Having Faith In Uncertain Times

Having Faith in Uncertain Times

Text: Matthew 8:23-34

GIVE THANKS / OPEN WITH PRAYER

Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the last couple of years, I think we’d all agree that it seems like our world just keeps getting crazier and crazier. Pandemics and lock-downs, riots in major US cities, politicians trying to defund the police, food shortages, high gas prices, rising inflation, men competing in women’s sports, incriminating laptops and diaries and possibly election fraud. And to top it all off, Russia invades the Ukraine. And that’s not counting everything that’s maybe going on in each of your own lives.

To use an analogy – it’s like a storm raging all around us.

A few years ago, my family and I were on our way home… I don’t remember where we had gone (maybe Enid) and we were driving back home, and we ran smack dab into a terrible storm. It was at night, and the rain was coming down so hard you couldn’t see anything. The wind was blowing hard, rocking my pickup back and forth, tree limbs were flying across the road, visibility was non-existent. I initially pulled over and thought, we’ll wait it out. But then I turned on the radio and it said we were basically right on the edge of a tornado. None of us could see it… the wind, rain, and darkness made it impossible to see anything, but you sure could see the tree limbs whistling past our truck. And in that moment, all of my military training kicked in and I said, “We’re getting out of here – in a chaotic, dangerous situation, MOVEMENT IS LIFE.”

And by God’s grace, we made it home, alive and unharmed. And even my truck was ok.

Well we’re in a situation like that in our world today. Instead of rain beating down on us, it’s one attack after another on our values, our beliefs, and our world view. Instead of actual wind whipping us from side to side, it’s winds of false doctrine, and false teaching, and misinformation, and lies trying to blow us about. Instead of trees and limbs falling all around us, it’s the pillars of our society that are being torn down and uprooted. And it may seem like one political party or the other is to blame, but the Bible tells us in Ephesians 6:12 that we “Do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.”

So what are we to do? That’s the real question for you and me today. What should we do? What can we do? How do we navigate our way safely through this storm that’s raging all around us?

Well I’m glad you asked. If you have your Bible’s go ahead and open them up to Matthew 8. I’m going to be reading through verses 23 all the way to the end of the chapter. So, Matthew 8:23-34. Please follow along as I read from God’s Holy Word (READ TEXT).

Now before we unpack this, let’s set the context up. Just prior to this, we read about Jesus cleansing a leper… that’s Matthew 8 verses 1 through 4. Next Jesus heals a centurion’s servant (vss. 5-13). And Jesus doesn’t even need to see the servant or touch him. He just says the word and the servant is healed. Then Jesus heals Peter’s mother-in-law, along with many others who were sick and He cast out demons (that’s verses 14-17). So basically what’s happening here is that we’re being shown a display of Jesus’ power, and His love, and grace, and mercy. Whether it’s curing incurable diseases, or general healing, or casting out demons. This is a display of God’s power, love, grace, and mercy. So what Matthew is doing here is painting a picture for us. That Jesus has all power and authority. Power over sickness and disease, and even time and space don’t diminish His power. He can just say the word and a person can be healed. He’s got power over incurable diseases – things that no doctor can cure… Jesus can cure. He’s got power over nature. No human being can control nature. But Jesus has all authority and might. And he’s got power over demons… even a legion of demons.

And I just want to tell you this morning… He’s still the same.

Our God is the GREAT I AM – He is the same yesterday, today, and forever! He is ALL MIGHTY

He is the Sovereign Lord over all things! And in this picture that Matthew has painted for us, he has shown us that Jesus is sovereign over every circumstance, and sufficient for every circumstance that life can throw our direction. He’s sufficient… He’s enough… He’s all you ever need.