way which leads to life and there are few that find it now the the word Life here is Zoe in the Greek New Testament.

And it means all of the highest and best which Christ is in which he gives to his people all of the best. When you and I are heading out and we're saying God, I want your heart for this world. I Don't want to walk by people with an indifference in me any longer.

Now I'm not suggesting we become mournful. I'm not suggesting we become so burdened. We can't enjoy life. What I'm suggesting is that we walk through this life and we are just aware that God loves people.

We are so aware that every person that we will encounter on the streets is Born into this world in the image of God is a fallen Creation as it is that Christ so loved that he came and died on the cross that he could have Each one of us back to him again.

We're going to simply live and walk in this awareness. And once in a while, we'll be led to a situation Where there's something that seems to be Deeper it requires more than we have in any of our own ability.

And that's where God says now you come to me when you encounter this. When you're being sent somewhere that you can't go and you're being Led into a place of ministry that you don't have the natural ability to do these things.

He said you come to me and he said you you get what you need and we'll go to the counter together. And I paid for it already. It's already paid and God the Father says I don't care who told you you can't have it.

I don't care if your father and your mother told you you can't have it. I don't care if all all your teachers all through school said you'll never be bright enough to do this. I don't care how many people have said you can't have this.

I Paid the price and if you and I go there together if you have a sincerity in your heart There's it's in me. God says to give it to you that you can go home and you can say my my Papa bought me this and You can have this vision of God that every time he comes He doesn't need one.

He needs two seats on an airplane to get to you with everything that's in his heart to give to you. Folks, that's the way it is today, but it's for the purpose of God now in verse 15 Jesus goes on he has not left his text.

He's not left his thought that we started with in verse 7. Beware of false prophets which come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly. They are ravening wolves. False spiritual voices will arise to take you away from that which God would have given you and They do so by keeping you in a continuous state of childish self-focus.

That's what the false prophetic voice will do will keep you as a church in a state of infancy. Always going as a child as it is for some new toy. For some new thing never entering into the fullness of the purpose of God through your life.

The purpose of God is not to just accumulate the most toys before you die to get the highest. Get to the highest rung on the ladder or to be the best-looking or to have the nicest clothes or the biggest house.

That is not the purpose of God. That is childishness. Folks we are to live way beyond that. No, the treasure of God is fallen humanity. The treasure of God is every person ever born into this world. The treasure of God is young and old rich and poor every race culture language everywhere in the world.

The treasure of God is so important to him that he left you and I here on the earth that we might become Co-laborers with him going into this harvest and compelling them to come home to God our father.

He didn't leave us here to do this in our own resources. He gave us his word and put the power of his own person in the form of the Holy Spirit within us and in Christ. Everything now became possible.

There are now no barriers. There are no limitations. There are no prison doors. There's nothing anyone has ever said that can keep you where you are. God says no, I'm gonna take you somewhere. You've not even dreamed.

You can go there. I'm gonna give you giftings. You've never of things you've never had. I'm gonna give you wisdom. You've never possessed. I'm gonna give you abilities. You couldn't dream of having but folks you we are not you and I don't get these things if we're not involved in the work of God, it's not just to accumulate certificates and trophies in your house folks.

It's to go to fall in humanity with not just some kind of a distant theory about God. But an ever-present living relationship with him going to humanity say listen, you've got to know my father. You've got to know him as I know him.

You've got to understand that he satisfies the desire of every living heart. He opens every prison door. He heals every bruise in your life. He gives you a purpose and a reason for living. He puts bounce in your step puts a direct path before you and brings you to a place where you're not afraid about tomorrow.

Discerning False Prophets by Their Fruit

Verse 16. Jesus said about the false prophets. You'll know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thorns or figs from thistles? In other words, he's saying the compassionate fruit of Christ for others is not found there.

That's how you identify the false prophetic folks. The compassion of Christ is not in it. It's all about the whole focus is about you. It's not about other people and ultimately it's about them. Ezekiel 34 for the Lord says through the prophet Ezekiel.

Concerning the pastors of that generation the diseased you have not strengthened neither. Have you healed that which was sick neither? Have you bound up that which was broken neither? Have you brought again that which was driven away and neither have you sought that which was lost?

Verse 21. Jesus says not everyone that says to me Lord Lord shall enter into the kingdom of heaven. But he that does the will of my father which is in heaven many will say to me in that day Lord Lord.

