Sermon Recap
The Bible states that every good gift comes from God, yet many Christians still accredit Him for every event they encounter in their life—even the storms. In this perspective-shifting sermon, Dr. Brian Keesler sheds some much needed light on a common question—did God send the storm? To help answer this question, Dr. Keesler begins his message by clarifying the true meaning of God’s sovereignty. Although God is the greatest authority, He does not have complete control over everything that happens. To illustrate the instability of the belief that God is in complete control, Dr. Keesler takes the congregation through some through-provoking scenarios. If God causes everything to happen, does that mean we should praise Him if our house burns down and all of our loved ones perish? It was His will after all. Most would agree this makes no sense. If one believes that God causes every situation, then they must credit Him for all the evil in addition to the good. Another supporting event is found in Mark 4:35 where the disciples are facing a disastrous storm. As their ship began to fill with water the disciples woke Jesus who was sleeping in the stern of the ship. Jesus got up and rebuked the wind and the sea. If God truly is in charge of every event, then didn’t Jesus rebuke God by calming the storm? In summary, the storms that come up against us are not God’s will. His plans are to prosper us and give us hope, not to produce disease and disaster. If you find yourself in a storm, know that it is not from God, and it’s not punishment for something you did wrong. What you do need to know is that you have the ability to command the storm to hush, and be still.
Scripture References
Psalms 34:17-19 (NKJV)
John 16:33 (NKJV)
Mark 4:35 (NKJV)