28: Where is Your Faith? (Luke 8:22-25)

A young boy lived in the country. His family had to use an outhouse, which the young boy hated. It was hot in the summer, cold in the winter, and always smelly. The outhouse was located near the creek so the boy decided that he would push it into the water when the spring rain made the creek and so the boy pushed it in.

Later that night his dad told him that he and the boy needed to make a trip to the woodshed. The boy knew this meant punishment. He asked his father why to which his dad replied, "Because someone pushed the outhouse into the creek and I think that someone was you. Was it?"

The boy nodded. Then he added, "Remember when George Washington's father asked him if he had chopped down the cherry tree? He didn't get into trouble because he told the truth."

"That might be true," the dad said, "but his father was not IN the cherry tree when he cut it down."

We all come to times in life where the circumstances that surround us seem to be out of our control. And many times it’s not until we’ve done all we can do in our own power that we desperately cry out, “God…where ARE You? Don’t you see or care what’s going on?”

Here’s an example from King David…

Psalm 13:1–4 (NIV)

1 How long, LORD? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me?

2 How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and day after day have sorrow in my heart? How long will my enemy triumph over me? 3 Look on me and answer, LORD my God. Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death, 4 and my enemy will say, “I have overcome him,” and my foes will rejoice when I fall.

And then he turns the corner. He remembered that circumstances shouldn’t dictate his attitude. Instead, he shifts the focus from his circumstances to his Savior.

Psalm 13:5-6 (NIV)

5 But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation. 6 I will sing the LORD’s praise, for he has been good to me.

If you somehow have come to believe that trusting God means you will never have difficult days, then allow me to bust your bubble. Tough times WILL come for us all…and it’s during those moments that we are faced with the question Jesus asked His apostles 2000 years ago, “Where is Your Faith?”

PRAY

Luke 8:22–23a (NIV)

22 One day Jesus said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side of the lake.” So they got into a boat and set out. 23 As they sailed, he fell asleep…

It is likely that Jesus & His disciples were near home at Capernaum when they get in a fishing boat and, according to verse 26, the region of the Gerasenes - seen on the map as ‘Gadara’. This is an 11 mile journey over the Sea of Galilee, [pic of Sea of Galilee] a body of water notorious for sudden & violent storms as the cold winds from the mountains collide with the hot air on the lake’s surface.

Sometime during the journey, Jesus fell asleep. It’s hard to beat a good nap on the water!

But suddenly the weather took a turn for the worse…

Luke 8:23b (NIV)

23 …A squall came down on the lake, so that the boat was being swamped, and they were in great danger.

The boat begins to fill with water & things were looking bad for the home team. I don’t know if you’ve ever been in a boat filling with water, but I have.

After years of sailing a small sunfish on our family vacations my dad decided to trust me enough to go out with me. The boat seemed sluggish and didn’t respond to my adjustments very well that day. We made the turn in deep water boat instead of turning…the boat capsized. There is my dad…on his maiden voyage…trusting his son…and hanging on for dear life! Kinda what I expect it looks like when you try to baptize a cat! And my faithful father, my hero…bails out, swims for his life, and LEAVES me to right size this boat that had filled with water…it was NOT pretty! And 20 years later…I’ve ALMOST forgiven him!

That’s what the disciples felt like…they were desperate for some help…feeling like God had bailed out on them.

Luke 8:24a (NIV)

24 The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Master, Master, we’re going to drown!”…

Here are several fisherman, expert sailors, who knew all about handling a boat in many a violent storm on this particular lake. Yet now they run to Jesus, a carpenter who has never handled a boat. They were desperate. Their skill and pride could not get them out of this one. Maybe Jesus can help…MAYBE…

Have YOU ever been there? You’ve done ALL you can do in your own power…and now it looks like the boat’s going down…and you cry out in desperation…maybe God can help…maybe

Listen how the other 2 synoptics put it.

Mark 4:38 (NIV)

…“Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?”

Matthew 8:25 (NIV)

…“Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!”

Can you imagine these guys yelling all these things while the wind blows, the rain falls, & the boat continues to fill…But then…

Luke 8:24b (NIV)

24 …He got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters; the storm subsided, and all was calm.

Can you imagine seeing THAT!? A man speaks to nature…and it obeys!

At this point some people might baulk and say this is just a fairy tale because miracles aren’t scientifically possible. Then I have a question…How about the creation of the universe? You have 2 options:

Something came from NOTHING….

or Something came from SOMEONE.

Either way…planets, stars, atmospheres, people, plants, & animals…formed from NOTHING…that sounds fairly…MIRACULOUS!

