Title: Finding Peace In The Midst Of The Storm
Series: God Uses Broken Vessels
Text: Matthew 14:22-32
Introduction
Tom Dooley was a young doctor who organized hospitals, raised money, and literally poured out his life in the service of the afflicted peoples of Southeast Asia. Here was a man whose deep relationship with God motivated him to abandon a soft career in the United States for a desperately difficult ministry overseas. In the end that relationship enabled him to die victoriously at the age of 34. Here is the letter that on December 1, 1960, he wrote to the president of Notre Dame, his alma mater:
Dear Father Hesburgh: They’ve got me down. Flat on the back, with plaster, sand bags, and hot water bottles. I’ve contrived a way of pumping the bed up a bit so that, with a long reach, I can get to my typewriter….Two things prompt this note to you. The first is that whenever my cancer acts up a bit, and it is certainly “acting up” now, I turn inward. Less do I think of my hospitals around the world, or of 94 doctors, fund-raisers, and the like. More do I think of one Divine Doctor and my personal fund of grace. It has become pretty definite that the cancer has spread to the lumbar vertebra, accounting for all the back problems over the last two months. I have monstrous phantoms; all men do. And inside and outside the wind blows. But when the time comes, like now, then the storm around me does not matter. The winds within me do not matter. Nothing human or earthly can touch me. A peace gathers in my heart. What seems unpossessable, I can possess. What seems unfathomable, I can fathom. What is unutterable, I can utter. Because I can pray. I can communicate. How do people endure anything on earth if they cannot have God? (James S. Hewett, Illustrations Unlimited (Wheaton: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc, 1988) pp. 131-132.)
Matthew 14:22-32
22 Immediately Jesus made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, while He sent the multitudes away. 23 And when He had sent the multitudes away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray. Now when evening came, He was alone there. 24 But the boat was now in the middle of the sea, tossed by the waves, for the wind was contrary. 25 Now in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went to them, walking on the sea. 26 And when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, "It is a ghost!" And they cried out for fear. 27 But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, "Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid." 28 And Peter answered Him and said, "Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water." 29 So He said, "Come." And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus. 30 But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, "Lord, save me!" 31 And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, "O you of little faith, why did you doubt?" 32 And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased.
I. JESUS SOMETIMES SENDS ME INTO THE MIDDLE OF A STORM.
Matthew 14:22
22 Immediately Jesus made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, while He sent the multitudes away.
Note: There Are Two Kinds Of Storms. Storms of correction where God disciplines us. Storms of perfection where God helps us to grow.
Note: Jonah was in a storm because he disobeyed God and had to be corrected. The disciples were in a storm because they obeyed Christ and had to be perfected. Jesus had tested them in a storm before, when He was in the boat with them.
Matthew 8:23-27
23 Now when He got into a boat, His disciples followed Him. 24 And suddenly a great tempest arose on the sea, so that the boat was covered with the waves. But He was asleep. 25 Then His disciples came to Him and awoke Him, saying, "Lord, save us! We are perishing!" 26 But He said to them, "Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?" Then He arose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. 27 So the men marveled, saying, "Who can this be, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?"
v But now He tested them by being out of the boat.
Note: Jesus had a specific reason for sending the disciples away. The crowd wanted to make Jesus King. Why do you suppose He has sent you into the storm?
John 6:14-15
14 Then those men, when they had seen the sign that Jesus did, said, "This is truly the Prophet who is to come into the world."
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.
Ø The Lord knew that their motives were not spiritual and that their purposes were out of God’s will.
Ø If the disciples had stayed, they would certainly have fallen in with the plans of the crowd; for as yet, the disciples did not fully understand Christ’s plans.
Ø They were guilty of arguing over “who was the greatest,” and a popular uprising would have suited them perfectly.
A. Being In A Storm Does Not Necessarily Mean I Am Out Of God’s Will.
Note: We must never judge our security on the basis of circumstances alone.
Illustration: Overcoming and Achieving
Some of the world’s greatest men and women have been saddled with disabilities and adversities but have managed to overcome them.
Ø Cripple him, and you have a Sir Walter Scott.
Ø Lock him in a prison cell, and you have a John Bunyan.
