Sermon: Caught In A Storm
Jennifer Mears 3/27/2007
Texts: John 6: 14 - 21. Mark 5:45 - 52; Matthew 14:22 - 33
No one will ever go through life without experiencing a storm!
No one gets through life without experiencing the storm!
You’ve noticed that, haven’t you?
In fact, during most of our lives, we will endure more than one storm!
Each storm will threaten our entire being…and the state of our soul
Soul= our mind + our will + our emotions
The storm
• takes many different forms
• affects our lives in many different ways
• all storms contain some common elements
o they usually come on “all of a sudden”
o they take us by surprise
o they can bring on and may fill our hearts with fear
o they test our faith
o God wants us to trust Him through it
o God wants us to let Him have control of it
o God hopes that the storm will cause us to cry out to Jesus for help
• If we conduct ourselves properly….
o The storm will become a building block of faith
o Storms will actually equip us for the storms that are still ahead.
o Storms will equip us and strengthen us for everyday life
o Storms will cause us to grow in Spirit and in Truth (call them “growing pains” , if you will)
Think of some of the storms of life which have invaded the life of yourself or of someone
you know…
• the storm of illness - sudden or prolonged;
• the storm of death - the death of a loved one,- a child, a partner; especially one not
expected to die ;
• the storm of rejection- divorce, separation, abandonment;
• the storm of unjust criticism;
• the storm of emotional trauma - hatred, anger, resentment, bitterness;
• the storm of physical loss - loss of home, loss of job, loss of money, loss of security;
• the storm of accident, or some event which may change the course of our life in an instant
of time.
One thing that I have discovered through time and experience
• Being a Christian, a follower of Jesus, does not exempt us from the trials of life…
• Jesus Himself told us in that we WOULD go through trials and tribulation…
Dictionary
Library > Words > Dictionary
trib•u•la•tion (trĭb’yə-lâ’shən)
noun
1. Great affliction, trial, or distress; suffering: Their tribulation has finally passed. See synonyms at trial.
2. An experience that tests one’s endurance, patience, or faith. See synonyms at burden1.
[Middle English tribulacioun, from Old French tribulacion, from Latin trîbulâtiô, trîbulâtiôn-, from trîbulâtus, past participle of trîbulâre, to oppress, from Latin trîbulum, threshing-sledge.]
TRIALS AND TRIBULATION…
o What about you?
o Have you experienced some storms in your life?
o Is there any storm threatening you at the present time?
Well, don’t feel too bad because the disciples of Jesus were not exempt from either.
1. It was Jesus who sent them into the storm.
Mark 6:45-52
45 And straightway he constrained his disciples to get into the ship, and to go to the other side before unto Bethsaida, while he sent away the people. 46 And when he had sent them away, he departed into a mountain to pray.
47 And when even was come, the ship was in the midst of the sea, and he alone on the land.
48 And he saw them toiling in rowing; for the wind was contrary unto them: and about the fourth watch of the night he cometh unto them, walking upon the sea, and would have passed by them.
49 But when they saw him walking upon the sea, they supposed it had been a spirit, and cried out:
50 For they all saw him, and were troubled. And immediately he talked with them, and saith unto them, Be of good cheer: it is I; be not afraid.
51 And he went up unto them into the ship; and the wind ceased: and they were sore amazed in themselves beyond measure, and wondered.
52 For they considered not the miracle of the loaves: for their heart was hardened.
Now this may be hard for us humans to be able to fully understand. We ask, “Well now, isn’t Jesus The One who is supposed to protect
us from the storms of life? I mean, after all, doesn’t Jesus say and assure us in Matthew 10:31 that “not one sparrow falls
to the ground apart from your Father’s will. The very hairs of your head are all numbered”? And
did we not we grow up singing a song in church that says, “God sees the little sparrow fall; it meets His tender view; if God so
loves the little things, I’m sure he loves me too.” And, if so, why doesn’t God just make the storm stop?”
But, if you will check the meaning of that verse, it is not a promise of freedom from trials, but it was
a word that was given to the disciples to comfort them as Jesus warned them of the cost of being His followers.
“Men will deliver you up to councils... brother will deliver up brother to death... and you will be hated by all
men for my name’s sake... but remember, not one sparrow falls to the ground apart from your
Father’s will.”
Far from assuring them of exemption from trial that verse was comforting them
that the trials would not overwhelm them.
So why would Jesus send them out into a storm?
a. Jesus sent them into the storm to protect them from temptation:
John 6:15 “Therefore when Jesus perceived that they were about to
come and take Him by force to make Him king, He departed again to the mountain by
Himself alone.”
1) The desire of the crowds to make him the king of Israel was not a temptation to Jesus.
For Jesus knew what other did not yet understand. He knew that he was the Messiah, the King,
but He knew that his kingdom was not that for which the Jews were looking. They were seeking a
political leader of pomp and power, to lead them against Rome. He knew that they were far more
concerned about the tyranny of Rome than they were concerned about the tyranny of sin. Jesus
spoke continuously about his kingdom - the kingdom of heaven or the Kingdom of God. But as
he later said to Pilate, "My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My
servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not
from here."
2) But he knew that this desire of the crowds could be a huge temptation to his disciples.
Here was the height of success! They saw the huge crowds following their master; they
saw his miracles of healing and multiplication of food; and now the people want to crown their
master as King? They were not yet mature enough to distinguish popularity from success.