Have we not prophesied in thy name and in thy name cast out devils and in thy name Done many wonderful works and then will I profess to them. I never knew you depart from me. Me you that work iniquity.

Now here's the point the false teachers claim that knowing the mind of God having an appearance of fighting for the right side and Having the ability to cause others to marvel at their seemingly personal accomplishments is sufficient.

But Christ calls it iniquity. It's an amazing thing. Self, it's self-focus. I appeal To you as a church and I appeal to the church in America in the Western world. I Appeal to you to examine these words in Matthew 7 and prove me wrong.

Jesus Christ calls self-focus iniquity a Every message no matter where it comes from where the whole purpose of the cross is just about me. It's just about how I can better myself. It's just about how I can Build six more steps to a more wonderful destiny.

And cover it all up by prophesying cover it all up By seemingly having authority and power over evil and cover it all up by doing wonderful works that cause unthinking men unspiritual men to stand back and marvel.

But Jesus looks and says no, it's iniquity and the definition in the Greek is it's lawless. It's presumptuous. It's wicked. It's full of self-assertion. It's in opposition to or it's in absolute contempt for the will of God.

Taking the people and focusing them inward when Christ is no the treasure of heaven is available to those who focus outward. And as we seek first the kingdom of God as we seek that God's kingdom advance and men and women find Christ as Lord and Savior.

He said I will add to you all the things that you need. I know what you need before you even ask them praise God. I'll give it to you. I'll add it to you. That's why Jesus said therefore don't live your day worried about where shall we live?

What shall we eat all these things are said for all after all these things the Gentiles those outside of the kingdom spend their whole Thinking about these things then he said no seek first the kingdom of God.

Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you. Now the title of my message was preparing to stand in the coming storm. And make no mistake about it. We're going into a season.

We're in it now. We're going in deeper into it when everything that can be shaken is going to be shaken in some measure. I'm greatly thankful for that in the church in the context of the christian church because everything unlike christ is not going to stand in the days ahead.

Building on the Rock Before the Storm

Matthew 7 24 again. He says therefore continuous thought. Nothing. He's never he's never stopped speaking the same thought folks when you examine it. You're going to see it very very clearly therefore.

Whosoever hears these sayings of mine and does them I will liken him to a wise man which built his house upon a rock. And the rain descended and the floods came. And the winds blew and beat upon that house and it fell not.

For it was founded upon a rock now folks. It's founded upon the very heart of christ. That's why it doesn't fall if your whole focus is about yourself. When everything around you starts to shake, of course your house is going to fall.

But if your your focus is on others nothing changes. Nothing you say god now if ever God I needed power. I need it now. If ever i've needed wisdom god, I need it now. If ever i'd need compassion, I need it now.

If ever i've needed a voice god, I need it now. If ever there was a time for the church to come to the throne of god, it's now. Oh god, not for my sake but for their sakes i'm going to heaven. But there are people in this storm that don't know you.

They don't have you. There are widows crying out. There are orphans in our streets god almighty. There are people in our prison systems. There are people lying sick wounded bruised by all of the wrong theories and experiences of this generation god.

You've got to help me. You've got to give me everything I need. And the lord says you come to me every time you come to that counter every time you need it. When you're doing my work I will empower you with a glory that comes from heaven as you reach out.

And don't hide yourself from your own flesh. The lord says i'll literally come behind you and scoop you up in my glory. The weightiness of who I am will become Yours. Everything I am will become yours.

Praise be to god. Praise be to god. Praise be to god. Verse 26 is everyone that hears these sayings of mine and does them not shall be likened to a foolish man Which built his house upon the sand and the rain descended and the floods came.

Blessed Are Those Who Consider the Poor

And the winds blew and beat on that house and it fell. And great Was the fall of it? Preparing to stand in the coming storm. Listen to what david says in psalm 41. Blessed is he that considers the poor.

Here are the promises. The lord will deliver him in time of trouble. The lord will preserve him and keep him alive. He shall be blessed upon the earth. He'll not be delivered to the will of his enemies.

The lord will strengthen him on the bed of languishing and that means when he's in a place That would take away the strength of ordinary men. God said this man this woman will find strength. That does not come to ordinary people.

It comes to those who are given to the work of god who are found where he is at the right hand of the poor. Oh, praise god. Verse 28. It came to pass. When jesus had ended these sayings The people were astonished at his doctrine.