Ø Bury him in the snows of Valley Forge, and you have a George Washington.
Ø Raise him in abject poverty, and you have an Abraham Lincoln.
Ø Subject him to bitter religious prejudice, and you have a Benjamin Disraeli.
Ø Strike him down with infantile paralysis, and he becomes a Franklin D. Roosevelt.
Ø Burn him so severely in a schoolhouse fire that the doctors say he will never walk again, and you have a Glenn Cunningham, who set a world’s record in 1934 for running a mile in 4 minutes, 6.7 seconds.
Ø Deafen a genius composer, and you have a Ludwig van Beethoven.
Ø Have him or her born black in a society filled with racial discrimination, and you have a Booker T. Washington, a Harriet Tubman, a Marian Anderson, or a George Washington Carver.
Ø Make him the first child to survive in a poor Italian family of eighteen children, and you have an Enrico Caruso.
Ø Call him a slow learner, “retarded,” and write him off as uneducatable, and you have an Albert Einstein. (Ted W. Engstrom. Edythe Draper, Draper’s Book of Quotations for the Christian World (Wheaton: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., 1992). Entry 162.)
1. Jesus knew the storm was coming.
2. They were safer in the storm in God’s will than on land with the crowds out of God’s will.
B. Obedience To God’s Will Does Not Guarantee “Smooth Sailing.”
John 16:33
33 These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world."
Note: When we find ourselves in the storm because we have obeyed the Lord, we must remember that He brought us here and He can care for us.
Illustration: When they first manufactured golf balls, they made the covers smooth. Then it was discovered that after a ball had been roughed up one could get more distance out of it. So they started manufacturing them with dimpled covers. So it is with life; it takes some rough spots in your life to make you go your farthest. (James S. Hewett, Illustrations Unlimited (Wheaton: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc, 1988) p. 12.)
II. WHEN JESUS SENDS ME INTO A STORM, HE IS INTERCEDING FOR ME.
Matthew 14:23
23 And when He had sent the multitudes away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray. Now when evening came, He was alone there.
Note: Don’t you feel a bit more secure when the pastor is praying for you? So how do you feel knowing that Jesus is praying for you?
A. Jesus Intercedes For Me In Heaven.
Romans 8:34
34 Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.
Romans 8:26-27
26 Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. 27 Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.
Note: Jesus was likely praying for His disciples, that their faith would not fail.
Luke 22:31-32
31 And the Lord said, "Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. 32 But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren."
Note: Peter lost his courage, but he never lost his faith.
B. Jesus Sees Me And Knows My Needs.
Matthew 6:7-8
7 And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words. 8 Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him.
C. Jesus Knows What I Am Going Through.
Hebrews 4:14-16
14 Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. 15 For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
III. JESUS WILL NOT LEAVE ME ALONE IN THE STORM.
Matthew 14:24-25
24 But the boat was now in the middle of the sea, tossed by the waves, for the wind was contrary. 25 Now in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went to them, walking on the sea.
Note: Often we feel like Jesus has deserted us when we are going through the hard times of life. In the Psalms, David complained that God seemed far away and unconcerned. Yet he knew that God would ultimately rescue him. Even the great Apostle Paul got into a situation so difficult he felt excessively burdened.
2 Corinthians 1:8
8 For we do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, of our trouble which came to us in Asia: that we were burdened beyond measure, above strength, so that we despaired even of life.
A. Jesus Always Comes To Me In The Storms Of Life.
Isaiah 43:2
2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you.
When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned,
Nor shall the flame scorch you.
1. He may not come when we think He should come, because He knows when we need Him the most.
2. He may not come until all human hope is gone.
3. He will always provide a way out.
1 Corinthians 10:13
13 No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.
B. My Storms Are God’s Opportunities.
Note: Often we fear the difficult experiences of life (such as surgery or bereavement), only to discover that these experiences bring Jesus Christ closer to us.
Psalms 91:4
4 He shall cover you with His feathers,
And under His wings you shall take refuge;
His truth shall be your shield and buckler.
Illustration: An article in National Geographic several years ago provided a penetrating picture of God’s wings...
