Matthew 8:23-27-Now when He got into a boat, His disciples followed Him. And suddenly a great tempest arose on the sea, so that the boat was covered with the waves. But He was asleep. Then His disciples came to Him and awoke Him, saying, “Lord, save us! We are perishing!”
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. So the men marveled, saying, “Who can this be, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?”
The first lesson that Jesus taught Peter was not to judge ourselves on how useful we can be to God.
That’s what Peter did, he said, “Depart from me, I am a sinful man!”
He didn’t think God could use someone like him, and if we are not careful we can fall into that same temptation.
We too can believe that God can’t use us because of or past sins, past mistakes, past relationships, or past background, or our financial situation, there is all kinds of things we think hinders us for God to use us, but that is not true.
Or we can be on the other hand and we can judge ourselves to proudly, we can think to much of ourselves, there are some people who think they are God’s gift to this world, or to a church, they don’t think no one can do what they do in the church.
I have know some people like that, I truly believe that they believe that in their heart, they don’t believe they can be replaced, but the truth is everybody can be replaced, except for the Trinity, some people leave the church and they think it is going swivel up and die, but it doesn’t and that God’s way of letting people know, we are all expendable.
We are all important to the kingdom of God, each and every soul, but don’t get to believing the kingdom can’t go on without you.
God can use all of us, the preacher that I studied under, told me to go home and read about the story of Balaam’s donkey, he said the next day, “Did you read and did you understand it?” I said, “I think so!” Then I began telling him what I thought it meant and when I got thru, he said, “The main point I want you to remember is…If God can use Balaam’s donkey he can use you!!
Sea of Galilee is the largest freshwater lake in Israel, and it is approximately 33 miles in circumference, about 13 miles long, and 8.1 miles wide. The lake has a total area of 64.4 sq miles) at its fullest, and is 141 feet deep.
Great Tempest Arose On The Sea-This story has two storms: one on the surface of the waters, the other in the hearts of the disciples.
Sometimes the storms in our life people can see…Death of a love, divorce, loss of job, other visible tragedies.
Sometimes the storms that are in our life people can’t see…Hopelessness, depression, emptiness, sense of not fitting in, sense of being lost.
We are like the disciples that sometimes we cry out-“Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?” Mark 4:38
Lord, Save Us! We Are Perishing!-If only more people would recognize that they are in a sinking ship.
Some people have put all their hopes and dreams, they put all their time and effort, they put all their love and support into a relationship only to find out that it is a sinking ship!!
Oh, that we would learn Who run to when our ship is sinking!
Oh, that we would learn Who to turn to when our ship is sinking!
Oh, that we would learn Who to cry out to when our ship is sinking!
Relationships are good, they are God given, but if you are going to invest your time, your effort, your love into a relationship, please let that relationship be with Jesus!
If you get in to that ship, that relationship with Jesus, it will help you deal with all the other relationships in your life
Lesson 2-Having Perfect Peace In A Storm
Peter would apply this lesson when he was in jail.
Acts 12:6-And when Herod was about to bring him out, that night Peter was sleeping, bound with two chains between two soldiers; and the guards before the door were keeping the prison.
This is a great lesson for us to learn, because whether we like it or not there is going to be storms in our life!
Some storms come into our life because of sin in our life…That’s what happen to Jonah!
Some storms come into our life by God’s design….The disciples in the boat!
In other words, some storms come because of disobedience and some storms come because of obedience!
“Who can this be, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?”
If we go all the way back to Genesis, man was given dominion over a lot of things, man was given the ability to bring a lot of things under man’s subjection, except the wind and the sea, but Jesus, everything He has dominion over!
So if He is for us, who can be against us!!!
Mark 4:35-41-On the same day, when evening had come, He said to them, “Let us cross over to the other side.” Now when they had left the multitude, they took Him along in the boat as He was. And other little boats were also with Him. And a great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that it was already filling. But He was in the stern, asleep on a pillow. And they awoke Him and said to Him, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?”
Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace, be still!” And the wind ceased and there was a great calm. But He said to them, “Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?” And they feared exceedingly, and said to one another, “Who can this be, that even the wind and the sea obey Him!”
