Where Is Your Faith? Series

“Where Is Your Faith?”

Luke 8.22-25

October 4, 2015 CFBC Chester, IL Dr. Mike Fogerson, Speaker

Introduction:

A I have a 1989 Cajun Special boat w/ a 40 hp Mariner Motor.

1 I love that boat, but the motor is sketchy.

a Last summer Lake and I were running trotlines on the Kaskaskia, in a slew that looks something out of Lord of the Rings.

aa The motor won’t crank over, we’re 3 miles from camp and an eerie feeling falls on us.

bb More so with Lake, I’ve been stranded before. . . I know the motor is sketchy.

cc Thankfully, a guy with a $140k boat comes by and tows our boat to within our camp (Lemond & Fred Sanford)

b A few summers back, we’re running jugs in Pinckneyville in the darkest of night and the worst storm I’ve ever seen comes up, white caps, winds kick up, lighting is filling the sky and we’re out trying to get our jugs.

aa I thought on that night that I might not make it back home. (Obviously, I did.)

bb There is a unique fear that comes upon you when you think you have the potential to die on the water. You start praying.

B Jesus and His disciples were in Capernaum (on the northwest tip of the Sea of Galilee). SHOW MAP

1 The Sea of Galilee (also known as Lake Gennesaret, Sea of Chinnereth, Sea of Tiberias, Sea of Galilee) is about 13 miles wide, 7 miles long.

a It’s the main source of water for Israel & Jordon.

aa It sits at about 680 feet below sea level, making it the lowest freshwater lake on the entire planet.

bb It receives its water from Jordan River on the northern part of the lake, exits from the south into the Dead Sea, which is 1,300 feet below sea level.

b She’s situated in a bowl-shape of the Jordan Valley, surrounded by steep hills on all sides, which is why storms kick up there out of the blue.

aa Cooler air from higher elevations and the Golan Heights rush into bowl, collides with the warmer air near the lakes surface, and you have a tempest in a tea cup.

bb In 1992, this lake created 10 feet waves that crashed into the city of Tiberias causing serious damage.

2 This is the Sea that men like Peter, James, John & Andrew had a living as fishermen.

a After a long day of ministering, teaching that Jesus told the disciples to get on a boat, we’re headed out.

b Luke 8:22-25 (NASB) 22 Now on one of those days Jesus and His disciples got into a boat, and He said to them, "Let us go over to the other side of the lake." So they launched out. 23 But as they were sailing along He fell asleep; and a fierce gale of wind descended on the lake, and they began to be swamped and to be in danger.24 They came to Jesus and woke Him up, saying, "Master, Master, we are perishing!" And He got up and rebuked the wind and the surging waves, and they stopped, and it became calm.

25 And He said to them, "Where is your faith?" They were fearful and amazed, saying to one another, "Who then is this, that He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey Him?"

3 I found a great deal of encouragement in these four verses that I hope I remember when rough times come. . . and I hope you do too.

a Vs. 22, “Now on one of those days . . .”

aa Have you ever had “one of those days?” (Sure)

bb Maybe yesterday was, maybe today is, maybe tomorrow will be . . . but rest assured, you will have one of those days.

b In the text we see how to react when we have “one of those days.”

c Let’s look at three constants that have never changed that can offer us encouragement when we have “one of those days.”

I The Devils is going to do what he does. (Raises storms)

A The Devil knew Jesus was go across the lake because Jesus spoke it into the atmosphere.

1 Scripture tells us that the devil is “the prince of the power of the air” (Eph. 2.2.)

a There is no reason to doubt that this life-threatening storm was not caused by the evil one.

aa When they launched out we’re not told that it looked like bad weather, storm clouds.

bb I promise you Peter, James, John or Andrew would have said something it looked sketchy.

b The Bible says, “. . . a fierce gale of wind descended upon the lake” v.23

2 This was powerful storm that began to swamp the boat . . . waves lapping up over its sides . . .taking on huge amounts of water.