I'm Suddenly Drowning - Should I Trust You Jesus, Really?

Introduction (5m)

Do You Trust, Jesus Really?

We want to.

We want to trust that Jesus will protect us and rescue us.

But what about when we suddenly find ourselves in the middle of a storm, when we feel like we’re drowning?

Story about trip back from Calais.

A bad storm, but never felt like my life was in danger.

What if I had? Would I have been willing to continue to trust that Jesus would protect and rescue me?

What about in the middle of grief, stress, worry, health concerns, employment worries, waiting for exam results?

Explanation (5m)

Elijah had seen God at work

He had had a tough time.

But he had discovered that he could trust God.

He had organised a contest on Mount Carmel between the people of Israel, who under King Ahab had turned to worshipping images of Baal, and he and God.

God had won.

He sent fire down from heaven and had consumed the sacrifice Elijah had made to him.

And Elijah had gone on to kill all the prophets of Baal.

Ahab’s wife Jezebel was furious and threatened to kill Elijah in response.

So Elijah had fled for his life.

He looked around at his circumstances, and found it hard to trust God.

He no longer wanted to listen to what God was telling him to do.

He felt too weak to carry on the calling God had given him as his prophet.

He no longer believed God would protect him and rescue him from Ahab and Jezebel.

Peter had been in Jesus’ presence for a while

Had lived with him, worked with him, been taught by him, witnessed many miracles by him ever since he had been called from the seashore of Galilee a couple of years before.

He had come to see that Jesus was God as a human being. He knew he could trust him.

And he did. Until he looked at the circumstances around him.

Peter had the faith to step out of the boat and walk on the water towards Jesus. He trusted him far more than you and I do.

But at the last minute, as he looked at the storm around him, he found it hard to continue to trust in Jesus.

He no longer wanted to listen to what Jesus was telling him to do.

He felt he was to weak to do what Jesus had told him he could do.

He was afraid.

Both Elijah and Peter discovered that only when they truly trusted God did they discover just how trustworthy he is

God spoke to Elijah in a gentle whisper and reminded him who was in control of the events surrounding him.

Elijah learned to trust God again.

Jesus reached out and pulled Peter from the water. Peter discovered Jesus really would protect him and rescue him from the frightening storm around him.

Peter continued to learn he could trust Jesus.

Application (5m)

We may find it hard to trust God

Especially when we find ourselves in difficulties.

Some of us are facing storms in our lives right now.

Some of us would like nothing better than to flee for our lives.

We may not want to listen to what God is telling us to do.

Perhaps it involves a risk, a change, something difficult.

We may feel we are too weak to answer God’s call.

We may look around us and be afraid, worried that God really can’t protect us and rescue us from whatever circumstances we find ourselves in.

But he can.

He is trustworthy.

You and I can trust him.

Will you shout with me, “God can be trusted!”

Next Steps

Video: When We Cannot See Our Way

Video: When We Cannot See Our Way - 3:00