Let me remind you of the miracles that the physician, Dr. Luke, has recorded about Jesus up to this point:

Jesus cast out a demon in the synagogue (4:33-37)

healed Peter’s mother-in-law of a high fever (4:38-39)

after that Jesus healed MANY people of sickness and cast out demons (4:40-41)

After a long night of unsuccessful fishing, Jesus put them on the largest catch they ever experienced (Luke 5:4–11)

Jesus healed a man with an awful skin disease (5:12–15)

Then Jesus healed a paralyzed man and claimed something incredible…to forgive his sins! (Luke 5:17–26)

On the Sabbath at a synagogue, Jesus healed a man with a withered hand (Luke 6:6–10).

Jesus healed a Gentile, a centurion’s servant…without even seeing him (7:1-10)

He raised the Widow’s son during the funeral procession (7:11–17)

Now Jesus rebukes the storm on the sea…and then rebukes the storm in their hearts.

25 “Where is your faith?” he asked his disciples.

What a loaded question! Where is your faith?

We could certainly imply this short question to mean, “After all this time…after all you’ve seen…Do you trust ME or not?”

So although Jesus was IN the boat with them, but they were convinced they were in trouble! How could that possibly be? Didn’t the KNOW who He was?

As is about to become obvious, they still had not put the puzzle together.

In fear and amazement they asked one another, “Who is this? He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him.”

Tired from a day of work, Jesus - the man - closes His eyes and drifts off to sleep. The threatening weather doesn’t threaten Him in the least. Yet when awakened from His rest this MAN commands the winds & waves to rest…and they DO! Who IS this?

This question is the same question Luke wants his audience to ask. 'Who IS this?’

WHO is more powerful than the winds and water?

“Who is this? He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him.”

The Psalmist answers this question.

Psalm 93:3–4 (NIV)

3 The seas have lifted up, LORD, the seas have lifted up their voice; the seas have lifted up their pounding waves. 4 Mightier than the thunder of the great waters, mightier than the breakers of the sea— the LORD on high is mighty.

BIG TRUTH: HOW you Trust depends on WHO you TrustBIG TRUTH: HOW you Trust depends on WHO you TrustBIG TRUTH: HOW you Trust depends on WHO you TrustBIG TRUTH: HOW you Trust depends on WHO you Trust

BIG TRUTH: HOW you Trust depends on WHO you Trust

I wonder how this experience impacted the apostles later in their ministry, when Jesus wasn’t physically present. Did they still hear the echo of Jesus’ question: ’Where is your faith?’ For example, when the apostles were flogged by the Sanhedrin - just as Jesus had said would happen - they didn’t question whether Jesus cared…Instead…

Acts 5:41 (NIV)

41 The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name.

BIG TRUTH: HOW you Trust depends on WHO you TrustBIG TRUTH: HOW you Trust depends on WHO you TrustBIG TRUTH: HOW you Trust depends on WHO you TrustBIG TRUTH: HOW you Trust depends on WHO you Trust

BIG TRUTH: HOW you Trust depends on WHO you Trust

When your Master can cast out demons, heal diseases, raise the dead, and calm the storm…When your Master is crucified to pay for your sin & raises again…

Ask the apostles the night before they were beheaded or crucified…’Where is your faith?’ and I think they would respond by answering their own question from YEARS BEFORE - ‘Who IS This?’

He is the God-Man, the King of Creation, and when tough times come…

BIG TRUTH: HOW you Trust depends on WHO you TrustBIG TRUTH: HOW you Trust depends on WHO you TrustBIG TRUTH: HOW you Trust depends on WHO you TrustBIG TRUTH: HOW you Trust depends on WHO you Trust

BIG TRUTH: HOW you Trust depends on WHO you Trust

The same is true today. Our difficult days will come, the days that the boat gets swamped and we wonder if the Lord even cares. During THOSE times…’Where is your faith?’

A couple of weeks ago I ran from my house toward the smoke coming from Tommy Hardee’s house. The house was being torched. Tommy was trying to get some items out of the house. I went over and knelt beside him and asked if he was okay. He responded, ‘What’s most important is okay. The house can be replaced.’ I had no answers to ‘WHY’. Still don’t. But Tommy & Kaila are gonna make it because…

BIG TRUTH: HOW you Trust depends on WHO you TrustBIG TRUTH: HOW you Trust depends on WHO you TrustBIG TRUTH: HOW you Trust depends on WHO you TrustBIG TRUTH: HOW you Trust depends on WHO you Trust

BIG TRUTH: HOW you Trust depends on WHO you Trust

Have you answered the KEY QUESTION, “Who IS this?” Will you TRUST Jesus with your life? At least 2 of our teenagers did that this week at camp. They humbled themselves and asked Jesus to forgive them.

Believers - Prepare yourself for the tough times…because they WILL come. Read the Scripture, seek Godly friends, share the good news, and answer the question everyday: “Where is your faith?”.