A beautiful and powerful message, most appropriate and relevant at controlling compelling or confrontational situations, conditions, age and time, was preached by Elder Peter Graham of the Apostolic Church of Rarotonga on Sunday 10/03/24.

I recently spent a couple of weeks in Wellington for a series of meetings where the focus of one of those meetings was a climate awareness – getting a better understanding of impacts of climate change on fisheries.

We confuse climate with weather. They are not the same thing. Climate is in fact defined as “a significant and lasting change in the statistical distribution of weather patterns over periods ranging from decades to thousands of years”.

Climate is in fact what sets weather into motion. Climate controls weather.

My text is found in Matthew 9:23-25: “And when Jesus came into the ruler's house, and saw the minstrels and the people making a noise. He said unto them, “Give place: for the maid is not dead, but sleeps”. And they laughed him to scorn. But when the people were put forth, he went in, and took her by the hand, and the maid arose.”

My theme is    “Control the Climate”.

Climate dictates what the weather will be like. Climate can be a great destabilising force.

Some of you are fighting storms, trouble, difficulties and you only seem to get temporary relief or respite. Then those same challenges show up on the horizon again! We expend all of our energy on fighting weather when if we would spend the same efforts on controlling the climate, the storms, patterns, cycles would change! We have a tendency to react to the patterns and never do anything to address the climate that is causing those patterns. Some of you have been fighting the same fight new versions for 10 years, 20 years, 30 years and you rail against the weather but never deal with the root which is the climate that produces the weather.

Referring back to my chosen text, Jesus was abrupt … “Clear out! This girl isn’t dead. She’s sleeping.” Those that were there told him he didn’t know what he was talking about.

Jesus didn't mess around. He was abrupt. He instantly, intentionally and yes even forcibly took control of the climate. We would have dealt first with the weather ... the storm ... the death. But Jesus goes straight for and first for climate.

Jesus dramatically shows us that in order for there to be climate change there must first be climate control!

He controlled climate rather than allowing climate to control him.

Jesus cleared the house! He didn't wait for it to clear. He didn't wait for people to wander out that needed to be kicked out!

Jesus recognised instantly that before there could be any change and before the climate would be conducive for a miracle He had to deal with the doubters, the haters, the unbelievers.

Healing can't enter until haters exit.

Some of you are asking for climate change but you are unwilling to control the climate so the climate dictates no change.

There are things in your life that are dead and seem to be past recovery that if you would take control of the climate would come back to life.

Many of you are dealing with patterns that will continue until you take control of the climate!

Debt - but won't deal with the climate of overspending, lack of tithing, trying to change the weather to blessing but won't address climate of disobedience and rebellion.

Broken relationships - but won't address the climate of physical intimacy before marriage, won't address your own climate of brokenness, anger, sharp tongue, selfishness, etc.

Job - won't address climate of laziness.

Purity - won't manage what you listen to or watch.

Constant turmoil - won't deal with your double-mindedness.

Loneliness - but won't deal with climate of standoffishness, suspicion, etc.

Jesus was decisive about this. He knew if there was going to be change, He had to first deal with the climate.

The climate was disorderly and He is a God that operates in order.

The climate was chaos and He is a God that doesn’t operate in confusion.

He knew that He could not call something sleep if everyone else in the room was calling it death! So He steps in and controls the climate.

There are people trying to convince you something is dead when it is only asleep. They are saying your dream is dead but it is only asleep.

There are people that are filling the room of your life with mourning, chaos, and death and until you are willing to dismiss them you will never usher in the miraculous.

If you are ever going to have a climate change you must follow Jesus’ example and put them out.  Take the steps necessary to get them out of your life.

Forcibly, decisively, abruptly, completely cut them off. Give them no access.

If you don’t, the patterns will repeat. They will cheer you right back into confusion. They will tempt you right back into falling.

Sometimes God would rather you deal with the pain of their absence instead of the consequences of their presence.  Value your joy more than their company.

Some of you are allowing people to hang around that need to be dismissed. You are comforting what you should be confronting and in doing so you leave no room for Jesus and therefore you are forfeiting climate change.

If you don’t like the weather you are enduring right now you had better be willing to address the climate even if that requires cutting.

Jesus teaches his disciples that there are times when you need to leave and take your peace with you. Some of you have no peace because you won’t dismiss people who not only demand your attention but they steal your peace.

So there is no climate for change.

If you are here and would say “there is a climate issue in my life that I need to change and get Jesus’ help controlling”.

Then Control your climate.

Amene alleluia.