What to Do When God Seems Slow to Answer
August 10, 2008
Dr. Mike Fogerson, Speaker
A Story
B Our text takes place against the sea of Galilee, which is not really a sea at all. (15 miles long, 10miles wide) BIG BIG LAKE (About as long as Carlyle lake, but it is double Carlyle width.)
1 5,000 people get together to hear Jesus speak and nobody brings food but a little chubby kid.
a Five loaves, 2 fish, Jesus blesses it, breaks it . .. . feeds all 5,000.
b Sermon there ...
aa Christ can do little with much.
bb What Jesus blesses He breaks. (Are you willing to be broken for blessing)
cc Jesus took what they had and increased it. (Met their need.)
c John records (Jn. 615) the well-feed crowd wanted to crown Jesus king, messiah by force. (Make Him by force)
aa This unwanted coronation would have invalidated Jesus’ mission.
bb Did come to be served, but to serve; Lion but a lamb.
d Jesus disburses the crowd, including the disciple which some think were getting caught up in the coronation, as evening (or the first watch) approached.
aa First (6-9), Second (9-12), Third (12-3), Fourth (3-6).
bb He makes (by force) his disciples get in the boat.
Fishermen knew a storm was coming.
Jesus wasn’t going with them (Up praying.)
e The 12 row out about 4/5 miles (probably between 10-12) and a storm hits.
aa It wasn’t blowing & going when they got in the boat.
bb Started out alright and then . . . boom! The bottom falls out.
2 Earlier that day they took part in one of the most incredible miracles of history, greatest days in ministry and six hours later their rowing for their lives.
a I believe we can relate. . .
aa Sermon, invitation, people come forward, saved, rededicated, healed, released, delivered, set free, . . . Monday rolls around & I’ve my share of anonymous notes, hateful email, & critical phone calls. By 12.30 I’m ready to throw in the towel & go to mortuary school.
bb A month ago Good job, benefits, security, wife good . . . 30 days later your laid off and your throwing around the d-word.
cc One day your getting your daughter school clothes and a week later she’s telling you she hates your guts.
dd Six months ago your wife paid you attention, affection and last week she said, the sight of you repulses me, I can’t stand you. I’ve met someone else I want out.
b Matthew 14.22-27 (Other accounts in John 6 & Mark 6)
3 They’re rowing their brains out . . . what do you think they’re thinking? Jesus where are you? What do you think they’re doing? Praying.
a What do you do when God seems slow to answer in the storm?
b Pray
I Storms
A I believe storms come in basically two flavors: Correction & Perfection.
1 Correction is discipline, punishment for being out of the will of God. (IL. Jonah)
2 Perfection is growth, training. (IL. Disciples)
a Often, Jesus uses storms of perfection in degrees
aa The disciples had been on a stormy sea before, but Jesus was in the boat.
bb This time (up a notch) their alone in the boat, alone in the storm.
b Regardless of the storm, there is not a storm out there that you and God can’t handle together.
3 Many Christians believe that because their obedient, walking Godly that their life is going to smooth sailing.
a False! John 16.33 "In this world you will have tribulation" We’re promised tribulation.
b Tribulation: crushed, press, compress, squeeze, distressed, pressure, burden of your spirit.
c The disciples were just doing what Jesus told them to do (obedient) and wound up in a storm.
B When we find ourselves in storms because we’ve obeyed God we’ve got to remember two things; He brought us here and He can care for us in the storm.
1 The disciples were safer in the storm in God’s will than being in the crowd on the shore.
a They never turned back, went forward . . . they were in His will & if you’re in the will of God . . . You don’t dare go back!
aa Discouraged, Disheartened, Depressed, Disappointed . . . Yes!
bb never changed direction.
b Christian DO NOT EVER base your security in God on the basis of the storm you’re in right now.
2 Where’s Jesus? Mark 6.48 tells us Jesus saw the men struggling while He was praying.
a He’s praying, alone, on the mountain & I believe He was praying for . . . the 12.
b He knew their need, plight, struggle, burden.
aa The disciples were just being obedient, doing exactly what Jesus told’em to do, taking on water, getting to the other side, miserable, frightened.
bb Jesus is praying they wouldn’t lose heart, fail! JESUS PRAYING 4 EM.
