Believers and Crisis Management (Part 1)

Topic: Believers and Crisis Management (Part 1)

Text: Genesis 2:2-7

Minister: Pastor Chuks Nduka

Event: 2^nd Service

Date: Sunday January 4, 2015

CRISIS DEFINED

· A time of intense difficulty or danger

· Events that is, or is expected to lead to an unstable and dangerous situation affecting an individual, group, community, or whole society. (Wikipedia)

·  A time of great disagreement, confusion or suffering (Cambridge Dictionary)

· Events that wipes out our ability to make sense out of what is happening.

We saw in Genesis 2:2-7 that the world was in crisis before the creation of man. Verse 5 of the same chapter makes us understand that the shrub had not sprung up because of two crisis cases ; firstly because there was no rain while the second reason is because there was no man to work the ground.

The first crisis case which is lack of rain is the one that God only can handle while the second case is the one within the ability of man to handle.

God's original plan did not include outright eradication of crisis, which is the reason why He created man as crisis manager. It would not take God anything to fix crisis without man because He is God and nothing is hard for Him to do.

The question that yearns for an answer is why do God allow crisis? Why among other creatures of His, He chose man, not spirits or angels?

The answer is simple, God is a crisis manager who made man in His image and likeness and also gave man the ability to manage crisis like Him. Secondly, God's principle of reward is tied to work. So no victory without battle. Lastly, God is a spirit, he made the spiritual law which makes the intervention of spirits into physical matters illegal and as a just God, cannot violate the law He made.

We are expected to view crisis differently. Crisis should be seen as a time to fight a war which will lead to victory. It should be viewed as a divine test that will lead to divine promotion.

WHAT CRISIS DOES TO BELIEVERS

1. It defines your identity. It is true that who you really are comes alive in time of and after the time of crisis.

2. It defines your destination. In Acts 9:1-39, Saul, a Jewish lawyer and persecutor of Christians ended up an evangelist of Christ.

3.      It raises your hope

4.      It disciplines you. In time of crisis, prayer becomes inevitable.

5.      It will preserve you. Crisis has never killed anybody, rather, it keeps you and makes you a better person after. E.g. see Jobs trial in Job 1:12.
6.      Crisis defines your real course with God. Job 28:7-8. There is a hidden path of God for every believer which is only revealed through crisis. There is a precious path to tread which is hidden but God reveals it through crisis. Crisis leads you to God's original plan for you. This occurs through prayer offered to God in time of crisis.

WHAT TO DO IN TIME OF CRISIS (PRAYERS)

1.      Ask God why

2.      Ask Him how you should go about it so you can learn from it.

3.      Wait on God to hear from Him in place of prayer, thanksgiving, praise and worship, service and word.

In conclusion, God want to use crisis to make you, be alone with Him.