And so Jesus sent them away in the boat, while he dispersed the crowds, and went up into
the mountain to pray.
b. He may have sent them into the storm to teach them more about trusting Him.
This is not the first storm that they had been in. Just a few months before, they had been
on the lake with Jesus asleep in the boat when the storm was so bad that they thought they were
going to drown. When they woke him up, he had stilled the storm immediately and then asked
them why they were so fearful. So they had some experience with His power over the waves, and
here was another opportunity for them to trust him.
Conclusion:
What about you? Has God sometimes allowed you to undergo trials in order to protect
you from some worse temptation? Has he allowed you to experience storms in the past in order to
strengthen your faith?
2. Jesus, though unseen, was with them in the storm
a. This was no small squall they were caught in.
The Sea of Galilee is 600 feet below sea level. It is surrounded by hills, especially on the
north, and down the east side, with mountains behind them. Deep rifts are cut through the hills
down which the winds may naturally flow. (Kamloops) As the air at water level is heated it rises
swiftly, and cold air from the mountains and hills flows down through these cuts to turn it into a
boiling cauldron. They had been rowing against this wind for several hours and still were far from
shore.
But while they were struggling on the lake, Jesus was praying up in the hills.
b. Their trials were known to Jesus on the mountain.
While they were struggling in their rowing against the teeth of the storm and the waves,
Jesus was praying on the mountain. While his prayer may have chiefly concerned his future even
to the cross, still I am sure that he also prayed for the disciples in the boat.
c. Nothing could happen to them unless he allowed it.
Conclusion:
Now this experience should tell us something about the trials which we experience.
a. Trials, while not enjoyed, serve a worthwhile purpose in our lives.
Not all of our testings are of earth shattering, life changing proportions. Most of our
difficulties are relatively small, yet annoying. But if we can learn to trust Jesus in these
distractions, it will strengthen our faith in daily living.
“We glory in tribulations,” says Romans 5, “because tribulation or troubles produces
perseverance; that perseverance produces and draws out character; that character contributes
to a new sense of hope and hope doesn’t disappoint because the love of God has been poured
out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.”
1 Peter tells us that we may have been for a little while grieved by our trials, in order that
the genuineness of our faith which is more precious than gold may shine forth to the praise and
honour and glory of Jesus Christ.
b. You may not like trials, but you need to be tried. Trial casts you upon Christ in humble
dependence, especially when you cannot really help yourself. Trials not only demonstrate to
others that you are a person of faith. Trials demonstrate to yourself that you have faith perhaps
more than you even realized.
The Christian life is passed from one to another, from life to life, as others see in you an
example of steadfastness and trust that they desire for themselves.
c. It is important to remember that even though Jesus appears to be absent, He is well
aware of what you are experiencing and nothing can happen to you without His permissive
will!
3. Jesus came to them in the midst of the storm
While they were struggling with the oars, worn out after hours of effort, Jesus came to
them over the water.
a. Walking on the water required the suspension of what we call “the laws of nature.”
In studying this miracle it is important for us to remember that Jesus Christ is the one who
created the heavens and the earth, and made the water in this lake. He is the one who has put into
place the laws of nature. It was no more difficult for him to walk on the water than to make water
out of wine or to multiply the 5 loaves and 2 fish. Though Jesus Christ was fully human, and
submissive to the laws of nature, he was also God who could over rule those laws.
In Matthew’s account of this miracle, Peter asked that he might come to Jesus on the
water and Jesus invited him to do so. Jesus also suspended the laws of nature to allow Peter to
walk on the water, until Peter took his eyes off Jesus and panicked.
b. The disciples still didn’t grasp the extent of Christ’s power and thought it was a ghost
and were frightened.
c. To reassure them Jesus identified himself.
“It is I, don’t be afraid.”
Then they took him into the boat.
Conclusion: Don’t we often do the same thing? When we get into a situation with which we are
not familiar, don’t we often forget that Jesus is with us? But when we cry out to him, and when
we regain our trust that he is with us, it calms our fears, and allows us to approach our situation
with a new confidence and peace.
4. Jesus got them safely through the storm.
The last sentence of this story is interesting. “ Then they were willing to take him into the
boat, and immediately the boat was at the land where they were going.
Matthew says that when he got into the boat, the wind ceased, and the disciples
worshipped him saying “Of a truth, you are the Son of God.”
Conclusion:
So what can we learn from this miracle?
One thing is certain, we do face, we have faced and we shall face storms in our lives.
Such storms usually come suddenly, often unexpectedly, and frequently without preparation. Such
storms usually trigger fear in our hearts; they usually emphasize our complete helplessness and
leave us with nowhere to turn unless we are walking in complete dependence upon the Lord. An
old hymn asks the question, "Will your anchor hold in the storms of life, when the clouds unfold
their wings of strife? When the strong tides lift and the cables strain, will your anchor drift or firm
remain?"
But the trials of life do not need to overwhelm us.
If you are a Christian, if you have trusted the Lord Jesus as your Saviour and Lord, then
you have a wonderful promise in the Word of God in Romans 8:28 “And we know that all things
work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to [His]
purpose.”
The next verse tells us that he is seeking to “conform us to the image of His Son, “
And then it asks us a question that we must never forget, no matter what the storms of life
which we may encounter. “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be
against us?” Romans 8:29 ,31
