· There are storms that have come in my life several times but I didn’t cause them.· There are hardships that have come into my life but I didn’t cause them.
If I wanted to find a perfect scripture for this message I could go to the book of Jonah where the sailors threw Jonah over board so they wouldn’t die in his storm.
I could go to the book of Joshua where Achan caused men to die and Joshua had him stoned to death to save Israel.
Or I could go to the book of Samuel where the sins of Saul and the sins of the sons of Eli caused the death of thousands.
There are numerous places to go and see the repeat of deadly storms.
Not storms caused by weather but by men.
· The weather had nothing to do with Jonahs storm it was sin.
· The weather has nothing to do with Saul’s defeat and Eli’s sons death it WAS SIN.
· The weather had nothing to do with the storm in the days of Joshua when Achan caused the death of hundreds of people it was sin. Joshua chapter 7
Text:
1 Chron 21:1-17……. And Satan stood up against Israel, and provoked David to number Israel.
2 And David said to Joab and to the rulers of the people, Go, number Israel from Beer-sheba even to Dan; and bring the number of them to me, that I may know it.
3 And Joab answered, The LORD make his people an hundred times so many more as they be: but, my lord the king, are they not all my lord's servants? why then doth my lord require this thing? why will he be a cause of trespass to Israel?
4 Nevertheless the king's word prevailed against Joab. Wherefore Joab departed, and went throughout all Israel, and came to Jerusalem.
5 And Joab gave the sum of the number of the people unto David. And all they of Israel were a thousand thousand and an hundred thousand men that drew sword: and Judah was four hundred threescore and ten thousand men that drew sword.
6 But Levi and Benjamin counted he not among them: for the king's word was abominable to Joab.
7 And God was displeased with this thing; therefore he smote Israel.
8 And David said unto God, I have sinned greatly, because I have done this thing: but now, I beseech thee, do away the iniquity of thy servant; for I have done very foolishly.
9 And the LORD spake unto Gad, David's seer, saying,
10 Go and tell David, saying, Thus saith the LORD, I offer thee three things: choose thee one of them, that I may do it unto thee.
11 So Gad came to David, and said unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Choose thee
12 Either three years' famine; or three months to be destroyed before thy foes, while that the sword of thine enemies over taketh thee; or else three days the sword of the LORD, even the pestilence, in the land, and the angel of the LORD destroying throughout all the coasts of Israel. Now therefore advise thyself what word I shall bring again to him that sent me.
13 And David said unto Gad, I am in a great strait: let me fall now into the hand of the LORD; for very great are his mercies: but let me not fall into the hand of man.
[What he was saying I don’t know what to do let God make the choice.]
14 So the LORD sent pestilence upon Israel: and there fell of Israel seventy thousand men.
15 And God sent an angel unto Jerusalem to destroy it: and as he was destroying, the LORD beheld, and he repented him of the evil, and said to the angel that destroyed, It is enough, stay now thine hand. And the angel of the LORD stood by the threshingfloor of Ornan the Jebusite.
16 And David lifted up his eyes, and saw the angel of the LORD stand between the earth and the heaven, having a drawn sword in his hand stretched out over Jerusalem. Then David and the elders of Israel, who were clothed in sackcloth, fell upon their faces.
[Repentance is the answer] Sometimes the storm destroys before people will repent]
17 And David said unto God, Is it not I that commanded the people to be numbered? even I it is that have sinned and done evil indeed; but as for these sheep, what have they done? let thine hand, I pray thee, O LORD my God, be on me, and on my father's house; but not on thy people, that they should be plagued.
We need to make up our minds that we are not going to die in some one else storm.
· Jonah was thrown overboard and the sailors were saved.
· Achan was stoned to death and his family but Israel was delivered.
· Hophni and Phinehas and Saul died and David was made King.
· Uriah the Hittite died for David’s lust. II Samuel 3.
· Seventy thousand died for David’s sin but David humbled himself and took the blame for his sins and his repentance brought God back to Israel.
1 Chron 21:26-28….. And David built there an altar unto the LORD, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings, and called upon the LORD; and he answered him from heaven by fire upon the altar of burnt offering.
27 And the LORD commanded the angel; and he put up his sword again into the sheath thereof.
28 At that time when David saw that the LORD had answered him in the threshingfloor of Ornan the Jebusite, then he sacrificed there.
· Jonah admitted to the sailors that he was the reason for the storm.
