Thanksgiving 2013
Scott Bayles, pastor
Blooming Grove Christian Church: 11/24/2013
If you’re like me, you were probably a little distracted last Sunday when the weather alert system kept going off during worship. Thankfully none of the bad weather struck too close to home, but intense thunderstorms and tornadoes swept through Illinois causing damage and destruction in areas all around us. At least six people were killed and neighborhoods were leveled, leaving first-responders sifting through rubble in search of people who may be trapped. The suburban city of Washington, just outside of Peoria, was particularly hard-hit. An EF-4 tornado cut a path from one end of town to the other, knocking down power lines, uprooting trees and rupturing gas lines. Several blocks of houses have been erased from the landscape, leaving hundreds homeless and thousands without power.
With tragedies with this hitting so close to Thanksgiving, most of us are just thankful that we weren’t affected. But what about those who were? What about the people who were in the midst of the storm. What can they be thankful for? And, as if the physical storms weren’t bad enough, what about the figurative storms? You may be weathering one of life’s storms right now. By that I mean, maybe you’re facing some unexpected crisis or tragedy of your own. Storms come in all shapes and sizes. When debt-collectors are calling your house, or the doctor gives you the worst possibly news, or a family member is slowly succumbing to Alzheimer’s, it can feel like you’re being swallowed up by the storm. You might look around and wonder—what is there to be thankful for?
Twelve disciples stuck in a leaky fishing boat on the Sea of Galilee may have wondered the same thing. What we watched on the news cutting a path of destruction through the Midwest, the disciples experienced first-hand on Lake Galilee. The sky rumbled above them, the water churned beneath them. Their fishing boat bounced and spun on the white-tops of angry waves. And in the midst of the storm, one of them shouted over the crashing waves at Jesus, “Teacher, don’t you care that we’re going to drown?” (Mark 4:38 NLT).
How many times have we said the same thing? “Don’t you care, Lord, that this is happening to me? Don’t you love me enough to do something about it?”
The experience of these twelve disciples may help answer all these questions. Let me read this story from the Gospel of Mark:
As evening came, Jesus said to his disciples, “Let’s cross to the other side of the lake.” So they took Jesus in the boat and started out, leaving the crowds behind (although other boats followed). But soon a fierce storm came up. High waves were breaking into the boat, and it began to fill with water.
Jesus was sleeping at the back of the boat with his head on a cushion. The disciples woke him up, shouting, “Teacher, don’t you care that we’re going to drown?” When Jesus woke up, he rebuked the wind and said to the water, “Silence! Be still!” Suddenly the wind stopped, and there was a great calm. Then he asked them, “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?”
The disciples were absolutely terrified. “Who is this man?” they asked each other. “Even the wind and waves obey him!” (Mark 4:35-41 NLT)
The lake which they had set out to cross was the Sea of Galilee, a freshwater lake in northern Palestine. It was about 13 miles long, 8 miles wide, 680 feet below sea level and shaped like a heart—a place of inspiring beauty. However, with mountains surrounding most of the lake, the fierce downdrafts of cold air from the higher elevations to the warm air of the sea, often made it victim to violent storms—which was the case this particular night. For these veteran fishermen to be afraid for their lives means that this was no ordinary storm. This was a raging tempest with gale-force winds.
But when we looks closely at the story, I think we can find at least three things for which we and Jesus’ disciples can and should be thankful for in the midst of life’s storms. First, we can be thankful for God’s purposes.
• BE THANKFUL FOR GOD’S PURPOSES
Jesus wanted to put miles of water between him and the multitudes of people on the western shore. Which is why Jesus said to his followers, “Let’s go across the lake” (vs. 35 NCV). This is important because it shows us that it was Jesus’ idea to cross the sea and go into the eastern countryside! Peter, James, John and the rest were simply following where he led them.
So the question is—did Jesus know that the storm was coming? And the answer is—of course, he did! Jesus unquestionably knew that the storm was coming, and it was within his power to prevent it, but instead he deliberately guided them into the storm. He did so for a purpose! It was the perfect storm designed for the express purpose of helping Jesus’ followers to trust him in every circumstance. No matter what storms we may experience, we can trust that God has a purpose for every problem.
I’ve had some pretty turbulent and trying experiences in life. And, in the midst of them, it’s impossible to see how any of it could have a purpose—especially a good purpose. But having come through the storm and being able to look back on it, I can now see what God was doing in my life. And, if he hadn’t brought me into those storms, I wouldn’t be here today.
