Rising Above the Storm | Touré Roberts

hey family this is pastor Toure Pastor Sarah we want to welcome you to this video we've got a word from God for you it's going to bless you we wanted to pause for a second before you watch this video and we want you to pray as you're watching this video about partnering with us to allow us to continue to meet the needs of people not simply spiritually but also practically it's such an honor to be able to serve people during this time and we as an organization are partnering to make sure that we're taking care of children that we're feeding the elderly that the homeless are getting the care and attention they need and you can be a part of helping us change the world so we invite you to come there'll be instructions on the screen partner with us pray with us we are doubling down on the generosity that our campuses have historically done we love you enjoy this word look for the instructions bless you I just feel like God's desiring to do something real special here in our in our service today in and so I want you to turn in your Bible I'm gonna jump right into this let's go to Hebrews chapter 12 and verse 1 and the first couple of verses in Hebrews chapter 12 I'm excited about what God is doing in our and I'm moving what he's doing in our ministry what he's doing in our midst we've been on this series called strategy in the storm and and we know that in every storm God has a strategy he would not allow a storm without it first fitting into a divine strategy that he has and and as we learned in the first week of the series where we are to pursue our strategy in the midst of God strategy and we talked about that in the first week and the second week in the series called the strategy in the storm we talked about making peace with the storm and we talked about some things that in this season we we have to sometimes embrace our new normal we have to embrace the fact that things are not going to change overnight but that God has made provision for us and so we are to seek the peace of the season and we talked about five things that we should do build plant connect increase and seek to peace as I mentioned and this week I want to talk about rising above the storm and one of the reasons why I felt it important to talk about that was because it's challenging in a season that is difficult when God tells you to build when the reality of it is you may not feel like building you you may even though God has given you the word to build and the word to plant you may still be in survive mode and as I think about this season since the pandemic hit our world we've gone through several feelings and several stages up to now and and first there was shock and disbelief and and then there was some fear and and because of the resolve of who we are as believers and even those who aren't believers just as an optimistic nation we there was a wave of optimism that came in and you started seeing people you know it was however II buddy was saying we're gonna get through this and we're gonna overcome this and and and and there was just this this wave of optimism and it was coming from everywhere and that lasted for about a week and then a reality started to sit in reality started to set in and and we begin to notice lifestyle changes being elongated quarantines and and masks and and and more people began to get infected and the the number of people who were infected and and and those who succumbed to the infection begin to grow and we started seeing the economy begin to dry up and and and jobs and finances started getting a little tricky and it and and and it started getting closer and closer to home and people that we know being affected and and as that transpired the the tunnel that had the light at the end of it begin to get longer and longer there's a passage of scripture that says Hope deferred makes the heart sick and it's one thing to have joy and optimism for a little while it's another thing to to allow that that joy and that optimism to stay intact to stay in place when you're dealing with a legitimate threat and as I was seeking that the face of the Lord about what he would have me to share is he wanted me to deal with this complex situation that I believe many of us are dealing with and that is we have a word from the Lord - to not to stop building and to to still plant and to make connections and to increase like we talked about last week however we're dealing with a threat a credible threat and we're being reminded of that threat every single day and so on the one hand we have God's Word to hang in there to build steel to plant but then on the other hand we have the heaviness of the season and that's what I want to deal with today what what do you do when when you've got a command to build the command - to plant a command - to increase but at the same time you're dealing with a weight that seems to be relentless some of you know what I'm talking about where you go in and out from optimistic expectation and great faith and and great motivation to move forward at five o'clock and then at eight o'clock fear comes in or tries to come in what what do you do when the weight is relentless the heaviness of the storm is relentless and yet there's something in you saying saying build I want to get the practical things out of the way the way really quickly if that's you and their answers in this text that I'm going to read in just a second and we'll get into that but I do want to go practical for a second it's important that you understand that that I am 99 percent 0.9 percent sure that you have never dealt with the pandemic like this before which means that no matter how hopeful and how positive we are if we don't deal with the fact that this is waiting that this is heavy then we'll be walking around and deny or carrying a heaviness on us and not even know it the heaviness in this season is normal but it's not supposed to overwhelm you can I just talk to you practical for a second and so so practically speaking if you find yourself in a place