“Riding Out the Storms of Life”
(Mat 14:22-33 NIV) Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. {23} After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, {24} but the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it. {25} During the fourth watch of the night Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. {26} When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. "It's a ghost," they said, and cried out in fear. {27} But Jesus immediately said to them: "Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid." {28} "Lord, if it's you," Peter replied, "tell me to come to you on the water." {29} "Come," he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. {30} But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, "Lord, save me!" {31} Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. "You of little faith," he said, "why did you doubt?" {32} And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. {33} Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, "Truly you are the Son of God."
A. In All of our lives there will come great storms
1. Storms are the circumstances of life which challenge our faith in God and His word
2. You will not be able to avoid the storms, they will come
B. Maybe your storm has to do with some great loss in your life…
1. You have come to a stage in your life where you experience many losses and some can be overwhelming
2. Maybe it has to do with great financial pressure - the bill collectors know your number by heart
3. Maybe it’s a negative report from the doctors, who are telling you to get your affairs in order!
4. Maybe your storm has to do with decisions you must make which are not pleasant and which will effect the remainder of your days
C. Storms are the circumstances of life that challenge our faith, in God and His word.
1. And like being in the middle of an ocean when a storm comes up; there is little to hold on to, little stability!
D. While you can be sure storms will come in life, there are several things you need to be assured of during the storm.
E. This is my focus for today - How can I ride out the storms of life
F. What do I do when I am in adverse circumstances and I find my faith in God and His word growing weak?
II. Be assured That He Brought You Into The Storm
(Mat 14:22 NIV) Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd.
A. Jesus made them get into the boat
1. He sent them into the storm
2. It’s important to remember that Jesus was still Omniscient that day
3. He knew the storm was coming
4. He knew what lay ahead of His disciples
5. He deliberately sent them into the storm
B. The disciples found themselves in the storm because they were in the middle of God’s will
1. Many people believe that if they walk in obedience it will always mean “smooth” sailing…
(John 16:33 NIV) "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."
2. Some will tell you, or maybe you believe, if there are adverse circumstances, then I must be in disobedience or there is unconfessed sin in my life
3. Never judge whether you are in God’s will solely by the circumstances.
C. Spiritually speaking, there are two kinds of storms…
D. The storm of correction
1. This is when God uses adverse circumstances to bring correction to our lives
2. It’s a form of discipline to redirect us
3. Remember Jonah
4. God told him to go to Nineveh and preach
5. Jonah said “no” to God and headed out in the other direction
6. God used the storm to get his attention and get him back on track
E. Then there is the storm of Perfection
1. This is the storm of circumstances that God uses for a purpose to eventually help us grow
2. There is a specific purpose to this storm; a lesson God wants to bring to us, or an issue in our lives which the Lord wants to address
3. This was the storm the disciples found themselves in
4. The disciples were in God’s will, yet they were in a storm - God wanted to perfect them/ mature them/ help them grow
F. How do you know what kind of storm you are in… you will know
G. Be assured when you find yourself in a storm, if you are a child of God, He is the one who has brought you into the storm
III. Be assured you will get to the other side!
(Mat 14:22 NIV) Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd.
A. You’re not going to sink!
1. The minute some of us find the wind beginning to blow contrary, and the waters to get a little rough - we begin to think the worse
2. Some of you are champion worriers
3. the doctor says you have a cold, your talking pneumonia
4. The doctor finds a lump, your calling the next of kin
B. can I remind you of some things the Word of God says:
(Mark 11:22-24 NIV) "Have faith in God," Jesus answered. {23} "I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him. {24} Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.
(Mark 10:27 NIV) Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God."
(2 Cor 5:7 NIV) We live by faith, not by sight.
(Phil 1:6 NIV) being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
C. The devil may tell you that you are going down
D. your friends may say it’s a hopeless situation
E. at times you may think the storm will never end…
F. Be assured you are going to the other side!
G. You’re not going under, you’re gong over!
H. Tell your neighbor “it may look bad now, but just wait, I am getting to the other side”
I. Be assure you’re getting to the other side; be assured Jesus brought you into the storm
IV. Be assured He is praying for you
(Mat 14:23 NIV) After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone,
A. Jesus went up on the mountain to pray
1. From his vantage point He could see the storm clearly
2. He saw the condition the disciples were in
(Mark 6:48 NIV) He saw the disciples straining at the oars, because the wind was against them. About the fourth watch of the night he went out to them, walking on the lake. He was about to pass by them,
3. Know for certain that in the middle of your trouble Jesus is praying for you!
B. Often times when we are going through a stormy situation we feel abandoned by God
1. “OH, God doesn’t care
2. He’s too busy to realize how bad I have got it
3. Too often we begin having a pity party;
4. we invite our best friends, me, myself, and I…
5. We don’t want to be around other people so we isolate
6. Then we feel abandoned by our friends and God
7. God has forsaken me, and I am doomed!
C. Please know that even though you may feel all alone, you’re not, and He is praying for you
(Rom 8:34 NIV) Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died--more than that, who was raised to life--is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.
(Heb 7:25 NIV) Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.
(Heb 9:24 NIV) For Christ did not enter a man-made sanctuary that was only a copy of the true one; he entered heaven itself, now to appear for us in God's presence.
(Luke 22:31-32 NIV) "Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift you as wheat. {32} But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers."
D. Realize today that in your difficulty Jesus is praying for you!
E. He knows your circumstances, your fears, your doubts, your despair, and He is praying for you that your faith will be strengthened!