For he taught them as one having authority And not as the scribes. Now they were used to words. But they were just empty religious words. People with somewhat of an idea about god. But they were never moved.

And looking at the vessels most of the vessels speaking it had no power to live what they were speaking. But when he had ended speaking they were stunned. They were astonished. He taught them as one having authority.

And really what that means he spoke these words as someone who had the power to do And enable others to do all that had been spoken. Authority. They looked at him and said this man can do. What he just said this man will be true to his word.

This man is unlocking to us as it is the heart of god. And there's there's weight in it. There's such a sense of awe that's come into our hearts. That if we are moving in this direction of god, we can go to god.

And when we ask It will be given to us. And when we seek we will find and when we knock it shall be open to us. The the sureness in his voice. Did you know today That if you're doing the work of god You should be expecting the miraculous.

Asking for the Power to Do God's Work

Yeah, you you you responded like you almost almost Almost now persuaded me. You almost believe it. I believe it with all my heart because I listen listen folks. It's not about me. But I have to give testimony to god.

I've been taken All my life now as a christian places I could never go. I've been given things to do. I could never hope to do. I don't have the training To go to a lot of the places that god sends me to so I just go where I know I I feel like my grandson.

Where is it? God says it's right here. And so we we search it out, you know, he had to search for that that first spotted stuffed dog. And god says now take this. Okay, let's go to the counter. It's yours.

Take you got a new mind. I give you a new heart. I give you a new spirit. I'm i'm going to i'm going to take you through Impossible places and you see your testimony will not be about you. It will be about me the lord says.

You you're not the one who paid for this. I paid for this. You're not you don't get it in your own strength. I give it to you and folks. This is the wonderful thing about god. When everyone else says you can't god says you can when.

When every when every argument ever put your way. Says it will not be yours. The lord says just ask me. Just ask me and we'll go to that counter together and it will be yours. It delights the heart of god.

Oh folks if if you and I could lay hold of this today if we could see the exceeding greatness Of the power of god that's available to us. Paul saw it and he was trying to explain it to the church of ephesus.

And i'm sure many did see it as well, but many didn't see it because their focus was not right yet. Paul was given for other men. Given first to the glory of god, but then given to the purpose of god given to gladdening the heart of god given to the work of god given to going into Fallen humanity all around whether he was accepted or whether he crawled out from under a pile of rocks.

It made no difference. He was given and because he was given heaven was open and because heaven was open. He saw the exceeding riches of god and he said to the church of ephesus. Oh that you could see what I see.

That your eyes could be open that you could see the exceeding power of god. That's available to all who call out to him, but we can't call out to him as children anymore. That season is gone. It's time to put away childish things folks.

A storm is coming. A terrible storm is coming to the whole world. It's time to put away childish things. It's time to say now god make me a voice in the storm. God cause me to stand upon a rock god put compassion in my heart god.

Give me love that's far beyond anything i've ever known. Oh almighty god. Cause it to be an explosion of faith in my heart when I read your word. Let me understand that it's all mine when i'm doing the work of god in the earth.

Praise me to god. Praise me to god praise me to god. I know one thing for sure. I know it for sure that no matter what comes down the highway in the days ahead. My house is going to stand and every house built on this rock is going to stand praise god.

I've lost it all before and I might lose it all again, but folks it doesn't matter. Nothing of this world is going with us. Nothing is going with us. The lord says I want to give you things that are so much deeper than anything you've ever known.

But it's time to put away childish things. Time to put away childish tapes. Time to put away childish internet preaching. Time to put it away folks. Time to pick up this bible and say god almighty send me into the harvest field.

Send me into the harvest field lord. I determined in my heart that i'm not appearing before the throne of god with an empty basket one day or just a. A series of things I prayed for for myself on this earth.

Oh god, help us as a church now. Help us lord. Help us god almighty praise god. I felt the holy spirit telling me last night as I was preparing putting the final points to this that He was wanting you to ask for the power to do something.

He's calling you to do Something that you don't yet find within yourself the power to do it. Whether it's to love somebody in your family and your workplace to forgive somebody whether it's to reach out whether it's to maybe something I've not thought of but you know what it is.

Whether you yourself are behind a prison door and you just don't know how you're ever going to get out whether you're perhaps you're dealing with this Tormenting thoughts of the enemy and you don't know how you're ever going to get out of it.