Passage: Matthew 8:23-27
Intro: It seems like everybody is screaming at somebody these days.
PP Health Care Reform debate
1. there is a lot of fear, economic, disease, political, terrorism.
2. and when we are afraid, our peace is gone, and our testimony.
3. this passage we have before us seems quite simple, Jesus has power over storms.
4. but my friends, there is so much more here if we will ask the right questions and find the answers here in the pages of Scripture.
5. this passage is one of deep theological significance, and deep personal application.
6. and if we understand it and take it to heart, we can maintain our peace and our testimony.
7. Let’s look deeply into this story and the different reactions.
I. The Situation Was Exactly the Same for Everyone.
1. the discussions with the would-be disciples in vv18-22 were over.
2, boat was ready, they got in and left
3. don’t attach significance to “the disciples followed”…just a description of a physical action.
4. v24. things heat up quickly.
5. NIV is accurate with “without warning”… idou=”behold”=suddenness
6. Sea of Galilee infamous for sudden storms, but this one was really something!
7. greek= “great storm,” seismos= ”earthquake, storm”
8. intensity measured by impact on boat, “waves coming over the side.”
9. word means “to cover,” very dangerous
Il) sailing term is “swamped”, which results in a capsized vessel.
PP capsized boat.
10. this was a partially open boat, with small decks fore and aft.
PP Galilean fishing boat
11. their condition was incredibly dangerous, and perhaps the cause was Satanic. Evidence?
12. very strategic, Jesus and disciples very vulnerable.
13. suddenness, caught 4 experienced sailors of this lake by surprise.
PP approaching storm over water
14. terrific fury of the storm, extreme danger
15. one more we will see later.
16. but whether Satanically inspired or just nature’s fury, everyone in the boat was experiencing the exact same onslaught.
17. and it is the response to the terrifying situation that we need to look at, and the why.
II. Why the Disciples Freaked Out
1. the sheer terror that gripped the disciples is displayed in three words.
2. “Kupie, Soson, Apollumetha”
3. “Lord Save us, We are going to die”
4. can you identify with these guys?
PP Mark 4:38
5. now we can congratulate them for turning to Jesus, but His words to them are very enlightening.
6. “why are you so afraid”
7. not the normal word for fear, but another, which means cowardly, timid.
Il) we might use the word “wimpy”
8. and then he answers his own question with another statement, “you of little faith.”
9. the disciples panicked for one simple reason; they believed themselves to be at the mercy of the storm.
10. they had factored God out of the equation, the situation had caused them to become atheists for the moment.
11. this same thing happens to us, of course.
12. situations arise, sometimes very personal, and sometimes universal, national.
13. we feel ourselves to be at the mercy of the Congress, or the weather or the gay agenda or fires or hurricanes or a faltering economy or a resurgent Russia or fanatical Islam or health-care-reform or a president who some people think might be the antichrist.
14. and then we will stand up and say silly, fear-produced things like was said recently at a church up in Tempe:
Il) Sermon entitled “Why I Hate Barack Obama”. “Let his children be fatherless and
his wife a widow.” “I’d like to see Barack Obama melt like a snail tonight. He ought to be aborted.” Then in response to an interviewer’s question: “I hope he (Obama) dies of brain cancer today.”
15. God puts leaders in power, and God takes them out. This guy has let fear cause him to forget that.
16. anger is so often a fear response, but..
PP James 1:20
17. let’s look at the response of Jesus to the very same situation, and see why
III. Why Jesus Remained Calm
1. it is not enough to say, “well, he was God” to answer this question.
2. he was divine and human, one person with both of these natures in full measure.
3. so as a human being, he could be expected to have the same fearful response as the disciples.
4. v26, he makes this statement about their fear and faithlessness, but notice his position.
5. he is still lying down! After he made these statements…”then he got up and rebuked…”
6. Jesus did not wake up, see the storm, and say “whoa Nellie!!”
7. he took the time to make a spiritual observation, the rose and calmly brought order to the chaos around him.
8. earlier we looked at reasons why the storm may have been Satanically produced, and here is the last reason.
9. “rebuked” is a word typically reserved for dealing with people, not with nature.
10. here is the typical usage:
PP Mark 9:25
11. but frankly, whatever the cause of this storm, Satanic or just nature, Jesus stayed calm for a reason.
12. he knew that His Father is the omnipotent sovereign of the universe, and everything that happens is within his control.
Il) that the power of God is greater than any other power in the universe by a factor of infinity!
13. and because Jesus was without sin, He had perfect faith in God and had no experience with fear.
14. His worldview had His omnipotent, sovereign Father at its very center, and because of that faith, he had no fear.
15. the greatest test of this was in the Garden of Gethsemane, where He was troubled at the thought of the full weight of the world’s sin coming upon Him and causing Him to experience the wrath of God for us.
16. and even then He said, “I prefer your will, whatever the cost to me.”
17. Jesus was the embodiment of Romans 8:35-39
PP Romans 8:35-36
PP Romans 8:37-39
18. when we talk about becoming like Christ, it is to become people who always view the world, no matter what the circumstances are, as a place where the omnipotent sovereign God of the universe is our protector/provider/Father. Savior.
19. and as we grow in that likeness, we will exhibit a calm serenity in the face of trouble, adversity, persecution, illness, job loss, because we can say with Job…
PP Job 19:25-26
Conc. I want to conclude this morning by publicly “casting my vision” for this church and every person in it. Here it is:
1. I desire for this church to be used by to produce people for whom God is a very present reality in the world, and whose lives and actions reflect faith in our omnipotent sovereign God rather than the shifting sands of circumstance.
2. these are the people who live victoriously in this world, and bring glory to God.
3. these people will stand victoriously against anything the world can throw against us.
4, we will live according to God’s wisdom rather than mans.
5. and we will be at peace in God’s arms