where you're overwhelmed and it is heavy almost too heavy to bear then you need to get some help I think that you need to talk it out find someone that you can talk to whether it's a relative or a friend or a therapist talk to somebody because what I want to do before I get into all the spiritual stuff and I've got a wonderful word for you today but I want to first of all give you permission to be human you're human you've never seen this before you don't have to be all big and bad and tough and all that kind of stuff because it at the end of the day up underneath all of that it's something that probably needs to be addressed it's okay to be afraid it's okay to be concerned all that is normal but if it's overwhelming I want you to talk to somebody I want you to even right now you can get in the comments right now and say pastor that's me I'm overwhelmed and and we've got prayer leaders and pastors that will talk to you I want you to do that you in this season you need to have almost like like your your you're boxing corner and what is a boxing corner a boxing corner is not someone that's just gonna get in it with you and just start you know telling you how terrible it is and now it becomes a pity party that's not what I'm talking about but when a boxer goes to this corner that boxer gets refreshed that boxer gets wisdom and most importantly that boxer gets back in the fight because we need you in the fight because this season wants to build you not kill you there's something that God's gonna pull out of you during this time and and I believe that that if your posture properly you will I want to go to this text really quickly Hebrews chapter 12 here we go it says therefore we also since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses let us lay aside every weight and the sin which so easily ensnares us and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us looking unto Jesus the author and the finisher of our faith who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross despising the shame and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God let's pray father thank you so much for this moment that we get to spend with one another in your word and we thank you for your word we don't live by bread alone but we live by the words that proceed out of your mouth and we bless you no father it's no secret we are all in a storm without a shadow of a doubt not just America but the world is in a storm right now in God we want you today through your word to show us how to rise above it so that we can be everything that you created us to be and so that we can do everything that you've created us to we trust you we love you we're not even asking you to deliver us if that's not what you want to do in this moment we're asking you to rise us up above it so that we might function and be the church and be the light of the world even in the midst of a dark time father I thank you for the spirit of wisdom and revelation and insight knowledge and prophecy and power and I thank you God that you put your words in my mouth and god those words are going to connect with the hears and it's gonna take root and it's gonna bear fruit and change will break and lives will be healed and strength will come and clarity will be our portion in the mighty name of Jesus we pray amen amen amen what what what drew me to this text was I could sense the weight that many people have been feeling and because I've read the scripture and I know the scripture the word weight when I talked about when I was thinking about weight as I'm you know really aiming to minister to you into to lift you up Hebrews 12 came in because it one of the things that it does in the passage as it deals with weight and and so as I sat praying and meditating a me to understand what was going on I felt like many of God's people and many people in general everyone as God's people but many people were living under the weight of this cloud of this storm the the cloud of fear the the cloud of uncertainty the cloud of angst and self-preservation and and I knew that in a season where God is telling us to still build to steel plant I knew that for many it was be difficult to see through this this thick dark cloud in order to see clearly enough and to be motivated and encouraged to move forward and so as I looked at this text and I begin to dig into the text I realize that yes indeed this thorn does have dark and thick and sometimes seemingly impenetrable clouds but there's a different type of cloud in this season that God wants you and I to access and if we access this cloud it's going to elevate us above any storm we're facing and this this divine cloud that I'm talking about is what the Rite of Hebrews describes and Hebrews the twelfth chapter and the first verse it starts by saying watch this it says therefore we also watch this since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses let us lay aside the weight and the sin and I'm gonna get there in a second but but he starts off by saying we are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses what what's going on Pete see what's happening if you go back to Hebrews chapter 11 and I believe my wife touched on this Thursday night is funny we were tracking in the same in the same text in the same perspective that's as the holy ghost and that's Union but if you go back to Hebrews chapter 11 Hebrews chapter 11 is what many people call the Hall of faith or the faith Hall of Fame it is full of characters in the scripture who trusted God believed God went through difficulty difficulty and difficult things and endured a whole lot but at the end of the day the promise was of God was always fulfilled even in the midst of unthinkable circumstances so in Hebrews 12 when he talks about now listen we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses he is basically saying that you can either stay in the cloud that is communicating the testimony of fear the testimony of anxiety the testimony of death and destruction or you can access another another cloud