Where AM I?Finding Peace in the midst of a Storm

Amazing Grace, How sweet the sound, that saved a wrecth like me, I once was lost but know I am found, blind but know I see. I once was lost but now I am found.

Where are you? Are you lost or found? Where are you on this day? For a brief moment I want you meditate on the question, Where Am I?

So often during times of trails and tribulation we ask, where is God, when the more practical question is where am I.

Relational Proximity is your closeness or degree of connection to God

Understanding where you are helps you understand how you got into your situation. Understanding where you are helps you determine what is needed to get out of your unpleasant circumstance. These are important, but not what I mean when I say instead of asking Where is God, we should be asking where I am. Where am I is not determining your physical location but rather your relational proximity. Your closeness or degree of connection. Where are you, where are you in relation, what is your closeness or degree of connection to God.

Where am I

Question for Relational Proximity

Am I frequently in interaction with God?

What is my degree of trust for God?

Am I in favor with God and man?

Are my beliefs, values and worldview Christocentric?

Where am I.

Where Am I in my relationship with God or how us good Methodist say it. Where am I on the way to salvation.

Am I Growing in grace.

Where you are matters. Your relational proximity to God determines what you experience during trials and tribulations. You heard me correctly, what you experience during trials and tribulations. I didn't say your relational proximity to God will stop you from facing trails and tribulation. Because failure to human aspirations, you are going to face them in this life and your relationship, belief, your works of faith are not going to prevent unwanted and painful circumstances from occuring.

You can't control your circumstance, but you can affect your experience.

And the biggest determiner of your experience is where you are.

What is your relational proximity to God.

Where Am I?

Ami in love with Jesus Christ or Am I in love with the world.

In our sermonic scripture text for today from John chapter 14. Jesus gives his closer followers probably the worst news they could image. News that would place their life in danger and leave them in a compromised position, openly exposed to the trials and tribulations of life and at the mercy of Jesus's adversaries. The disciples had left all to follow to Jesus, they had left their careers, their family and then been identified with the usurper Jesus Christ. During these short three years of ministry, Jesus had made some enemies. Enemies that would not be satisfied with just stopping the leader, they would also go after those who were part of his click, his intrigue.

Jesus tells his followers I am about to leave you. I will no longer phyiscally be with to provide you with safety, security and the other necessities of life. And to their negative emotions of abandonment, fear and worry, Jesus says, Peace I leave with you. Not the peace the world gives, not the peace of escapism, of avoiding trouble, of refusing to face things, of unreality caused by positive thinking and denial of problems. My peace I give to you. A peace that makes you calm in the face of bad circumstances and situations, a peace that arises from the sure knowledge that one’s life is in the hands of God, that all things will work out for good to those who love God and are called according to His purpose. My peace I give to you, a peace that settles the mind, strengthens the will, and establishes the heart. A peace that signifies that a person is bound, woven and joined together with Jesus Christ, with God and others.

Jesus tells his close followers, his disciples, Peace I leave with you. My peace I give you. A state of tranquility that will provide you with what you need as you navigate potential challenges and hardships. Jesus assures them that the gift of peace is theirs due to their relational proximity. He lets them know that they are bound together. I am in the Father, you are in me and I am in you.

Instead of asking where is God, Ask Where Am I? What is my relational proximity to Jesus Christ?

Church this Peace from God is available to you. The opportunity to go through trails, tribulations, challenges and hardship with calmness, assurance, provision, and protection is available to you. Jesus immediate audience was his disciples, but the promises of God transcend time and people, God’s promises are not limited to a particular space or person. That is why, in verse 23 Jesus says Anyone who loves me. Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. Anyone who loves me, my Father will love them. Anyone who loves me, we (My Father and myself) will come to them and make our home with them. Anyone who loves me will experience my Father's presence and my presence by way of the Paraclete, the Holy Spirit, the Advocate, the spirit sent by God in the name of Jesus Christ. Anyone who loves me will have my Peace.

Where am I? Am I in love with Jesus Christ? That is question?

Because your oneness with God by way of the Holy Spirit, your relational proximity, you having peace in the midst of the storm is based not on the location of God, he is omnipresent, in all places at all times, but rather your love for Jesus Christ.

The Peace from God is available to you, the Holy Spirit is given to anyone, if you love him. Do you love him?

In the previous sermon, I ended it by encouraging you to pray anyway. In spite of your circumstance pray anyway because God is omnipresent, listening and working things out. I was encouraging you to believe. This time my purpose is different. As the text demonstrates, believing is insufficent, you need a relationship with him. You need to love Jesus Christ. A love that occurs by following his commands. So, church Pray anyway and Pray without ceasing.

Pray without ceasing.

Prayer is more than a means through which we petition God, the way we ask God for what we want. Prayer is an activity of deep and vulnerable interaction with God. Prayer is a Christian practice done not to change God but change us. To align our desires, our affections, our will with God. It is through prayer where our affections and trust are changed from loving the world to loving Jesus Christ. And the more you pray the more you will love Jesus Christ.

Trials and tribulations, challenges and hardship are circumstances to which none of us are immune. Bad things do happen to good people. You can't prevent them, but with the peace from God you can thrive in the midst of the storm of life. The peace from God is available to you if you love him. Pray anyway and pray without ceasing. For through pray we become lovers of Jesus Christ.