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“FORGET 9-1-1, DIAL 3-3-3!”
TEXT: Jeremiah 33:3
INTRO.:
A. I have had to dial 9-1-1 often for help with my wife and myself! But, more often I have had to dial God’s emergency number: 3-3-3, i.e., Jeremiah 33:3. 💙When I don’t know what to do, I ask for God’s help. 💙You don’t even have to wait for an emergency to dial this number! 💙You can call Him at any time. 💙When you are in trouble or you are facing some storm or battle, don’t hesitate to DIAL 3-3-3!
B. How many have had to dial 9-1-1? Not everyone for sure. 💨But if you are a productive child of God, there will be times when you will need to DIAL 3-3-3! 💨I can’t think of a single saint, used of God, in the Bible (or apart from the Bible) who didn’t have hard times, serious problems, dire emergencies & giant storms to deal with. 💨From Job to Daniel, Peter to Paul, Savonarola to Spurgeon, to the giants of the faith of today, the one thing they have in common is adversity, pain & troubles…
ILLUS.: This should be an encouragement to us in our days of trial. 🔶In the past several weeks I have thought of C. H. Spurgeon & the later years of his ministry, 🔸where because of the cold & damp winters in London, he had to move to Mentone, France to survive w/a minimum of pain. 🔸There, he would usually be able to prepare messages & send them to London, 🔸where a preacher would read them to the standing room only crowds. 🔸His very words gave praise to the Lord & glory to Him, in spite of his sufferings.
TRANS.: Tonight I will try to give some principles which helped these saints of yester-year which are available to the saints here…
I. REASSURE YOURSELF WITH GOD’S PROMISES:
A. Fortify Yourself With God’s Promises:
1. Know where they are located in your Bible. 2.Underline them as you read devotionally, so you can later refer to them. 3. Purchase a book which lists & categorizes promises. (here - here - here) 4. Claim the promises.
Is.43:2 When (it doesn’t say “if”!) thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee. (Note that we will get through the trial…it will pass!)
ILLUS.: 🔹Sometimes it is difficult to see the Lord in the trial. 🔹Job was the best saint of his day (God said so!), 🔹but when the trials came He cried out: “Oh, that I knew where I might find Him! That I might come even to His seat!”Job 23:3 Cf.4-9 🔹It wasn’t so important that Job see God, 🔹but that God knew where Job was & could see him & his trials. 🔹His concluding statement in v.10 is important! “But He knoweth the way that I take: when He hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold.” 🔹And speaking of His promises, look at v.12!
Ps.91:1 He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
A. Develop a Consistent Prayer Life:
1. Some saints use God as their “Santa Claus” & only come to him with a list of wants. 2. Paul’s passion was to “know Him” in such an intimate manner that when the storms would come, he could just get alone w/the Lord in that secret place.
ILLUS.: In the worst storm recorded in the Bible (other than Noah’s flood), 🙂Paul just got alone w/God when everyone else was wringing their hands twiddling their rosary beads. 🙂Paul had peace while everyone else was having cardiac arrest! Acts 27:20-22The time to get to know God is before the storms come! When they come you will know where to find Him!
III. RECKON ON GOD’S PRESENCE: Acts 27:23
A. Learn Child-like Trust:
1. He has promised never to “leave us nor forsake us.” Heb.13:5
ILLUS.: 1️⃣That means He won’t leave us when cancer comes, or financial hardship comes, or pain comes, or sickness comes or even if death comes (“Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for Thou art with me.”). Because of my flesh, 2️⃣I may not be able to see Him clearly or at all, but I need to claim His promise & realize His presence!
2. When you feel most alone, you need to count on His unfailing presence. 3. When Joseph was in that prison for 17+ years, he might not have been able to see God, but God could see him & was watching over him. 4. When Daniel was in the lion’s den, I’m not sure he could see God, but God was there shutting the lion’s mouths.
Dan.6:22 My God hath sent his angel, and hath shut the lions mouth, that they have not hurt me: forasmuch as before him innocency was found in me; and also before thee, O king, have I done no hurt.
5. When Shadrach, Meshach & Abednego were in the fiery furnace, they might not have been able to see God’s presence thru the flames & smoke, but He was there walking in the fire & they felt His presence & protection & interestingly, the King & his cohorts saw a forth figure “like unto the Son of God.”
IV. RELY UPON GOD’S POWER: Acts 27:23-26
A. Learn to Claim the Victory in His Strength:
1. Paul’s statement reveals the difference between victory & defeat. 2. It is hard to keep a person down who has an all powerful God at His side. 3. Jesus told His disciples that He had meat to eat that they were unaware of (He relied upon God’s power in every circumstance). 4. Shadrach, Meshach & Abednego knew of & counted upon God’s power & their statement is a classic.
Dan.3:16-18 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter. 17 If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king 18 But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.
5. There are promises of His power being readily available for us as well.
Phil.4:13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. Phil.4:19 But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus. Jude 1:25 25 To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.
TRANS.: If you are really going thru a difficult storm & His promises seem vague, the heavens seem as brass, you can’t feel His presence & His power seems unavailable to help you out of the storm, then just…
V. RECOUNT GOD’S PAST PHILANTHROPY: Acts 27:33-36
NOTE: Philanthropy means generosity, charity, benevolence; one who gives extravagantly! God has been good to all of us.
A. Cultivate A Thankful Spirit:
1. Paul reminds everyone (276 people) of God’s goodness in getting them thru the storm. 2. He also announced that no one would lose their life nor even a hair off their heads. 3. Paul thanked the Lord for the food they were about to eat & for His protection from the storm (it may be at this point that they became believers! v.36) (*Be assured this was no piddling prayer, like “Thank You for the food. Amen.”)
ILLUS.: ✨If God quit blessing us today (which He won’t), we have enough of our past for which to praise Him. ✨When you begin to doubt His goodness or blessings, recount His past philanthropy, goodness, blessings & generosity! ✨I marvel at why God has used me & continues to use me. Why he let’s me pastor such a great people & church. ✨My family is healthy & serving the Lord. ✨I have a nice Levittown home, a new car to drive, more food to eat than I need, ✨answered prayers, blessings on my teaching & preaching ministry, etc.,etc.,etc. 👉If you think you don’t have much to praise the Lord for, take a trip with me down to Children’s Hosp., or the U. of Penn., or visit our shut-ins, those in nursing homes (like Bro. Jones & Delgado do regularly!), & you’ll leave shouting... 🙏“Thank God I can walk, breathe fresh air, enjoy the sunlight, drive a car, come & go as I please, have a job, my kids love God, I’m not in prison….!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
CONCL.: You might still be asking, but “why?”the storms?
💥There are two simple possibilities given in the remainder of the text:
1) Maybe we need to get rid of excess baggage (v.38) ! 2) Maybe we need a greater awareness of lost souls (v.37).
Just food for thought.
In any event, when your next storm or emergency arises “FORGET 9-1-1, DIAL 3-3-3!” “Call unto me & I will answer thee, and shew thee great & mighty things, which thou knowest not.”