and it's a cloud watch this that is comprised of the testimonies of all those who have gone before you and I those who have trusted God through the storms have believed God through the storms and now are watch this witnesses isn't it interesting that they're called witnesses that means that they have seen something and they have seen something so wonderful that it has become their portion watch this they have become what they experienced and so so there's another level there is a divine atmosphere that you and I can access right now and it is marked by the energy of those who have gone ahead of us who have the testimony of the faithfulness of God and right now even in this moment above the cloud of darkness of fear above the cloud of darkness of anxiety there is another cloud there are people around you cheering you on I can hear them right now saying go for it go ahead don't stop press in all you got to do is not be weary and everything that God promised you he is gonna bring you through this this divine class where the Holy Ghost you gotta understand you got to get up above the storm because there's a truth up above the storm a truth that says with God all things are possible a truth that says that if I am for you who can be against you a truth that says I will bring you through the waters and through the floods and they won't overtake you there is a truth in the atmosphere and we have to break through this storm we have to break through this cloud let's try to push us back and hold us back turn to your neighbor turn to your friend turn to your mama turn to your doggie look at your fish and say there's another level there's another level there's a cloud I feel it there's a cloud over you right now there's a great cloud of witnesses over you right now in enumerable I love it it talks about this not just one or two therefore since we right now since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses see right now you're surrounded it reminds me of Elijah and his servant and Elisha's servant thought that they were in trouble because the enemy seemed to be circling them and seemed to have them encompassed in and and Elijah pray God open my servants eyes and his servants eyes will open and he realized that he wasn't surrounded God and the host of heaven was actually surrounded what he thought was surrounding him and that's what I need you to know right now there is encouragement to access if you can get above your storm if you can get above the dark cloud there's a cloud we're surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses I feel that for somebody you are not by yourself my sheikah there are times when God causes you to trust him in the storm and you feel like man I'm in this thing all by myself no you're not that's a lot there's a great cloud of witnesses you were not the only one there were people before you who trusted God and God came through would never let them down and there's going to be people after you who trust God and take him at his word and we just got to get above the storm we got to rise above it and get to this this divine cloud can I talk about a little bit more we got to get in the cloud we got to get in the cloud we got to get in the cloud we got to get in the cloud when I was studying this I stumbled across an encounter that Jesus had with the cloud and it's in Matthew chapter 17 and you may know it as the story of the amount of transfer duration study when you get a chance but essentially Jesus went up to the mountain to pray and he took Peter and John with him up there and when he got up there all of a sudden light came down and a cloud came down and he saw watch this Moses and Elijah who had gone on to glory long before he was there and the father from heaven begins to speak even Jesus experienced this divine cloud as he was making his way to the cross even Jesus had an experience with the cloud you not by yourself I feel the Holy Spirit you're not by yourself you're not by yourself somebody needs to know this I want to I want to keep moving because we got a lot of ground to cover and so how do I access that cloud I believe one of the ways you access that cloud is by is by reading the word and when you read the word I want you to in particular be looking for God's faithfulness to those who got entered into covenant with see you you are a part of a fraternity for those of you trust God and those of you believe God you're a part of a divine fraternity of men and women over the centuries over the years over the generations that put their trust in God and God never let them down there's a great cloud of witnesses cheering you on but but there's more let's go further we're talking about how to get above the storm I recognize that I have to be in the storm but I don't have to be of the store you gotta catch that you got to learn that that that just because I'm in something doesn't mean that that something has to be in me I'm in it but I'm not of it it's almost like a ship when you think about a ship a ship that goes from port to port place to place region to region is on the seat it has to be on the sea to get to where it is going but if that sea ever gotten to the ship it would be catastrophe and that is an earthly that is an earthly Appl of how we can be in the storm but the storm not be in us and I believe that God wants to elevate you to a place that although you are in it you are not of it you have risen above it you are hanging out with the champions in your mind in your faith and then your expectations you you are with your tribe and and you're in good company you're in excellent company and you're encouraged by the atmosphere of the cloud of witnesses are you tracking with me but there's more there's more there's more it says in the text it says therefore we also since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses I almost just want to stop right there we are surrounded we are surrounded the Hebrews that that that the writer is writing to had a very difficult faith journey because these were essentially