· Achan was willing to let his whole family die for his sins and they did.
· Saul lead Israel to its death and even his own son Jonathan.
· David repented of his sins and God was pleased and restored Israel.
No one needs to wait until they are thrown out or overboard, If Jonah had just obeyed God none of this would have happened.
If Saul would have obeyed God and slain all of the Amalekites and took none of the spoils Israel would not have lost the battle and men would not have died.
Hophni and Phinehas if they hadn’t sinned in the presence of God Eli would not have died his wife wouldn’t have died..
If David hadn’t lusted for Bathsheba Uriah wouldn’t have died.
If David had obeyed God seventy thousand people wouldn’t have died.
People most of the time blame God for the things that happen to them and there are others who are willing to admit I caused all this.
· Jonah admitted his sin David admitted his sin and people were spared but the storm they caused was devastating to others.
· Some could care less who dies as long as they have their way!
I’m the first to admit it’s not always easy to obey God but it is always necessary.
Innocent men and women have given up their freedom to protect a friend or a family member…. but a real friend that really loves you will not let you lose your freedom and make your family suffer to protect them when they are in the wrong.
I WILL NOT DIE IN YOUR STORM!!!!
There is storm in our midst there are people losing their lives because of it.
Some of the storms are caused by them and some of the storms are caused by others who refuse to say God I am the guilty one.
I believe it is time for a prayer of Repentance to go forth and call on the mercies of God to still this storm.
There are storms to try our faith the disciples were in such a storm in Luke 8:23-25.
But as they sailed he fell asleep: and there came down a storm of wind on the lake; and they were filled with water, and were in jeopardy.
24 And they came to him, and awoke him, saying, Master, master, we perish. Then he arose, and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water: and they ceased, and there was a calm.
25 And he said unto them, Where is your faith? And they being afraid wondered, saying one to another, What manner of man is this! for he commandeth even the winds and water, and they obey him.
If God doesn’t calm the storm there is destruction everywhere….Lives are lost…homes broken apart and then there is the long process of rebuilding
We have faced such storms in the past where people spiritually died.
· Their home destroyed lives torn apart.
· Children gone astray the devastation has drove many people to their graves lost without God.
Some people are strong they endure the storms of life and continue to trust the Lord until he speaks and the storm is calm.
Some storms are good it shows our dependency on God and they build our faith.
But no one likes storms…. they are sometimes very scary and we fear the worst but we have to refuse to die in storms because of the sin of others.
I will not die in your Storm!!
Churches have closed because of the sins of others,
Saints who refuse to hear the Word of the Lord has caused many a church door to close.
People who refuse to support the work of God but will eat drink and be merry while the church suffers.
Revival can happen anywhere if we obey this one scripture:
2 Chron 7:15-18
15 Now mine eyes shall be open, and mine ears attent unto the prayer that is made in this place.
16 For now have I chosen and sanctified this house, that my name may be there for ever: and mine eyes and mine heart shall be there perpetually.
17 And as for thee, if thou wilt walk before me, as David thy father walked, and do according to all that I have commanded thee, and shalt observe my statues and my judgments;
18 Then will I stablish the throne of thy kingdom, according as I have covenanted with David thy father, saying, There shall not fail thee a man to be ruler in Israel.
But here is what is happening that hinders the work of God and sinners are dying by the thousands because People love darkness more than light.
2 Chron 7:19-8:1
19 But if ye turn away, and forsake my statutes and my commandments, which I have set before you, and shall go and serve other gods, and worship them;
20 Then will I pluck them up by the roots out of my land which I have given them; and this house, which I have sanctified for my name, will I cast out of my sight, and will make it to be a proverb and a byword among all nations.
21 And this house, which is high, shall be an astonishment to every one that passeth by it; so that he shall say, Why hath the LORD done thus unto this land, and unto this house?
22 And it shall be answered, Because they forsook the LORD God of their fathers, which brought them forth out of the land of Egypt, and laid hold on other gods, and worshipped them, and served them: therefore hath he brought all this evil upon them.
I WILL NOT DIE IN YOUR SINS!!
God has given us victory…. I refuse to die because others have denied the faith and turned back to their weak and beggarly elements.
· I have heard every excuse they can give why they shouldn’t live Holy.
· What is holy to God is still Holy…. you can’t explain it away.
· What God says is sin is still sin…you can’t explain it away.
· If God’s word says thou shall not that is exactly what He means.
I will not Die in your storm!
