Intro:
1. Today we read of all kinds of "storms" in life: personal, economic,
political, spiritual, and natural....the list is endless!
2. From this passage, we see 5 truths that can encourage us and motivate
us to hang on in the midst of the storms of our lives.
I. You can be OBEYING GOD and STORMS MAY STILL COME (V.35)
A. Some say the reason storms come is because we have
too little faith, unconfessed sin, are in rebellion against God,
and many other things. NOT ALWAYS TRUE
B. JOB, PAUL, AND JESUS HIMSELF endured storms of life...yet none
of us would say they were "out of God’s will" and "had no faith."
C. In fact, it may be that BECAUSE WE ARE IN HIS WILL, STORMS
COME OUR WAY (i.e., martyrs, persecuted Christians).
D. THE DISCIPLES IN OUR TEXT WERE OBEYING WHAT JESUS TOLD THEM TO DO.
THEY WERE IN THE CENTER OF GOD’S WILL...YET THE STORM CAME.
II. SOME STORMS may be FIERCE (V.37)
A. THE DISCIPLES FELT HELPLESS AND HOPELESS
B. YOU AND I MAY FEEL HELPESS AND HOPELESS DUE TO THE SEVERITY
OF OUR STORM (i.e., terminal medical diagosis, family difficulty,
forclosure on mortgage, financial stresses, etc.)
III.WE MAY FEEL LIKE JESUS DOESN’T CARE...BUT HE’S WITH US IN OUR
STORMS (V.39)
"CAREST THOU NOT THAT WE PERISH???"
1. It SEEMED to them that Jesus was UNCONCERNED...(not so)
2. THEY DID THE RIGHT THING: WENT TO HIM EVEN THO THEY FELT
HE DIDN’T CARE. (WE SHOULD ALWAYS CALL UPON Jesus).
IV. JESUS WILL EITHER CALM THE STORM, OR CALM US! (39)
A. In the text, Jesus calmed the storm.
B. More often He calms US in the MIDST of life’s storms...and
gives us that "peace that passes all understanding" which
"guards our hearts and our minds (keeps us sane).
V. WE WILL GET THROUGH OUR STORMS (5:1A)
"...They arrived on the other side.."
1. THEY ARRIVED JUST WHERE JESUS WANTED THEM TO GO.
(COMPARE 4:35 AND 5:1A)
2. THEY CAME TO THE OTHER SIDE HAVING MATURED GREATLY IN FAITH
AND IN MOTIVATION TO SERVE JESUS.
3. REMEMBER...GOD WILL TAKE YOU THROUGH THE STORM....EVEN
IF THE "OTHER SIDE" IS LITERALLY HEAVEN!
THESE 5 TRUTHS SHOULD SERVE TO REMIND US THAT GOD IS IN CONTROL, EVEN
IN OUR NATIONAL AND WORLD CRISES, ECONOMIC CRISES, AND PERSONAL CRISES.
**WE WILL MAKE IT TO THE OTHER SIDE*** TRUST HIM!!