former Jews they were Jews and this particular sect of believers were under immense persecution by the religious Jews at the time I mean it was terrible they lost everything they had to to leave their families and they had it was just that they were the most persecuted group of believers during their time and yet God speaks to them and God says you're surrounded I know you look like you're surrounded by your difficulties I know you look like you're surrounded by what you're afraid of but I'm telling you you are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses Abraham come on somebody is in that crowd Esther is in that crowd in that cloud in that crowd cloud a crowded cloud all the greats of the scripture Noah who who was persecuted like Noah no wider what is that flood what in the world is that and so you need to know no matter where you are you're not by yourself I keep saying it because somebody needs to get it you are surrounded right now by a cloud of witnesses and I want you to begin to hear the sound and the testimonies of those who have gone ahead of you I want you to shut up your to fear I want you to shut up your ears - what if I want you to shut up your ears to anxiety I want you to shut up your ears - all those things and begin to listen to the sound and the testimony of the great cloud of witnesses they're telling you God will make a way out of no way they're telling you if God is for you who can be against you they are telling you no weapon formed against you can prosper they are telling you fear not for God is with you be not dismayed for God is your God God will strengthen you God will help you fear not I need you listen out to listen out to listen out for the crowd unless you listen out for the crowd they're in your corner they're cheering you on they saying stand up stand and stay the salvation of God I hear them saying be still and know that God is God I hear the clouds thing you were born for this I hear them say you were made for this it may look like I'm surrounded but I'm surrounded by you by Elohim he's a good guy he's a faithful god I - son somebody needs to know that God's miracle-working power did not start with you God's got a track record he's got a history of blessing people in difficult circumstances all fill the Holy Ghost in scary circumstances in scarce times and in scarcest circumstances he specializes see all those people that are in the faith Hall of Fame or in difficult situations one had a promise that she would have a child when she was past childbearing age but it says because she counted him faithful she watched this received the strength to conceive so much there I said here accepting love so much there it doesn't even said she didn't even consider her body she didn't even consider her circumstances that was not it at all she counted him faithful who promised so I'm not looking at what I have I'm not looking at my situation I'm only looking at one thing and that's God and we're gonna talk more about that and so it says therefore we also since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses it says let us lay aside and the Greek literally let us throw off let us throw off the weight and the sin which so easily ensnares us so one we've got to get in the cloud I'm talking about how to live above the storm we got to get in the cloud and the divine cloud we got to get in the cloud we've got to get into the cloud and then once we get in the cloud we have to throw off the weights we have to the weights and is interesting the language there when talks about we're surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses let us cut this throw off the weights the way that word is set up in the Greek it literally speaks to something being easy let us just lay aside let you talk about awake and and it says and this thin which so easily ensnares you watch this you're talking about hard things being cast away easily you got kisses what that speaks to me is that when you get in the cloud things that were heavy become light I'll feel how it goes when you get in the cloud when you get in that atmosphere when you get in the right dimension and in the right company those things that you were battling with on one level are irrelevant to you on another level somebody needs to catch what I'm trying to tell you there are some things that you are wrestling with right now there are some things that you are struggling with right now and I'm telling you when you learn how to get in the clouds when you learn how to see this thing right will you learn how to rise above your storm there are some things that you've been carrying for a long time they have been heavy they have been weighing you down but God is getting ready to elevate you to a place where you're gonna just shake things up in fact right now right way on shake those things take them off take them off lay it aside I still got your cares upon it waters didn't radish do something in your life I feel it I feel it I feel the Holy Ghost see see see see see God is elevating you God has taken you up he's lifting you up and when he lifts you up rubbish ah there are some things that cannot hang out in the oxygen in the atmosphere of the slab I feel the Holy Ghost you are getting ready to come out of depression right now get ready to come out of sickness right now think about five seconds is that werster square in your where you are where were you where were you where were you lay it aside lay it aside there's some dimensions there are some levels to where heaviness is irrelevant heaviness doesn't exist that's why it says in Isaiah 60:1 that the anointing boom it breaks the yoke it gives watch this the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness give me that heaviness take on some praise that's where you headed it says since you understand since you you understand that there's a clouds I must out about huh and it doesn't mean that the cloud is not there he's telling you what is there because you cannot access what you do not perceive so he's telling you he's telling