V. Be assured He will come to you in your storm
(Mat 14:25 NIV) During the fourth watch of the night Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake.
A. Read through the Psalms and you hear David complain that God seemed far from Him and unconcerned
B. The great apostle of faith, Apostle Paul, even he had his low points
(2 Cor 1:8 NIV) We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about the hardships we suffered in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life.
C. All of us go through times when it seems that God is not hearing us, that our prayers are not heard, and that He is far from us!
(Isa 43:1-3 NIV) But now, this is what the LORD says-- he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: "Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. {2} When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. {3} For I am the LORD, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior;…
D. He may not come at the time we think He should come… Because He knows when we need Him most
1. It is interesting to note that Jesus waited until their boat was right in the middle of that lake
2. As far from land as possible
3. all human hope of saving themselves was gone
4. He was testing their faith by removing every human possibility for success
E. Notice also, He came to them by walking on the water… Why?
1. First, because He needed to demonstrate to them that He was Lord over every circumstance.
2. Secondly, to show His disciples that the thing they feared the most, was the means He would use to bring them closer to Him.
3. The difficult experiences in life which we fear the most often become the very thing God uses to draw us nearer and strengthen our faith.
F. Notice also, that the disciples failed to recognize Him when He came
(Mat 14:26 NIV) When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. "It's a ghost," they said, and cried out in fear.
1. Usually Jesus doesn’t come in the way we think He will come…
2. Why didn’t they recognize Him? 2 reason:
a) They were not looking for Him
(1) had they been expeciting Him, waiting in faith, I believe they would have known Him immediately
b) They were blinded by their fears
(1) fear and faith cannot live together
(2) fear always blinds the eyes to the presence of Jesus
G. Be assured He brought you into the storm
H. Be assured you will get to the other side
I. Be assured He is praying for you
J. Be assured He is coming to you - wait in faith
VI. Be assured He will help you grow
(Mat 14:26-30 NIV) When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. "It's a ghost," they said, and cried out in fear. {27} But Jesus immediately said to them: "Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid." {28} "Lord, if it's you," Peter replied, "tell me to come to you on the water." {29} "Come," he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. {30} But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, "Lord, save me!"
A. Remember the whole purpose of this storm is to grow our faith, to mature us
1. Jesus knew He would one day leave the disciples
2. He know that they would face many storms in their ministries and lives
3. The storm was a necessary part of the preparation process
4. Like steel that is tempered… it must go through the fire in order to be strengthened
B. (Mat 14:27 NIV) "But Jesus immediately said to them: "Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid.""
1. Peter says; if that’s really you command me to come to you on the water
2. Before we criticize Peter for sinking lets remember a few things here:
3. First, he was the only one who got out of the boat!
4. Secondly, Peter must have had a revelation; somehow it connected in His spirit that if Jesus was there in the storm, He could enable Him to walk on top of His circumstances
5. Third, Peter did not really walk on the water, he walked on the Word -
a) Peters faith was on the spoken word of Jesus
b) Because He believed the word, and took his eyes off the circumstances, he did the impossible!
c) And so can you, when you take your eyes off the circumstances, and place your faith in His word, you will walk on top of your circumstances
d) During the storm, seek the word of the Lord
e) Don’t forsake the only place where you can find comfort and help
f) As long as you focus on the word, and not your circumstances you will walk through the storm
g) Seek the word, seek the word, seek the word, pray over it, meditated on it, believe it, walk in it as though it were fact, trust the word!!!
6. Peter’s only problem that day he got out of the boat is He took his eyes off of the Word
(Mat 14:30 NIV) But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, "Lord, save me!"
7. I am sure the other disciples were saying “hey Peter, you can’t walk on water”
8. maybe that’s when the thought crossed his mind, “hey, I am not suppose to be able to walk on water”>
9. When you redirect you focus off of the word and onto your circumstances, you will get that sinking feeling…
10. and when you get that sinking feeling - cry out to Jesus
(Mat 14:30-31 NIV) But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, "Lord, save me!" {31} Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. "You of little faith," he said, "why did you doubt?"
11. If you are sinking, call out to Jesus, and look for His saving hand -
12. Could the “saving hand” of Jesus not also refer to the body of Christ
13. Since we, the believers, are the body of Christ -
14. Don’t be ashamed when you are going through a storm to seek support from the body
15. you need the safety, comfort and help of the fellowship
16. One of the tricks of the enemy is to get you to stay away from church when you are going through a difficult time -
17. That’s not the time to stay away, it’s the time to press in.
18. Remember this old adage “ the banana that leaves the bunch gets pealed!
19. Every time the doors of the church are open, be there! You may be the saving hand of Jesus to someone in need!
VII. Be assured the storms of our lives will ultimately bring Glory to God and growth to our faith
(Mat 14:32-33 NIV) And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. {33} Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, "Truly you are the Son of God."
A. People around us are watching how we walk through our storms
1. eventually peace will come if we have steadfast faith in Jesus
2. When you walk with peace even though all hell is breaking out around you, your light will be shining brightly to everyone who sees you.
3. And God will be glorified
B. Be assured:
1. Jesus brought you into the storm… for perfecting
2. You will get to the other side
3. He is praying for you while you are in the storm
4. He will come to you in the middle of your storm - watch in faith
5. He will help you grow through the storm
6. He will be glorified through you;
