Weathering Your Life Storms

Weather

Always fascinated with weather

Comes and goes

Changes things

No one can do anything to stop it

If Gathering/Men’s Advance/Rush Camp

Mountaintop experiences

Witnessed the Holy Spirit do things in our hearts that are breathtaking

New commitments

Rekindled fires in our hearts

Then we have to return from the mountain back down into the valley

Then we come back home...

…and get hit with life

And we face life’s storms

It is these life storms that often serve to derail so many

who want to follow Jesus with their lives,

who desperately want to see victory in their lives,

but sadly give up

because they became discouraged and despondent over their struggle in their storms

One of 3 stages

Either:

Coming out of a life storm

Currently in a life storm

About to go into a life storm

Today, we are going to read about a literal, weather-related storm

And as we do, we will discover how we can not just endure our own life storms,

but come through them in a manner in which we can bring even more glory to the One we worship today

Luke 8:22–25 (ESV)

22 One day he got into a boat with his disciples, and he said to them, “Let us go across to the other side of the lake.” So they set out,

23 and as they sailed he fell asleep. And a windstorm came down on the lake, and they were filling with water and were in danger.

24 And they went and woke him, saying, “Master, Master, we are perishing!” And he awoke and rebuked the wind and the raging waves, and they ceased, and there was a calm.

25 He said to them, “Where is your faith?” And they were afraid, and they marveled, saying to one another, “Who then is this, that he commands even winds and water, and they obey him?”

In order to better weather life’s storms, it is vital that we know and are confident of at least three things:

1. Know What Truth Is Not

A. It Is Not in my expertise or skills

At least 4 of the 12 disciples were fishermen

Very familiar with the sudden storms on Sea of Galilee

However, when they fished, they usually only went a few hundred yards from shore

Not used to crossing the entire lake

Yet Jesus invited them to cross over to the other side of the lake

And none of their experience or skills had prepared them for this storm—at this level of intensity—for this length of time

Truth

Regardless of how many life storms you have gone through up to this point

You will still face one that will be more:

More trying

More severe

Longer in duration

Than any other you have endured before

Therefore, truth will not be found in you or your expertise, or your experience

B. It is not in the waves

Violent waves

Water sloshing into the boat

Boat was taking on water

Yet that was where the focus of the disciples was found

Result: fear and terror

Reason: perspective

Surfing/bodyboarding

when you’re paddling out, the waves look huge

have to duck dive to avoid getting slammed

But when you catch one

You ride on top of it

Where you are on the wave changes how you perceive the wave

Even though the wave is real

Your perspective of that wave can change

Truth

Even in the midst of a terrifying moment as a severe storm such as this

It is vital for us to remember that the truth is not found in the waves of our storms

2. Know What Truth Is

A. Know Who Truth Is

He is asleep in the boat

Lk 8:23 “But as they sailed He fell asleep. And a windstorm came down on the lake, and they were filling with water, and were in jeopardy.”

Where was truth?

He was asleep in the boat!

Why was He sleeping?

You can sleep when You know where You are going

You can sleep when you know you will get to where you are going safe and intact

You can sleep because You are not afraid

Do you realize that as you go through your life storm, that You are not alone in your boat?

Do you realize that Truth is in the boat with you?

If you do, do you understand that Truth has control of your storm?

B. Know What Truth Is

What The Truth had said

Lk 8:22 “Now it happened, on a certain day, that He got into a boat with His disciples. And He said to them, ‘Let us cross over to the other side of the lake.’ And they launched out.”

Jesus told the disciples where they were going to go

He did not tell them what the circumstances would be like on the trip

But fear caused the disciples to forget what the truth was:

That they were going to go to the other side of the lake

Question for you:

As you are in the midst of your life storm,

Do you know what God has already told you in His word about who He is, about how He works, and about who you are?

Ladies, do you remember the truth of Psalm 23?

Gents, what did the Holy Spirit teach you out of the word this morning as you read your Bible?

Students, how did you try to apply the truths you discovered and learned from Rush Camp over this last week?

If you do know, how much time do you spend letting your mind marinate in that truth?

Meditate=marinate

If you don’t know, that is what Jesus established this church for: to help you discover those truths

The 40-day reading challenge is but one example of this

At the end of this service, you need to find one of the leaders that I will be pointing out to you in a few moments to ask them for help

3. Know How I Need to Respond

A. Where to Look

Stop focusing on the waves

Stop focusing on the water in the boat

Start focusing on Who is in the boat

Binoculars

How to focus on Who in the boat:

Spend time praising who He is

Spend time thanking Him for what He has done

Reason for the Bible

Reason you need to take up the challenge to read through the NT in 40 days:

This is the set of binoculars that work to get your focus on just Who is in your boat

And how big, how strong, how powerful, how loving, how gracious, how merciful, how good He really is

B. Who and What to Trust

Don’t trust your own experience

Don’t trust your own talents and skills

Trust the One in the boat

Trust what the One in the boat has already said to you

Trust in what the One in the boat with you has provided for you

He’s provided His presence

He’s provided His promises

He’s provided His body, the church

So you don’t have to face your storms alone

C. Who to Worship

Disciples were terrified when the storm stopped

Disciples were incredulous

Lk 8:25 “But He said to them, “Where is your faith?” And they were afraid, and marveled, saying to one another, “Who can this be? For He commands even the winds and water, and they obey Him!””

Worship the One who has control over every aspect of your storm

Consider this

Had you not gone through the storm

You would not have known that even that storm is subject to the commands of Jesus

Now What?

Some of you may be on the verge of giving up

Your storm has been too much for you

You need to remember Who is in your boat

You need to remember What He has already said

You need to worship Him—put the binoculars on Him, not your storm

Commit to reading the NT in 40 days

You don’t have to go through your storm alone

Jesus gave you His church to weather this storm with you

Elders in the atrium

Women in the front

You need to find them and ask them to pray for you, with you, today

Some of you may not have Truth in your boat

You have never received the gift of everlasting life

John 3:16 NKJV

16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

Again

Find an elder

Find one of the women’s ministry leaders

Ask

Most important answer you will ever receive…ever