you what's there come on we got to get to this we got to get through this so so says let us lay aside every weight and the sin which so easily ensnares so we've got to get into the clout we've got to throw off the weights we got to throw off the weights and then three we've got to do something else it says let us lay aside the weight and the sin which so easily ensnares us and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us let us run with indoors so third thing we got to do is we have to run with endurance now if we're honest you didn't come into this message you didn't come into this service feeling like you had the strength to run let's give you 100 you're like if I can just get a little baby crawl in I'll be fine some of you like if I just get about the bed I'll be okay god I don't even that'll run not even a jog I don't even need just a power walk we'll be fine Jesus but what he's doing there when he says run with endurance is he's commanding you to run but he's telling you how to run how to run in other words if you don't feel like you can run he's saying I am going to give you something to run with I wish I said I got it I'm gonna I'm gonna I'm gonna tell you what you need to use in order to run and he says and run with endurance I'm gonna give you this thing called endurance is the thing that is going to give you the ability to run run with endurance run with indoors how am I gonna run with endurance and that's an interesting word in the greek the word endurance is a greek word and it's comprised of two words is the greek word hoopla mony and it's comprised of two words Hoople and Hoopoe is to abide mony is under Hoopoe mony to a by I'm sorry who posed under mone is abide to abide under what that word means so this word that has translated endurance in some places is translated patience as well but that word that is translated endurance literally means to abide under - to abide to abide under and and and where does this endurance come from we're talking about the ability stay with me the ability to abide Wow under so-so under does not wipe me it goes I feel the spirit stoke so so somehow I through something we're gonna get to it develop the ability to Hoopa mone still abide still function still progress still prosper while under something are you tracking with me so run in this crazy season Hebrews who are going through something who are troubled on every side who are persecuted greatly yet through that you have the gift of hufo mone I feel the Holy Spirit you have the gift this endurance is a gift but it is a gift that is developed the ability to be able to still abide while under something you that you don't want to be the type of person that can only function while you're above something you you don't want to be the type of person that can only have joy that can only progress and that can only prosper when all the days are stunning you don't want to be that type of person because that type of person goes into default and becomes unprofitable in times that God allows to develop you but let's go deeper how do we develop this hope emoni because I need some opa mone someone you need some hope of money right now you're under something you're you're under attack your your your fear you're under siege the pandemic is America the world is under something but God wants you to still be able to move forward you need some hooper mony and so how do you get Hoopa mony how is hooper mony developed if you run over real quick to romans chapter 5 i'll tell you since you asked we Romans chapter 5 verse 3 says this it says not only that but we also glory in tribulations knowing watch this that tribulation produces perseverance guess what word that is Hooper mone it's the same word so so it says look at the flow of this it says we glory in tribulations knowing that the tribulation or the trial produces poopa mone it produces perseverance now watch this it says and Hooper mone and perseverance produces character a better translation that where character is experienced if you collect Oh King James it says it creates experience and experience hope okay that's crazy that's crazy so I started with the trial and i ended with hope I started with tribulation I started with a store but I came out of it with hope look at the process tribulation produces patience so watch this the trials that are faced empower me to still function under the pressure of the trials that I will face I feel the Holy Ghost so so so you're going from level to level and God is developing something in you at every point of trial and then it says and that trial that is producing this perseverance that we're gonna need for our race pastor Sarah that we're going to need for our journey creates experience see someone you're gonna come out of the season with experience and when you have experience it allows you to move through greater challenges more swiftly because God wants to bring you to a place where you are not shakable you you're not always shaking Ephesians 4 talks about that you are no longer children tossed to and fro God is getting ready to stabilize you and it says so it tribulation produces the Hupa mone the Hupa mone produces the experience and the experience creates hope why because out of all those experiences I become part of the great cloud of witnesses who can testify that through high water and low water through hell and difficulties through sufferings and sickness to high times and no times God came through for me and that creates hope and so no matter where you start if you walk with God you'll end with hope are you tracking with me and so you got to get in the cloud and when you're getting the cloud you'll be able to throw off the weights easily and and if we keep going in the text it says run with endurance my hope emoni that is being developed in every season that challenges me is what gives me the ability to run I feel that for some of you and God wants you to understand his process and that's gonna produce experience and experience ultimately hope see how do you get to