After a forest fire in Yellowstone National Park, forest rangers began their trek up a mountain to assess the inferno’s damage. One ranger found a bird literally petrified in ashes, perched statuesquely on the ground at the base of a tree. Somewhat sickened by the eerie sight, he knocked over the bird with a stick. When he struck it, three tiny chicks scurried from under their dead mother’s wings.
The loving mother, keenly aware of impending disaster, had carried her offspring to the base of the tree and had gathered them under her wings, instinctively knowing that the toxic smoke would rise. She could have flown to safety but had refused to abandon her babies. When the blaze had arrived and the heat had scorched her small body, the mother had remained steadfast. Because she had been willing to die, those under the cover of her wings would live.
Being loved this much should make a difference in your life. Remember the One who loves you and then, be different because of it.
1. The disciples did not recognize Jesus because they were not looking for Him.
2. Had they been waiting by faith, they would have known Him immediately.
3. Instead, they jumped to the false conclusion that the appearance was that of a ghost.
4. Fear and faith cannot live in the same heart, for fear always blinds the eyes to the presence of the Lord.
IV. AS A RESULT OF THE STORM, JESUS WILL HELP ME GROW.
Matthew 14:26-29
26 And when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, "It is a ghost!" And they cried out for fear. 27 But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, "Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid." 28 And Peter answered Him and said, "Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water." 29 So He said, "Come." And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus.
Illustration: Receiving the Right Training
Proverbs 22:6 – Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.
My father-in-law, Clarence, was raised in the country, and as such was an experienced hunter. Not having a son to pass along his knowledge to, he was thrilled when my wife and I had our first son, and couldn’t wait until he was old enough to take hunting. He started early with Daniel, and taught him everything he would need to know about shooting a gun, and how to hunt.
On one particular squirrel-hunting trip, the three of us went into the woods early one morning to find a good place to wait for sunrise. As fate would have it, this turned out to be a particularly bad day for hunting. After more than three hours in the woods, we had not seen a single squirrel.
We decided that the hunt was over, and while making our way back to the truck we came upon a clearing. Daniel, as excited as a fourteen-year-old can be on hunting day, was disappointed that he didn’t get to shoot his gun. Clarence decided to take some of the boredom out of the trip by letting Daniel do some target shooting. Finding whatever was available on the ground – a tin can or an old milk jug – my father-in-law would toss them into the air and let Daniel take aim.
After about five shots, the unexpected happened. Clarence had inadvertently moved under a huge tree branch. As he tossed the target into the air, instead of flying away from him, it hit the branch and fell right back down toward him. As he ducked and covered his head with his arms, the two of us in unison began to yell, “Don’t shoot! Don’t shoot!” The unthinkable was about to happen. Instantly, the sequence of events flooded my mind. Before it happened, I could see an unsuspecting finger pull the trigger. I could see the fiery blast from the shotgun as the shell exploded inside the barrel and flew across the field to where my father-in-law was standing. I could see him hit the ground, not knowing if he were dead or only injured. I could see all of this in a single instant.
All of a sudden, I realized that there was no shotgun blast. My son stood there looking at us as if to ask, “Do you really think I’m that dumb?” It was then that I understood that the training he had been given had paid off. Before he ever went on a hunt, he had been taught all the rules of gun safety, and now he had successfully practiced what he had learned.
I also knew that one day he would put into practice the life lessons that I had been teaching him; lessons of character, integrity, and holy living. The day would come that I would have to let go and trust him to properly use his training. The real test of my parenting would come, not as child, but when he became a man. Only by letting him apply the instruction that he had been given would I realize my success as a parent. I can be assured of one thing, though he may not always be successful, and though he may not always make the right choices, the training that he has received will never leave him.
A. I Must Learn To Trust Jesus Even Though It May Seem He Does Not Care. (PREPARATION)
Note: The whole purpose of the storm may be to help me grow in faith.
1. Faith for my deliverance is not faith in Christ.
2. Faith means whether I am visibly delivered or not, I will stick to my belief in Jesus Christ.
3. There are some things only learned in the middle of a storm.
Illustration: Something to Unlearn
· It is not true to say that God wants to teach us something in our trials.
· In every cloud he brings, God wants us to unlearn something.