The storms we experience are all different, like a multi-colored yarn that the weaver uses to make a beautiful rug. God arranges and mixes the colors and experiences of life and the final product is a beautiful thing for His glory. Warren Wiersbe once told of a visit he and his wife made to a world famous weaver. He noticed that the underside of the rugs were not very beautiful at all; rather, the patterns were obscure and the loose ends of yarn dangled. But then their guide spoke up, “Don’t judge the worker or the work by looking at the wrong side.” In the same way, we see the storms of life from the wrong side; only the Lord sees the finished pattern. Let’s be thankful he does! Let’s not judge Him when his work isn’t yet finished!
First, we can thankful that God has a purpose for every storm. Furthermore, we can be thankful for God’s presence in every storm.
• BE THANKFUL FOR GOD’S PRESENCE
I’ve never even been sailing before, let alone caught in fierce storm in a small fishing boat, so I can’t imagine how frightening this must have been. Visibility was poor. Waves were crashing into the boat. Their tiny ship was tossed to and fro. But even in the eye of the storm, they had something to be thankful for—Jesus was in the boat!
Mark says that “Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion” (vs. 38 NIV). He was asleep, but he was there. Immanuel—God with us—was in the boat. He was right in the middle of it all. In the midst of this terrifying storm, God was with his disciples.
What was true for them is true for you.
Jesus told his followers, including you and me, “I am with you always, even to the end of the world” (Matthew 28:20 TLB). Sometimes it feels like our world is coming to an end. Sometimes it feels like the world crumbling all around us. But even then, Jesus is right there with you.
That reminds me of a little boy named Doug. One night, Doug was sitting on the porch with his mom, looking at a full moon. Little Doug asked his mom if God was in the moon. She said, “God is everywhere.” Little Doug thought for a moment, then asked, “Is God in my tummy?” Not knowing where these questions were leading, his mother said “Well, sort of…” Then Doug declared, “I think God wants some milk and cookies.”
God really is everywhere. He’s all around us and within us. He could live anywhere in the universe, yet he chose your heart for his home. God has promised us in his word: “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5 NIV). I don’t know about you, but I would rather be in a storm with Jesus than anywhere else without Him. So, if you are in a storm of life, my advice to you is to remember that Jesus will "get you to the other side." Trust Him. He will not abandon you or let you down. He will be with you wherever you go.
First, be thankful for his purposes. Furthermore, be thankful for his presence. Finally, be thankful for his power.
• BE THANKFUL FOR GOD’S POWER
When Jesus’ disciples cried out to him, the Bible says, “He got up and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, ‘Peace! Be still!’ And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm” (vs. 39-40 ESV).
Can you imagine how Jesus’ followers felt at that moment? Jesus calmed both the wind and the sea simply by the power of his word! Usually after the winds die down, the waves remain rough for hours; but in this case, everything became calm immediately and stayed that way. When God speaks, even the wind and the waves listen.
No wonder the Bible says, “Praise him down here on earth, you creatures of the ocean depths. Let fire and hail, snow, rain, wind, and weather all obey” (Psalm 148:7 TLB). Two thousand years later, the words of Jesus have not lost their power. God’s Word is just as powerful as ever. Not only did the words of Jesus have the power to still the storm on the Sea of Galilee, but when you read the little red letters stretched across the pages of your Bible, his words have the power to still the storm within you!
When we feel lost—when the struggles of this life are overwhelming us and it feels like our ship about to sink—we can open our Bibles, listen to Jesus, and let the power of his word calm the storm raging within us!
Listen, no matter what else is going on—the same God who was sovereign on the Sea of Galilee, is sovereign over everything. In any and every situation, Jesus is in control. When a close friend is in the ICU, Jesus is in control. When the economy is failing, Jesus is in control. When tornadoes rage out of control, Jesus is still in control. And he still calms the storms of life.
Conclusion:
We have so much to be thankful for, especially in this country. I’m thankful for my wife and children. I’m thankful for all of you. I’m thankful for a God who sees me through the storms of life. My heart truly goes out to those who lost so much during the tornadoes last week. Many of them lost their homes, their belongings, their livelihoods. But many of those same people are probably more thankful in their hearts than you and I are today. An experience like that reminds you of what you really have to be thankful for. They are thankful for their lives. Thankful for their families. Thankful for the kindness of strangers and the compassion of neighbors. What are you thankful for?
Are you thankful for the purposes and plans of God?
Are you thankful for the presence of God in your life?
Are you thankful for his unlimited power and sovereignty?
Invitation:
As we prepare to stand and sing I want to invite you to share what you’re thankful for today. You can come forward and share your testimony or just meditate silently. As we sing this next song, consider all that God has done for you and let the gratitude of your heart overflow as thanksgiving to God.