be in the Hall of faith how do you get to be a part of that great cloud it's not by the things that go right in your life it's by the things that are beyond your control that go wrong and yet God makes you right in the midst of a season that's wrong are you tracking with me so we're going to get into cloud we understand but there's something above us there's an atmosphere above above us and we have to access we're gonna throw off the weights because when we get up there the weights too easy we're gonna run with endurance we're gonna embrace the fact that God is developing Hoopa mony and the Hupa mone is my staying power and and I had this thought just along the lines of running with endurance you know this gives a whole new meaning to the term overcomer you know everyone you know that's something you can put on your t-shirt I'm an overcomer alright you get that tatted up on you I'm an overcomer right but you have to understand right there in the identity of an overcomer is the testimony that you're gonna have to overcome stuff to be an overcomer champions aren't champions by theory or by hypothesis champions are champions by conquest an overcomer is not an overcomer because you know if I ever had to overcome something I would overcome it that's not what makes you an overcomer what makes you an overcomer is that you have overcome things are you tracking with me and so so the point that I'm making as we talk about enduring is man who are you gonna be when you look up and you have overcome you've overcame you overcame covet 19c that's how you got to start thinking not is this thing gonna take me out not is this thing gonna wipe me out you don't think like that think about what is gonna be my testimony when this season passes and I'm still standing are you tracking with me let's go further let's go further we're gonna get in the cloud I'm gonna throw off these weights we're gonna run with endurance and fourthly we're gonna stare at Jesus it says therefore we also since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses let us lay aside every weight and the sin which so easily ensnares us and let us run with endurance the race that was set before us looking unto Jesus the author and the finisher of our faith talking about staying in the cloud and it says that after you acknowledge that you're surrounded and you live in the consciousness of those around you and you hear their testimonies in your ear and and you feel their testimonies in your heart encouraging you and inspiring you and that lifts you up you you lay off the weight and then you take your testimony up to this point through the trials that you have faced and you've overcome and you use that as fuel to start running again to start running again and and and add on to that while you're running so that you won't be like Peter and get distracted while you're running stare at Jesus the text says looking unto Jesus that we're looking the literal translation is to consider attentively I'm staring at Jesus it reminds me of Psalm 27 when it talks about the one thing that I desire that will I seek after is that I might dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life to behold the beauty of the Lord and to an O higher in his temple the one thing that I desire is to see God is to learn of God is to inquire in the habitat of God right I just that's all I want I just want to stare at God and then it also reminded me of this passage of Scripture in Revelation chapter 4 and 10 I'm talking about staring at Jesus learning how to stare at Jesus that's how you stay lofty but that passes in Revelation it speaks to this this worship service has taken place in heaven all the time and their elders around the throne that that don't rest night nor day but their nonstop consistently beholding the Lamb beholding Jesus and it says periodically they fall down on their face prostrate and worship God and this happens repetitively they're worshiping and then they fall down they get back up and they worship and they fall down and they get back up and they worship and they fall down and one of the things that the Lord spoke to me is that the reason why they fall down flat again is because they saw another dimension of the beauty and the power the majesty and the excellence of Jesus that wipe them out make them completely undone all over again as if they had seen Jesus for the first time stare at Jesus stare at Jesus when you stare at Jesus what do you see I'll tell you what I see I see pure love like I've never experienced before pure love love that is so pure and so powerful that I have absolutely no fear and not only am I completely devoid of fear but I also don't have anything against anyone else this love is so rich and thick and that's such an atmosphere that it is impossible for me to behold this love and to experience this love and not have love for other people what do you see when you see Jesus I also see unparalleled might and unparalleled power when I'm staring at Jesus right I see the Almighty God yet yet this power is restrained it's it's it's measured Jesus has all this might and this power yet he's distant and he's measured and he's merciful what do you see when you see Jesus the rider's inviting you to look at Jesus not as just a figure of speech but he's saying that if you see Jesus right if you see you're right everything about your life will change Jesus when I see Jesus I see I see infinite Authority I see infinite Authority is the author and the finisher of my faith no wonder I'm in the clouds no wonder I'm above the storm because I'm looking at the storm stealer oh god I feel it hmm I got one more but I almost feel like I need to stop right here nice stuff right here and maybe we can continue maybe I'll do the rest and an Instagram live in fact I think that's what I'm gonna do I'm gonna give you the other in an Instagram live throughout the week it'll come to you but I think that I got caught up and talking to you about Jesus it is impossible for you to look at Jesus and be consumed with the storm