NICK VUJICIC // BLESSED ARE THOSE WHO PERSEVERE

[Music] hello to everyone watching at home it's Nik voyage here I am so blessed to call new life oxnard our family's home church and we've been going here for several years and just want to say a big hello and thank you to all the people serving here at the church even during this covert 19-2 to pivot the way that you've done online can you guys just at home listener support the church and say thank you jesus for the team and the church amen wherever you're watching from welcome if this is your first time turning into new life oxnard welcome to the family of god i just wanted to encourage you today pastor steve asked me if I would come and share a word of encouragement of uplifting and as we know cover 19 is definitely unique in many many ways the world's never seen anything like this if the world's never heard anything like this and I just want to open up with a couple thoughts before we get into it you know about this it's not your social distancing and washing your hands like crazy like I am but it's understanding as well how exciting the times are that we are alive you know for us to know that that this is a moment that the world's never seen and it's it's quite a moment for us to be self reflecting sure mentally sure emotionally while our emotions and mental health is like crazy right now with our kids at home and uncertainty to the maximum just very very different stresses that we've really experienced ever before but really it's our spiritual health that that really determines how we are anchored on the rock how we are anchored through the storm and and you know I want to open up before we open up with prayer real quick to ask God to bless his word this this this day but you know I thought to myself and I brought it up to my family it's interesting how many times someone you know your boat needs an anchor in the storm well first of all if you're caught in a storm in a boat and you're moving somewhere the last thing you want to do is put the anchor down now if you're at sure-sure you need that anchor to make sure that you don't wash up on shore does that make sense but when you're going through a storm it feels like it's a maybe a better illustration we were going we had routine we had rhythm we had plans we were doing our 7-day routine we go to church on Sunday now we're watching church in our PJs what's up with that and everyone understands it this is just a new norm for now we hope that kovat passes but right now when we look at Kovan saying that that will pass this ain't the first storm we've ever had and the Christians again and again and again who are brought up in the Bible come to the faithfulness of God as they have persevered every storm that comes has come to pass and right now it feels like we can't just you know even though the world has stopped we feel the move and the urge to keep on going and and what I want to think of is our life as a boat you know when the wind changes and and the waves toss and turn like crazy it's pivoting our sails in a different direction so that we stay on course what's really amazing to me is that what covered 19 has done is really reveal the stripping away of what we considered as normal to really reveal how much we need God how much we need him every day and I don't know about you and this message is not really for those of you who don't know God it's more of an encouragement for those of you who do know of God and I want to read from James chapter 2 to encourage you in your walk sorry James chapter 1 encouraging your walk with to really have a a thorough look and self-reflection of our health in our spiritual health our walk with God let's pray Lord God we come before you today and we do indeed pray for the government we pray that you would bless the world we thank you Lord for a cure for the coronavirus we pray that this storm would come and go quicker Lord God we pray for anyone who's right now fearful of the future the uncertainty of if we're gonna have a job after this small business owners who've already decided that we just can't survive this storm Lord we thank you that no matter what storm we have whether it be financial or just uncertainty on all levels we thank you Lord that we don't know what tomorrow holds but we know who holds tomorrow and we thank you Lord for your faithfulness and during this storm Holy Spirit would you breathe into the sails Lord God to help us continue our path in focusing on you in fixing our eyes on you through the storm in Jesus name we pray and all God's people said amen you know for me when I was knowing about Reverend Billy Graham's last address that was broadcasted to America I think the title was my warning to America and I wanted to know what would Reverend Billy Graham say and it was nothing different than when I was able to meet with him face to face with my fiancee at the time who's my wife and he said preach the gospel preach the gospel preached the gospel his love for the lost his heart for the weary those who had no hope I mean for those of us who have a faith in God this is the time where we not only persevere and have a health check spiritually for ourselves but we'll get into it at the end is the time to reach out to your family and friends like never before including you young people who don't think it's cool like it is cool to come here in this church building to tune in to the weekly services this is the time where your friends are asking the biggest spiritual questions they've ever asked they actually might give you time to talk to you about Jesus for the first time you actually might be saying for the first time well I'm not so busy to share my story remember our history is his story to share amen and this is