3 How encouraged would you be if you knew Jesus was praying for you in the prayer room this morning?
a Storm seem smaller, less threatening & ominous?
b Rom. 8.34, reveals to us that Jesus is praying/interceding for us RIGHT NOW to the very throne of God.
aa He’s not praying from the prayer room, in the throne room.
bb He’s praying for you right now believer!
C (IL.) Going see
II Jesus Always Shows up in the storms of your life.
A Some of the greatest men in Scripture have reacted the same way you do/did at that statement.
1 David thought God abandoned him (countless times), Paul felt similar.
a Disciples are rowing, bailing . . . and saying, "Where’s Jesus?"
b I believe they all felt abandoned left, forgotten . . . if we’ve felt that way I’d say we’re in some pretty good company.
2 He may not come when you think He should come . . . 1, 2, 3 watches.
a Jesus didn’t show up until the 4th watch because the lessons were taught from 6-3.
b The weather couldn’t get an worse, night any darker, threat any higher, they couldn’t be any further from shore . . . He removed EVERY human prop.
b On that day they feed 5k and then the storm hit and Jesus showed up; Acts 4.4 they’d win 5k in ONE DAY and then the storm of persecution hit and they trusted He’d show up again.
B Can you imagine the questions on the minds of the disciples in the storm.
1 Where’s my Jesus?
a I’ve given Him my time, life, left my family, friends, etc.
b How dare He . . .(Everything they believed in was shaken/challenged, Faith is shaken to its core . . . still rowed on.)
2 And then they see a ghost.
a Death Angel? Grim Reaper?
b ANE belief that the souls of the departed were able to be seen shortly after death.
c The disciples didn’t recognize Jesus because their faith, hope were GONE.
d They didn’t see him because they weren’t really looking for Him.
3 Jesus keeps getting closer and closer and when Jesus come close there is no mistaking my Jesus.
a Why is Jesus walking on the water? (More interesting than how.)
aa Jesus used the very thing that feared the disciples to come to them.
bb He walked on their fears to reach/rescue them. (Surgery, disease, anxiety, threat of divorce, bankruptcy, . . . you name it Jesus can walk on it to reach you!)
cc The outcome of those storms are not as important as us trusting that God will sustain us.
dd Outcome is not as important as us calling on the power, presence, love of Jesus Christ.
b "Don’t be afraid. It is I, take courage."
aa The voice that spoke creation into existence.
bb Burning bush, spoke to Abraham, Elijah, Isaiah, David, Daniel.
cc He’s speaking peace into his disciples.
c When He comes close to you, you can’t mistake Him!
Conclusion:
A We’ve looked at what do when God seems slow to answer.
1 We’ve seen some reasons why He seems slow.
a Storm of correction/perfection/lessons.
b & the presence of storms doesn’t not automatically mean you’re being disobedient.
c He seems quit because He’s trying to teach us something.
2 We’ve seen how Jesus always shows up in the storms if YOUR LOOKING for Him.
a Faith is shaken . . . Jesus isn’t. (Storm/wind/lightening/thunder didn’t bother Him.)
b We miss Him because we’re not looking for Him.
aa He’ll wait until the 4th watch but He’s worth the wait!
bb Keep rowing!
B Can you imagine what the discples felt like the next morning after the storm?
1 What if one of them wrote in their journal about that awful night on the lake.
a I had never seen Jesus as I saw him then. I had seen him as powerful. I had seen him as wise. I had witnessed his authority and marveled at his abilities. But what I witness last night I know I’ll never forget.
I saw God. The God who can’t sit still when the storm is too strong. The God who lets me get frightened enough to need him and then comes close enough from me to see him. The God who uses my storms as his path to come to me.
I saw God. It took a storm for me to see him. But I saw him. And I’ll never be the same again.
b When we see Jesus walking into our storms, obey his command, we will never be the same again either.
2
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Respectfully,
Mike Fogerson
