Living in south Louisiana you know that every year for about 5-6 months we just need to sit and watch the Atlantic and the Gulf…because it is hurricane season.
We may not always get hit, but the danger is always there.
And when the storm comes, we need to be ready.
Jesus addressed the possibility of storms coming in Mark chapter 4
Read text, Mark 9:35-41 and pray
Background of passage.
This we know, storms are sure to come.
Sometimes they are named Ivan, Andrew, Camille, or Betsy.
Other times they come clothed in the loss of job, poor health, or family problems.
What do we do when the storms come? Does the Bible, more specifically, our passage tell us what to do when the storms come?
Yes it does!
1. Know that storms are bound to come, v 37
It’s a matter of preperation and being ready.
Cypremort Point and the houses in the area…up on stilts.
Why? Because they know that storms are bound to come. They may not be there every year, but when you are building on a bay that empties on the Gulf of Mexico…it’s a little like putting a target up saying “Hurricane come here”
For most of us here, we spent the day on Wednesday putting things up, tying things down, stocking up on the necessities and just preparing for the worst…which thankfully didn’t happen.
Why? Because it just makes sense. When a storm is coming, and you have ample time to prepare, don’t you think you should be ready?
The same is true in our lives.
We never know when the worst may come; when we lose a loved one, or when fire destroys part of our lives.
Like I said before, there are times when “Life happens” and we have no control over that.
2 things that help when storms come are:
1) A plan…God’s grace
Read Gen 3:14-15, God was painting a picture of what was to come.
The serpent would strike at the heal of the woman’s offspring, and He would in turn crush the serpent’s head.
This is a for telling of what would take place at redemption…God was putting His plan into works.
*Watched The Passion this weekend, scene in the Garden with “Satan” figure around (creative license), snake crawled out from Satan’s robe toward Jesus who stood up and stepped on His head.
God, in His grace has prepared a plan for us, so that when the storms of life come, we have a way out.
Paul declared that God revealed to him in 2 Cor 12:9, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”
We are sinners, who are in need of mercy…rather than making us work for it, God sent His Son instead (Rom 5:8)
The grace that God offers us saves us and protects us from the storms of life and also gives us eternal life!
2) Insurance…Our faith
Insurance is an investment you make into a pool so that when disaster strikes, or when a need arises…we have what we need to get us through it.
Faith serves as our insurance.
Our faith in Jesus Christ is what makes us a Christian, it is how we obtain the gift of eternal life.
*The thing about this investment, the cost we pay is minimal compared the payment that has been made.
- Christ gave his life, and we live our lives for Him
Gal 2:20…”I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave His life for me.”
By faith we accept the gift of salvation, and by faith we live day to day.
First of all, when the storms come: we simply need to be aware that the storms will come, and then
2. Let Jesus be your example, v 38
Explain situation from passage.
Back in Feb 1998 all of the local weather guys in Louisville, KY had pretty much agreed that we could expect some snow on one particular morning, but more than likely just a light dusting or light accumalation. Before the “light accumalation” was over, it was 25 inches thick.
Brig and I working together, on this morning, we were working separate shifts.
I was out cleaning the LeMans off and heard something…window cracking.
I can handle the basic day to day stress pretty well, but standing in shin deep snow with a very large window on your car busted out, and temps somewhere in the low 20’s right before I was to head out for work (and we were still catching up financially)…I didn’t handle this situation very well.
Don’t we tend to do that though…when we feel that things are out of our hands…we tend to get out of hand.
The example we get from Jesus is one of assurance, that nothing is out of God’s hands.
When the storm came, Jesus found him a comfy spot and took advantage of the time he had.
And that is something else we should do, with Jesus as an example…when storms come, we should take advantage of that time to do what God wants us to do/ hear what He wants us to hear/ see what He wants us to see.
Example: Praying for someone going into surgery or recovering from surgery…that God would reveal Himself to them in a new way.
Jesus shows us in His own life that storms are not the time for us to lose it, instead, it is time for us to find Him.
Which takes us to our last point…
3. Find your peace in Christ alone, v39
When storms come and we feel that we are about to lose our minds because of the loss of control (and everyone else around us thinks we are losing them also)…it doesn’t change the fact that the storm is coming.
No amount of stress that we may exert has ever nor will ever stop a storm from coming through.
BUT…I do know someone who not only went through the storms of life, but He can and does control them.
We will never find the peace we need in a better job, or in more money, or with Mr or Mrs Right…but in Christ alone, we can find not only all of the peace we could want, but all of the peace that we need!
When we see our check book has a lot more out go than income…Jesus says “Peace, be still.”
When we see our family in shambles…Jesus says, “Peace, be still”
When the threat of terror keeps us awake at night…Jesus says, Peace be still”
Jesus’s message to you this morning is “Peace, be still”.
Psa 46:10, “Be still and know that I am God.”
When we begin to see that God is so much bigger than what we are going through…no matter how “big” it may seem to us…we can find peace.
Is this easier said than done?
Possibly…but that is where our first point comes back into play:
A plan and insurance: Grace and faith.
We have faith in God that He is who He says He is, and He will do it as He says He would…and by His grace, He holds true to His word and still loves us in spite of our doubts!
ASK: Do you believe that God is bigger than the storms that may come through your life?
Have you put all of your faith and trust in Him to get you through those storms?