so I'm thinking about Peter and you know the story my wife preached on it recently the Peter literally was able to walk on water as long as he looked at Jesus when he looked at Jesus Jesus elevated him above the storm the water was stormy when he looked at Jesus he was able to rise above his circumstances and do the impossible watch this in a time that should have been a crisis and it only became a crisis to him when he took his eyes off Jesus and begin to come down he'd be able to come down and Jesus still in His mercy and his love these remember measured and merciful he still lifts him up I think this whole idea about rising above the crowd rising above the storm rather and getting in the cloud could be summarized perhaps all those things can be summarized in one action all those benefits and that is staring at Jesus staring at him he wants to make himself known to you he's absolutely beautiful and I want to pray for you right here right now I want to pray for you I've got a whole nother point with points on the point but but I feel like you get the point and I want to pray for you I'm telling you Jesus is the storm stiller as I mentioned last week he doesn't have to still be storm all he has to do in order for you to move forward is to steal your storm and the people watching me right now and you've never opened up your heart to the Lord to Jesus he is everything that I have described and then some but here's the thing he won't just be that to me he'll be that to you too maybe you've had an encounter with Jesus or maybe you've heard some things about Jesus but what I'm describing is a personality that you have never experienced before I'm describing the real Jesus one who loves you the one who's got you and the one who wants to walk with you and to have you walk with Him so I want to pray for you the Holy Spirit is touching you or maybe maybe you know the Lord but you guys just got a strange and you got so far apart from one another well I can't say from one another because even when we're far away he's always near he's just a turn away but maybe you believe that you've gotten so far away from the Lord that you're at the point of no return or or you'd have to jump through all these hoops and that's not it at all this message is Jesus drawing near to you and you have an opportunity to receive the closeness that he wants to bring Jesus is measured and merciful he's patient he's kind he loves you he gets you and he gets the real version of you so if that's you when you say pastor I want to open up my heart to Jesus or maybe it's I want to rededicate my life to Jesus I want to I want to let him back in again I want to return him my first works I feel that for someone somebody when you were younger you had shout like faith and in some way somehow your connection with God got broken and Jesus is saying come home come home come up here come home you you were born to live in the clouds you were born to fly high with me and you know it somebody knows exactly what I'm talking about I just want you right there in the commets our prayer team is there our pastors in the comments right now right there in the comments say I'm coming home just but I'm coming home just just type that in right now I'm coming home and will connect with you will agree with you this is a homecoming this is a homecoming God would send a storm just for you he would send a whole thing just for one person to awaken you to snap you out of your rhythm and bring you into God's rhythm so I want you to come home I want to pray for you don't want to pray for you and for everybody else let's rise above it let's remember who we are let's remember what we are surrounded by let's get up there let's get up above the storm let's not meditate on the negative let's not meditate on the what-ifs and how am I going to make it let's look at Jesus let's stare at him afresh I want to pray for you father I thank you so much for those who are connected with those you allowed me to speak to this morning for those you spoke to through me the father I pray that you would bless them and touch them I pray God that something broke something broke today something broke off of their lives hallelujah as you eliminate them as you reminded them of who they are and who's with them and who's on their side the things you started breaking off with and they didn't even know that they were heavy they didn't even know that they had this weight until you came in and you gave them the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness thank you so much for what you're doing god I pray for those we're giving their hearts to you today either for the first time or they're rededicate in their lives to you fill this God and the midst of the storm they found you and the midst of the storm they got reconnected to you I thank you for the incredible journey of blessing of protection of power and of progress that's coming to them and coming to their family we love you we thank you thank you for what you've done thank you for what you've done in this word thank you for what you've done in this time and we will never be the same again thank you for victory and I pray this and the mighty and matchless name of Jesus family I love you so much I'm on your side I got your back my wife and I are praying for you our entire staff is praying for you we are with you we're gonna keep word and experiences coming I'm gonna do something on social media to give you that fifth point I believe and I just want you to just walk in this don't just let it be a word that's a oh I'm so good no walk in it there's some truth in it there's there's strategy for living there's strategy for the storm and these words take the notes beat them until we meet again I love you [Music] you

Channel: ONE | A Potter's House Church

Views: 26,265

Rating: 4.8812785 out of 5

Keywords: LA Churches, TPH, The Potters House, TPH LA, The Potters House LA, One LA, Toure Roberts, Sarah Jakes Roberts, tphla

Id: 4J8kNlCrb2E

Length: 55min 6sec (3306 seconds)

Published: Sun Apr 05 2020