the time that God has opportunities in these times of difficulties and and remember to be the hands and feet of God but what I want to talk about tonight and today sorry is you where are you with God where are we where do we know we can have hope in in James chapter one we're gonna read verse 2 to 12 in the NIV consider it pure joy my brothers and sisters whenever you face trials of many kinds because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance will you say that word at your house perseverance very good let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete not lacking anything if any of you lacks wisdom you should ask God who gives generously to all without finding fault and it will be given to you but when you ask you must believe and not doubt because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea blown and tossed by the wind that person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord such a person is double minded and unstable in all they do believers in humble circumstances anyone in our humble circumstance believers in humble circumstances ought to take pride in their high position but the rich should take pride in the humiliation since they will pass away like a wild flower for the Sun rises with scorching heat and withers the plant its blossom Falls and its beauty is destroyed in the same way the rich will fade away even while they go about their business blessed is the one who persevere is that's it that is the title of today's message blessed or blessed is the one who persevere under trial having stood the test that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him now does that mean before we get into the point see does that mean that there are no rich people on earth and are going to heaven no what we are talking about here is the context of those who have taken a hit financially but it's okay they're gonna be okay their hope is in well a better economic future later down the track because those people have put their hope their confidence and their trust in their intelligence in their plan in their moves and investments and money money is quite a lot of the world's posts of security anchor or the strength of the sales but we all know that money comes and goes we all know that if you put your happiness in temporary things your happiness will be temporary you get money and then you get a little bit more and it's still not enough but you know you'd be great to be rich and a believer to know that everything we have is God's most of us though find ourselves right now in Cova 19 as it says believers in a Humboldt circumstance having no arms and legs let me tell you it's humbling still today I'm 37 it still is humbling to wake up every morning and know that you're dependent on someone else for me that's humbling for me today as a speaker to have a 65 percent of the motivational speaking engagements around the world canceled in six weeks it's humbling it's humbling to have conversations internally our ministry a life without limbs is praise God untouched praise God for the people who support us those people who pray for us and we've pivoted in the ministry in such a way that that we've accelerated our vision and and and seeing God's vision do a lot more stuff online in multi languages and actually in the last week about half a million people have heard the gospel of Jesus Christ our ministry is great but but all the living that me and my family have is not from the ministry and so to add it up I went I went to my literary agent and I said so you know I think I have another book to write we'd be talking about it for six months but it's like hey can we not talk about that new book and guess what happened it kind of feels like every industry right now it's just on standstill and it doesn't matter who you are it doesn't matter how strong you are in the Lord I thank God that he puts us as believers in humble situations and circumstances why why why do I say that well first of all the Bible says I think 366 times the one for each day in a leap year as well fear why fear not f.e.a.r false evidence appearing real we walk by not by sight not by feeling we walk by faith FAI th full assurance in the heart knowing that God will never allow his servants or his children to die of starvation we know that God is a provider we know that God's grace is sufficient we know that trials and tribulations will come and we don't have to be surprised are we really really surprised nothing surprises me anymore nothing it's interesting my dad when I was a teenager he said you know Nick in the 1980s when I was told he said even in 1970s when we were talking about in Bible study about how someone would claim to be Jesus on earth he's like how could anyone say that they Jesus on earth and in the 90s we found that there were some people on earth who said they were Jesus and started cults and stuff he said I I never thought that that would be possible and now today we know that revelation says that that there is gonna be a point before Jesus's return that there will be a one world government order that there will be a chip on our wrist and our forehead that you will not be able to buy or sell or trade without that chip we know what Revelation says and we believe is yearn for his coming how exciting it is that we've never seen the world get stopped in the tracks of life in an exciting way from a spiritual point we must hold on to the fact that we shouldn't be surprised I wouldn't be surprised sorry to get political but I wouldn't be surprised if the World Health Organization is one of the biggest organizations that actually is larger than China Russia UN and EU all put together you think every organization is clean and pure with no self motives look