Peace To The Disturbed

SERMON OUTLINE:

1): Jesus calms troubled waters (chapter 8 verses 23-27).

2): Jesus calms troubled spirits (chapter 8 verses 28-34).

3): Jesus calms a troubled body (chapter 9 verses 1-8)

4): Jesu calls a troubled man (chapter 9 verses 9-13)

5): Jesus answers troubled minds (chapter 9 verses 14-17)

SERMON BODY:

Ill:

Someone has said,

"The world is so full of problems,

that if Moses were to come down from Mt. Sinai today,

The two tablets he would carry would be aspirin!"

• TRANSITION:

• As humorous as that might be,

• It does paint a sad scenario of a world greatly lacking in peace.

One of the many names and titles for the God of the Bible is,

• The ‘God of peace.’ - used in many New Testament benedictions.

• (Romans chapter 15 verse 33; Hebrews chapter 13 verse 20)

• Jehovah Shalom (The LORD Is Peace)

• (Judges chapter 6 verse 24).

• TRANSITION:

• Peace is a quality that is sourced, it is rooted in God.

• And is an attribute, a quality God gives,

• And a fruit that should be evidenced in the life of every Christian.

Note: The expression "Peace" is normally used in two ways in the Bible.

FIRST:

• There is personal peace WITH God.

• This comes when a person accepts Jesus Christ as Saviour.

• ill: Theological term is reconciliation,

• Two opposing parties are brought together.

• Quote: Romans chapter 5 verse 1.

“Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,”

SECOND:

• Then, there is the peace OF God.

• Which is available on a daily basis,

• As we walk in fellowship with God.

• Quote: Philippians chapter 4 verses 6-7.

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in

Christ Jesus.”

Quote: Charles Swindoll:

• He suggests a practical paraphrase of this term ‘Peace of God’.

• Would be the expression: ‘Mental health’.

• In other words, God desires that each Christian experience.

• A calm, a tranquil, a peace within their hearts and minds,

• And not a panic or strife or discord.

In our passage today we see Jesus bring peace to the disturbed by exercising his authority.

• Now we don’t have time to do a verse-by-verse analyses of the passage.

• So, we are going to pick out a few highlights.

• The big picture and the key point from the five incidents we read.

• We have 5 very different circumstances,

• And they show to us the power and authority of Jesus Christ.

FIRST: Jesus calms troubled waters (chapter 8 verses 23-27).

“Then he got into the boat and his disciples followed him. 24 Suddenly a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. 25 The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!”

26 He replied, “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?” Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm.

27 The men were amazed and asked, “What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!””

• In this incident we see his power and authority of Jesus over the natural realm.

• He stood up in a boat and literally said to nature, “Be muzzled!”

• And to everyone’s amazement the storm ceased, and the sea went calm.

Ill:

• I remember Bob Telford (evangelist & preacher),

• Preaching on this passage in a Church in Warwick.

• And as he read these verses much to his annoyance,

• His 8-year-old son David, started to laugh, he got the giggles.

• And even the stare from his dad did not stop the giggling!

• After the service when they were in the car,

• Bob said to his son that what he did was not appropriate,

• People were trying to listen but couldn’t because of your giggling.

• David replied, “Well you should not have told a funny joke!”

• Bon said, “I didn’t tell a joke,”

• But David insisted he did.

• So, Bob asked him what the funny joke was.

• And David replied, “You said Jesus told the storm and the sea to be quiet,

• and the sea and the wind obeyed!”

• TRANSITION:

• His child realised that this was a comical story,

• People cannot tell the wind and the waves what to do.

• Unless…Jesus is more than a man!

And that of course is the main point of this incident.