What Manner Of Man Is This?

(I cannot in full honesty claim credit for this message. Of course, the Holy Spirit should always be credited but the main idea and most of the passages are from a message I came across many years ago. I do not remember where or who it was from except it spoke to me and I knew it was anointed. So, with that in mind, I do hope you will be blessed by it.)

Luke 8:23-25 "Now it came to pass on a certain day, that he went into a ship with his disciples: and he said unto them, Let us go over unto the other side of the lake. And they launched forth. 23 But as they sailed he fell asleep: and there came down a storm of wind on the lake, and they were filled with water, and were in jeopardy. 24 And they came to him, and awoke him, saying, Master, master, we perish. Then he arose, and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water: and they ceased, and there was a calm. 25 And he said unto them, Where is your faith? And they being afraid wondered, saying one to another, What manner of man is this! for he commandeth even the winds and water, and they obey him."

I. This story of Jesus calming the storm is one of my favorite stories. Even though it took place 2000 years ago it has a message for us today. Jesus decided to go over to the other side of the Sea of Galilee so they all climbed into a fishing boat and began to cross the sea.

A. What I would like to point out to you is that life is like crossing a sea.

B. One of the things we all learn as we cross the sea of life is that it's not always smooth sailing.

a. Everyone has a testimony and about everyone can tell stories about the rough seas they have crossed in their lives.

II. Our scripture verse begins with "Now it came to pass on a certain day. . .

A. "On a certain day..." a. Life is full of certain days.

B. Life is also filled with many uncertain days.

a. In fact, every morning an "uncertain" day begins.

b. Only God knows what the day will bring and how it will end.

1. For some people, a new day means a baby is born.

2. For others it means life will end that day.

C. On the day we were born we entered a life filled with storms.

a. There are natural storms with thunder & lightning, wind, rain & hail.

b. Then there are spiritual storms that try your faith.

c. That is what happened to the disciples on the day they crossed the Sea of

Galilee.

D. "... on a certain day that he went into a ship with his disciples and he said unto them, 'Let us go over unto the other side of the lake."

a. On that certain day that you became saved, you not only received salvation, you also invited Jesus into your boat through life.

b. He came into your heart and said, "Now, let's go over to the other side together".

c. We're all looking forward to the "other side" but in our trip through life, the Lord has a plan and purpose for every one of us.

II. "And they launched forth. . . ." The day we got saved each one of us "launched forth".

A. Most of us couldn't wait to tell someone. Sometimes we used wisdom but a lot of times we went around with a big smile on our faces and assumed everybody wanted to hear what happened to us. We wondered why people began to avoid us. Even our closest friends.

a. It didn't take long to realize most people thought we had "lost it".

b. What we were trying to tell them is that we hadn't lost it. We found it.

B. Even though we are Born-Again, Spirit-Filled Christians, there are still seas to cross and we may have to go through many storms.

a. Sometimes God calms the storms for us.

b. Sometimes He lets the storm rage while He calms us down.

c. I believe that's what He wants most for us.

d. If we pray and the storm keeps raging, maybe we need to look to ourselves to see where our faith is.

e. Is it in our sight, the circumstance that we can see before us?

f. Is it in our hearing, by the things we are told?

g. Or is our faith in the Lord?

D. When we face a storm, Jesus will get us through it if we let Him take the helm and steer.

a. If we just launch out on our own we'll be led by the "flesh". We'll be led by our own reasoning, making our own provisions and we won't have any keys to open or close doors.