· God’s purpose in the cloud is to simplify our belief until our relationship to Him is exactly that of a child.
· God uses every cloud which comes in our physical life, in our moral or spiritual life, or in our circumstances, to bring us nearer to Him, until we come to the place where our Lord Jesus Christ lived, and we do not allow our hearts to be troubled.
Oswald Chambers (1874-1917) (Edythe Draper, Draper’s Book of Quotations for the Christian World (Wheaton: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., 1992). Entry 188.)
B. I Must Exercise My Faith By “Getting Out Of The Boat.” (PERFORMANCE)
Illustration: Take This Church
When I graduated from seminary, my hope was to find an established church filled with people who loved the Lord and who were eager to seek out the truth of God’s Word. Instead, He led me to Ridgecrest, where, after five years of the most difficult ministry I had ever experienced, I was privileged to bring two congregations together in a miraculous merger that benefited the kingdom of Jesus Christ.
All of this happened, not because I was talented; not because I had great courage; not because I had “faith as a grain of mustard seed”; not because I was so sure that I could build a church. Jesus Christ brought all this about because I got out of the boat.
C. I Must Learn To Focus On Christ Rather Than My Circumstances. (PERSEVERANCE)
Matthew 14:30
30 But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, "Lord, save me!"
1. Your living is determined not so much by what life brings to you as by the attitude you bring to life.
a. It is not so much by what happens to you as by the way your mind looks at what happens.
b. Circumstances and situations do color life, but you have been given the mind to choose what the color shall be.
John Homer Miller (1722-1791) (Edythe Draper, Draper’s Book of Quotations for the Christian World (Wheaton: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., 1992). Entry 522.)
2. We all know that a Christian must bear the cross.
Matthew 16:24
24 Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.
a. In theory we are all prepared to accept one.
b. But you will no doubt have noticed that the cross that comes our way is never the right one.
c. The cross we bear (our health, our face, our circumstances, our family, our stupid job, our failure-or our stupid success) always seem to us to be intolerable, mean, humiliating, or harmful.
d. Desperately we call for another, a cross made to our own size, a cross which will be bearable, spiritual, elevating, beneficial to ourselves and to others.
Louis Evely (1910- ) (Edythe Draper, Draper’s Book of Quotations for the Christian World (Wheaton: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., 1992). Entry 2116.)
V. IN SPITE OF THE STORM, JESUS WILL SEE ME THROUGH.
Matthew 14:30-33
30 But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, "Lord, save me!" 31 And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, "O you of little faith, why did you doubt?" 32 And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased. 33 Then those who were in the boat came and worshiped Him, saying, "Truly You are the Son of God."
· It’s only when we choose to give praise for the rough spots in life that we will begin to see them from God’s perspective.
· If we don’t give thanks in all things, we are living in unbelief, for we are assuming that our circumstances are not controlled by a God who loves us!
· I’m not saying that you should give thanks for sin, but you can thank God for how he will use that sin to teach, to rebuke, or to challenge you.
Erwin W. Lutzer (1941- ) (Edythe Draper, Draper’s Book of Quotations for the Christian World (Wheaton: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., 1992). Entry 11152.)
Job 23:10
10 But He knows the way that I take; when He has tested me, I shall come forth as gold.
Illustration: Failure and Perseverance
· When he was seven years old, his family was forced out of their home on a legal technicality, and he had to work to help support them.
· At age nine, his mother died.
· At 22, he lost his job as a store clerk.
· He wanted to go to law school, but his education wasn’t good enough.
· At 23, he went into debt to become a partner in a small store.
· At 26, his business partner died, leaving him a huge debt that took years to repay.
· At 28, after courting a girl for four years, he asked her to marry him. She said no.
· At 37, on his third try he was elected to Congress, but two years later, he failed to be reelected.
· At 41, his four-year-old son died.
· At 45, he ran for the Senate and lost.
· At 47, he failed as the vice-presidential candidate.
· At 49, he ran for the Senate again, and lost.
· At 51, he was elected president of the United States. His name was Abraham Lincoln, a man many consider the greatest leader the country ever had. (Unknown, Leadership, Vol. 4, no. 1.)
