Message: “Do not be Stressed” from Min Jean

Stop Stressing, God Is in Control! John 6:5 John 6:5 New International Version 5 When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?” John 6:6 New International Version 6 He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do. He turned to his disciple and gave him a challenge. He still gives his disciple challenges. He still lets us go through things without giving us a reason, without explaining, and without telling us how to get through the challenge. Then Jesus asked, "What do we have to give them to eat?" One of His disciples stood up and said, "We have bread worth two hundred days of wages. But even that is not enough. It can only give a small piece to each person." There were about five thousand men there, not counting the women and children. There were easily fifty thousand people. There was no convenience store, no grocery store, nothing—just the middle of the desert. And He let them go through the challenge to prove them and to test them. For He Himself already knew what He was going to do. The Bible says He knows everything. He controls everything. By Him, all things are held together. John 1:10 New International Version 10 He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. This God, who could not die, found a way to die and faced death itself. This God, who could not be tempted, found a way to be tempted—yet He never sinned. This God, who has no flesh, no blood, and no bones—because God is Spirit—found a way to come down to earth. He took on human flesh and showed God to a lost and hungry world that needed Him. 1 Timothy 3:16 New International Version 16 Beyond all question, the mystery from which true godliness springs is great: He appeared in the flesh, was vindicated by the Spirit,[a] was seen by angels, was preached among the nations, was believed on in the world, was taken up in glory. As a man, He was here to show us the Father. He said, "Whoever has seen Me has seen the Father who lives in Me." Among the five thousand men and women—truly about fifty thousand people in total—and in the middle of the challenge, before they even entered into it, before they even felt the need, He already knew what He would do. And I am searching today on the topic: He always knows what He is doing. God never gets nervous. God never wrings His hands. God is never caught by surprise. When anything happens—any situation, any need— He already knows what He is going to do about it, what He is going to do with it, what He is going to do through it, and what He is going to do after it. He always knows. Watch this: Matthew 12:25 New International Version 25 Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand. Then in Luke 6:8 he says Luke 6:8 New International Version 8 But Jesus knew what they were thinking and said to the man with the shriveled hand, “Get up and stand in front of everyone.” So he got up and stood there. He knew their thoughts. He said, "You are worried about Me healing someone on the Sabbath." He knew the sins of the people against you. God is not unaware of it. He knows our thoughts. He knows what we are thinking. He knows everything. Then in the book of John, he talks about... John 2:24-25 New International Version 24 But Jesus would not entrust himself to them, for he knew all people. 25 He did not need any testimony about mankind, for he knew what was in each person. What a powerful verse, The Pool of Bethesda. The Scripture says Jesus knew that the man had been there a long time—thirty-eight years. He knew it. And so... John 5:6 New International Version 6 When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, he asked him, “Do you want to get well?” He knows who you are. He knows where you are. He is thinking about you. There is nothing you are facing today—whether it is a money problem, a family issue, or a health struggle—that He does not know about. He knows who you are. He knows what you are going through. He knows where you are. He knows how long you have been going through it. And then in john 6:61 John 6:61 New International Version 61 Aware that his disciples were grumbling about this, Jesus said to them, “Does this offend you? Turn to someone and say, "Ohhh." That means He knows when you are complaining. He knows when you are murmuring. And then, in the same chapter... John6:64 John 6:64 New International Version 64 Yet there are some of you who do not believe.” For Jesus had known from the beginning which of them did not believe and who would betray him. In john 13:1 Jesus Washes His Disciples’ Feet 13 It was just before the Passover Festival. Jesus knew that the hour had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. And then in john 16:19 John 16:19 New International Version 19 Jesus saw that they wanted to ask him about this, so he said to them, “Are you asking one another what I meant when I said, ‘In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me’? He knew. He always knows you. There is something you never want to hear Jesus say. You never want Jesus to say... Matthew 25:12 New International Version 12 “But he replied, ‘Truly I tell you, I don’t know you.’ Let's stop for a minute. He is actually going to say that to people at the judgment: "I do not know you." That is in Luke 13:27. Luke 13:27 New International Version 27 “But he will reply, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from. Away from me, all you evildoers!’ And in john 5:42 John 5:42 New International Version 42 but I know you. I know that you do not have the love of God in your hearts. I cannot fool Him by being religious. I cannot fool Him by just playing church. He knows if I have the love of God in my heart. He knows when He looks at us if we truly love Him, if we love to worship Him, if we spend time with Him, if we talk with Him. You say, "Pastor, I made a mistake." That is all right. He can deal with that. But He looks deep inside and sees if you still love Him. That is what He asked the apostle Peter in John 21:15 after Peter failed. John 21:15 New International Version Jesus Reinstates Peter 15 When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?” “Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.” He asked, "Do you love Me?" He asked again, "Do you love Me?" And a third time, "Do you love Me?" Finally, Simon Peter said, "Lord, You know everything. You know that I love You." And then Jesus gave him his next instruction. John10:14 John 10:14 New International Version 14 “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me— And then in john 10:27 John 10:27 New International Version 27 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. And then in john 13:18 Jesus Predicts His Betrayal 18 “I am not referring to all of you; I know those I have chosen. But this is to fulfill this passage of Scripture: ‘He who shared my bread has turned[a] against me.’[b] In john 14:7 John 14:7 New International Version 7 If you really know me, you will know[a] my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.” In Mark 13:31 Mark 13:31 New International Version 31 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away. Then in Mark 13:32 Mark 13:32 New International Version The Day and Hour Unknown 32 “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. There is something that Jesus Himself does not know, but the Father knows it. When He tells me He is coming back for His bride, He knows us. He knows our heart. He knows if we love Him or not. He knows if, after a failure, we repented or not. He knows if we turn away. He knows if He can trust us with an even greater assignment after we fail, because He looks deep into the heart. How many times do we just say, "I don't know what to do"? How many times do we wring our hands? How many times do we worry ourselves sick, trying to figure out the problem? But I can tell you this: God never wrings His hands. He is never worried. He knows. He knew what He would do. I know this is a simple sermon, but I want to get this settled in your heart today: whatever you are facing, whatever you are going through, I want you to know that God never gets nervous. He is in control. Acts 15:18 New International Version 18 things known from long ago.[a] He always knows. Nothing catches Him by surprise. Before the world began, He already knew He would be the Lamb of God. Even before the foundation of the world, He knew what He would do. When you read the story of Rebekah, she had two sons—twins named Esau and Jacob. Jacob would become the father of the twelve tribes of Israel. But Esau fell in love with Canaanite women, who worshiped other gods. Their mother said, "If my second son also marries a Canaanite woman like Esau did, I would rather be dead." Genesis 27&28 That woman he married has been driving me crazy. I just cannot handle it. But watch God. Joseph got a dream from God. His brothers became jealous. They took his coat of many colors, grabbed his clothes, and threw him into a pit. Then they sold him to the Ishmaelites. But God knew what He was doing. Even when Joseph faced injustice—thrown into a pit, thrown into prison for thirteen years for a crime he did not commit—God knew. God knew what He would do with every injustice and every attack. I guess what I am trying to share this morning is this: When they threw him into the pit, God knew what He was doing. When they made false accusations and threw him into prison, God knew what He was doing. When he was forgotten in the prison, God knew what He was doing. When he lived in the land of Goshen, God knew what He was doing. Everything that comes against you shall not prevail. The gates of hell shall not prevail against the church—and you are the church. Even the things you do not understand. You need to get happy again. I serve a good God. He is up to something. I do not know what He is doing, but He knows exactly what He is doing. I close with this: Maybe you have going through hard time, but whatever Jeremiah 29:11 Jeremiah 29:11 New International Version 11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

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