at the fear that we have in this world I'm not pointing fingers at what happened and how this all happened but from a Christians point of view isn't it just a little exciting it is for me who would have thought that a virus could put everyone at a standstill no one could imagine it all I'm saying is I'm not saying Jesus come back next week I'm not saying Jesus come back in my lifetime but I know that if he doesn't come back in my lifetime I know whom I believe in and I am persuaded I am persuaded to see things in the Bible that are coming to pass it's exciting to me and if I live up to 60 that's only what 23 years the way I get to see Jesus we're citizens of heaven passing through and the only treasure that we store up there are the beautiful beautiful crowns that we lay at the feet of Jesus and we get to hug the people in heaven that God used through us God use us to tell them about the love of God that when we get there there is no devil there is no Satan demons or power principalities or powers of darkness we're gonna live with God forever and ever and ever and ever and every human being that you know has a soul that there's something missing deep within their soul and it's Jesus and God can use you to let them know now you used to say you're too busy to call them now are you too busy it's interesting all your friends and and family who don't know Jesus they've been worshipping celebrities they've been worshipping this they've been worshipping that and it's all sports is a religion for some so many people put their hope and their own value in things that don't exist they just add a snap of a finger I can't do it but you know what I'm saying Bank dun dun but Jesus remains so church is called closed but man I get to have church we've got every single day I read my Bible and I'm not afraid is it scary yes but we know God is in control could could God allow you to lose your job yes would it be the first person that a Christian loses their job no does God still have a plane yes he causes all things to come together for the good for those who love Him who being called according to his purpose Amen don't doubt that God has a purpose in this too for you he's not the one causing the pain or the fear for what the enemy tried to use for bad God will turn into good if you continue to persevere even though I find myself and we may find ourselves in humbled circumstances we know that we can have confidence strength not a pride pride but pride as the Bible says knowing that I'm a child of God my lord my Savior King of Kings Lord of lords has already defeated the grave has already defeated the enemy and he lives in me and those who persevere in the Bible they see the faithfulness of God look at Joel look at anyone in the Bible they persevered and saw the faithfulness of God personally and my brothers and sisters amen maybe right now the second point I want to bring up is not just that we shouldn't be surprised and that we should not be feared fearful but to stop and listen do you know that my wife and I she's my greatest gift after salvation itself and real quick once a month we ask each other three questions say that three questions we ask three questions honey what is something that I'm doing that you don't want me to do anymore that's number one honey what is something that I am doing that you want me to keep on doing and thirdly honey what is something that I'm not doing that you want me to start doing now she can't turn around to me and say well do the dishes see it's a good thing to have no arms no legs sometimes but what we can understand is this is it's a relationship with God our Heavenly Father has God absolutely just now stopped you in your tracks and actually got rid of every excuse why you are not on your knees for more than five minutes a day 10 minutes a day have you wrote down your prayer yet how many people have you actually prayed for have you actually prayed for your country it's really interesting very interesting to me 2nd 2nd chronicles 7:14 says if my people humble himself and come and pray to me and they ask me for the forgiveness of their sins I will forgive them and I will heal their land it's interesting that I have not seen one nation yet not one not just call a national day of prayer but a national day of repentance that is the bridge come to me and pray to me and humble yourself and ask me for forgiveness of your sins not just pay the coronavirus gets a cure not just pray for this and then pray for the sins of your nation I was on a plane ride one day and I rode a hundred and six different ways in how the human being can suffer I have not written down the sins of America but one of them is 40 million abortions one of them is a hundred thousand churches that exist in America with a four hundred eighty billion dollar debt for buildings that are all empty right now and we have four hundred and fifty thousand children waiting for a foster home and a hundred thousand children waiting to be adopted in America is that a sin I don't know you tell me it's interesting that we haven't in America America wake up here is my warning if you don't wake up now when will you if this is not the time where the Baptist's work with the aog and the aog to walk will work with Foursquare and all these denominations come I really call out the American church right now can we please have all the major churches at one hour tuned in I'm calling out to Franklin Graham I'm calling out to Greg Laurie and I'm calling out to Francis Chan Craig Rachelle um only jakub's I've already talked to Jack about this I want you to know something this is the time this is my fee most fearful thing about coronavirus it's not how many people are gonna die it's only about how many people are gonna