The Sleeping Savior Series

Introduction

A. Working at an airline ticket counter, I pulled up a passenger's reservation that showed his name as "Cole, Pheven." "I'd like to be certain our information is correct," I said to him. "What is your first name?" "It's Stephen," he replied. "I hope the reservation agent got it right. I told him it's spelled with a ph."

B. The outline for this sermon was given by Pastor Paul Viggiano of the Branch of Hope Church

1. Turn to Matthew 8:23 - 27

Matthew 8:23-27 NKJV

Now when He got into a boat, His disciples followed Him. {24} And suddenly a great tempest arose on the sea, so that the boat was covered with the waves. But He was asleep. {25} Then His disciples came to Him and awoke Him, saying, "Lord, save us! We are perishing!" {26} 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. {27} So the men marveled, saying, "Who can this be, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?"

a. Turn to Matthew 11:2-6

2. In chapters eight through ten of Matthew we read of various miracles Jesus performs

a. These miracles show that He is the long awaited Messiah

Matthew 11:2-6 NKJV

And when John had heard in prison about the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples {3} and said to Him, "Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?" {4} Jesus answered and said to them, "Go and tell John the things which you hear and see: {5} "The blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them. {6} "And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me."

(1) Turn to Matthew 9:6

b. These miracles affirm that He speaks the word of God

Matthew 9:6 NKJV

"But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins"; then He said to the paralytic, "Arise, take up your bed, and go to your house."

(1) Turn to Mark 1:41

c. These miracles reveal His love and compassion

Mark 1:41 NKJV

Then Jesus, moved with compassion, stretched out His hand and touched him, and said to him, "I am willing; be cleansed."

d. These miracles also demonstrate His power over sickness, death, the elements and the devil

(1) Lets turn to Matthew 8:23-24

II. Body

A. The Storm

Matthew 8:23-24 NKJV

Now when He got into a boat, His disciples followed Him. {24} And suddenly a great tempest arose on the sea, so that the boat was covered with the waves. But He was asleep.

1. This tempest was overwhelming

2. The boat was filling with water

a. Now we know that there were at least 4 experienced fishermen in the boat

(1) And these experienced men of the sea were afraid for their lives

(2) Their sailing expertise had reached its end

(a) The power of sickness

(b) The power of the devil

(c) And the power of the elements are impossible enemies for mere men, even the most skilled men

i) As we have seen in the recent tsunami, water can be quite deadly and people do not have an groundless fear of it

3. Now, Jesus, unlike the disciples, was fast asleep

a. He had worked hard all day and had the perfect peace of His Father

b. Here we have the Savior of the world sleeping on a boat

(1) Jesus, as we may have thought at times, gives the appearance of not caring

(a) Turn to Mark 4:38

(2) In Mark, the disciples run to Jesus and say

Mark 4:38 NKJV

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?"

(a) You know, sometimes it feels like Jesus, God, just doesn’t care

(b) Haven’t we been tempted to ask that same question during the storms of our lives? Do You not care that we are perishing?"

c. I am not trying to change this storm into some kind of illustration, it was real and Peter, Andrew, James and John, the men we know were experienced fishermen, were really afraid

d. To these disciples, this literal storm was a storm of life

e. What should we consider, what should we think, when it seems like Christ doesn’t

(1) It was and is not uncommon for the disciples of Christ to see, to use a biblical phrase, that Jesus’ arms seem to be too short

(a) Turn to Psalm 121:1-4

(b) Those in the boat with Jesus had not learned the fullness of Christ