lose their job will this wake up America will this bring 10 million people to their knees in one hour in America and ask God for the forgiveness of our sins because if we do not do this you know what happens when you go and witness poverty and then you think to yourself I will never be the same again and you come back and guess what happens when the storms gone two weeks later you got back into comfortability America this is my warning stop and listen if we as a country if we as a body do not come together now and we get on our knees and not just pray for our country repent repent repent and God will heal a man for you stop and listen God what is something that I'm not doing that you want me to do what is something that I'm doing that you want me to stop doing what is something that you want me to do but keep on doing it stop and listen third thing trust and obey for there's no other way than to be happy in Jesus is to trust and obey are you trusting God today what's your excuse for opening up the Word of God with your family at the dining table so many of us yearn to have family time and now we can't wait for coronavirus are you kidding me these are your children this is beautiful for the millennial generation because we've talked about stuff about trials and tribulations that will come and the millennial generation I'm gonna have this win I wanna how I want it now all of a sudden they see what the world could be and what their confidence has been put in but then they look to you you are the first people that they look to how are you dealing with this as Nick had some mental numbness yes has Nick had some panic yes but I know that my hope is built on nothing less than Jesus blood and righteousness I dare not trust the sweetest frame but wholly lean on Jesus name I'm Christ the solid rock I stand all other ground is sinking sand all other ground is sinking sand do you stand on the rock it's time it's time that God would help you see your friends and family who don't know Jesus who are not on the rock do you see them sinking but what am I gonna say who cares open your mouth and God will speak through you call that friend tell him your story tell him your testimony tell them what Jesus did for you tell him that God loves them tell him that all this stuff is sinking sand but Christ the solid rock we can stand on trust and obey how to do you let's pray Lord Jesus we come before you and we pray right now that your Holy Spirit would breathe in the Brethren in all the denominations who knows that Jesus is Lord we pray for a unified body like never before we pray for the church forgive America of our sins we repent in Jesus name of our sins we pray that a unified effort of this time where everyone is quarantined to stop and listen and find out what have we not done as a nation that we must still do we pray for the government we pray for the circumstances but we thank you Lord that as humble as our circumstances are you will carry us when we cannot walk help us to trust and obey help us to know that you're with us Lord for anyone who is scared right now comfort us comfort us with your would some of us can't even get through an hour without a panic attack Lord we know that we can't stop emotion but help us to hold every thought captive and bring it to the Word of God that we may be liberated and free to come back to you depend on you lean on you like never before father bless our families father as abuse in home and pornographic addictions are on the spike because so much is going on in our homes right now we pray for healing in the homes we pray that your hand would stretch out to to those people in need through us as we call as we see how they doing be a listening ear to somebody tell them how you changed our life Lord we pray that you would move us to write down five names of people that we're gonna call this week to see how they're doing share our story give us the courage if not now when we thank your Lord that you would continue to know your word hold onto your word and write your promises on the tablet of our hearts in Jesus name and all God's people said amen everyone watching I just want to tell you that I love you very very much may God bless you this week and at life without limbs please check out the website life without limbs on org we now have four different programs of ministry we just want you to know more information you can text us for more information we've got a prayer and encouragement ministry we have a prison ministry we have a live outreach events ministry and lastly we have a digital ministry there's any way that my ministry our ministry that I founded life without limbs without board without team we want to love on you check it out life without limbs org or simply text us at the number six six eight six six text the word Nick I love you guys so much may God bless you keep strong because we know that greater is He Who is in us than anything and he in the world god bless you hey I'm Steve Abraham the pastor of new life oxnard thank you for watching our youtube channel you can join us live every sunday for a new sermon and live worship also be sure to take a minute to subscribe and turn on your post notifications so you don't miss any of our new videos or live streams and please share with a friend if you would like to partner with us in furthering the gospel please click the link below don't forget to subscribe thanks for watching and God bless you

Channel: New Life Oxnard

Views: 9,713

Rating: 4.920228 out of 5

Keywords: New Life Oxnard, Pastor Steve Abraham, New Life Worship, Oxnard, Steve Abraham, New Life Community Church, Ventura County, LA County, Los Angeles

Id: Mo379DTT8Ps

Length: 29min 43sec (1783 seconds)

Published: Tue Apr 21 2020