Where Your Faith At?
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Oh boy y’all didn’t even know this was coming did you? Some of ya’ll did because I mentioned it Wednesday. I am so excited today. This message is one that has been on me for a couple of weeks and then pastor and I talked and then he said what he said last week about faith and even though I didn’t “know” I was preaching today because Pastor didn’t ask me until Tuesday of this week, I just started prepping and praying. Can I tell you something. I am just going to be a bit transparent right here with yall. A pulling back of the curtain. I love to preach and to talk about the word of God. There is something about it. When I stand up behind this pulpit or down there behind the music stand, there is an anointing that comes on me. It is not an anointing that I am bragging about but the 45 min to an hr I am preaching up here is freedom for me. Right before the messages starts I hear nothing but my voice or the voice of the enemy in full blast. What are you doing. You can’t be up here teaching them. You know what you have done. You know you blew it. You know what a failure you are. I mean I am telling you. Every day of my life it never shuts up. Then I get here and I pray and I start and the voice is gone. Altar time voice gone. Then as soon as I am done and I close it out, voice right back. So if you wonder why I preach so long, lol its not because i like my own voice its because the longer i am under his anointing the longer i stay free.
So let’s jump right in. As I read this, when I pause, you say the word. There is a reason we do this as teachers. People learn one of 3 ways. Auditory, visually, and kinetically. So with this we hit all three. You hear it, see it, and say it.
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. A squall came down on the lake, so that the boat was being swamped, and they were in great danger.
First of all let all the pharisees exit the building today because we gonna get real and if you can’t admit to being real or you can’t get real with us in the room, we may not have the right relationship with you. I don’t need no hermeneutics lesson or debates on theology with me after this statement. but sometimes for me maybe I am the only one, it seems that in my biggest storms of life, Jesus is knocked out. Is it only me. I know figure out he was there at the end but in the heart of it. I am like Jesus you asleep. You hearing me? If I had it my way, Jesus when I have everything under control and just like I like, go ahead and take your nap. I’ll drive for a while its all good. But when the storm comes, I need you to be alert and ready. You ever had the frustration of as long as evryhting is going well, you sit down to read your bible and Holy Spirit, drops 18 things on ya that you have never heard before and the angels come to sing the ahhhs. But when the storm of life is happening you sit down to read your bible and can’t even find Genesis from Revelation. I mean you just trying to read anything hoping it will help. Talking about let me just flip through and point.
If that is you want you underline that in your bible or write it down and we will come back to it. Why does it seem that Jesus is asleep during my storms?
For the record on my computer I am a tab guy. I always open previous tabs on google. I have probably 16 open right now on my laptop at home. Every time someone gets on my computer they ask about my tabs. I say you betta not close them. So we are going to create some tabs today but we will close them.
23 As they sailed, he fell asleep. A squall came down on the lake, so that the boat was being swamped, and they were in great danger.
24 The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Master, Master, we’re going to drown!” He got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters; the storm subsided, and all was calm.
Let’s talk about it. Yall know how I do. The phrase they use. Put 24 up there. What do they say to Jesus again. Master Master we’re going to drown.
I need you to see the tension in this phrase right here. That it is almost two polar opposite ideas being expressed here. And don’t none of yall dare judge them. Because you sing in this building every sunday about how he is your master and a good good father but then sit down on your couch on Sunday evening and your bills have become your master. Or your tv. Or your phone. Or your relationship. Aint it crazy that out of our mouth we declare he is master, but then anxiety causes us to forget and it becomes our master. I mean he is master but then your kids keep you up at night in turmoil because youve allowed them to become master. I want to remind you right here right now HE IS STILL MASTER!!! My aunt lisa used to sing a song I know the master of the wind. I know the maker of the rain. He can calm a storm and make the sun to shine again. I know the master of the wind. He is the master. If he is the master then he is master over the storm. If he is the master, he is the master over my emotions. if he is the master then he is master over my kids, my finances, my job.
So in there mouth they say master master which shows an intimacy but they are then declaring something the opposite in the second part of sentence. You cannot call him master master then follow it up with we are going to drown.
OH BOY Come on Holy Spirit....God is not moved by your circumstances or situations. I am going on a Holy Spirit trail right here that was given. You know how many times a person brought something to Jesus and describing their situation, his response was You know what youre right. that is pretty bad and unfair. let me fix that for you. zero. Instead he would say things like your faith has made your whole. by their faith get up and walk. I have never seen faith like this. But you wanna run the list about how hard your life is. I am preaching this to me just as much as it is to you. And not one of us been on a cross. We cannot out suffer the Suffering Servant. You can’t tell Jesus enough to make him feel sorry for you. He was on a cross. He was beaten. You sitting in a whole house, with a full belly, driving a car, to a job, talking about oh lord don’t you care that I am drowning Master.
Their feelings are talking. We are going to drown. We are scared. It is so bad. But we have been in church long enough to know that I have to cover that with master master. How often do your feelings come out and you attempt to cover that with religiosity. And you got the nerve to approach Jesus talking about master master, I can’t afford to tithe. Master master I don’t want to be embarrassed talking about you. Master master, I am too tired to go to church today. Master master, you know my heart.
What comes after Master Master is actually your master.
Master master the storm is actually in control. Master my feelings are in control. Master being comfortable is my master. Y’all really quiet today that must mean I am hitting home on this. Let’s move on
24 The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Master, Master, we’re going to drown!” He got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters; the storm subsided, and all was calm.
This is a very interesting word right here. What did he do to the storm? He rebuked it. How many parents are in the room? How many of you would punish your kid for doing something wrong they didn’t know was wrong? All the good parents know
You instruct ignorance but rebuke rebellion.
I cannot rebuke a kid if he didn’t know what he was doing is wrong. I have to first discern whether the he knows what he is doing is wrong or not. Some of yall like nope just pop him for good measure. Thats for if you was thinking of doing something wrong. But if little jimmy don’t know. I have to teach. But if little jimmy eyeing me as he is reaching for that cookie i told him not to grab. And he just testing to see what am I gonna do. He daring me and I am daring him. We gonna have issues right? I discipline rebellion.
Jesus has to rebuke the storm, because the storm had taken His place as their master.
We want Jesus to just come and speak the word calm the storm and go back to sleep. But what if he has to rebuke it because you think more of it then you do of Him. What if he has to rebuke it because it has so consumed your life that you follow it closer than you do Him.
Then he ask them a question. A powerful question because with Jesus is it not just about miracles it is about transforming us. It is the same with the woman with the issue of blood. You realize that she got her miracle as soon as she touched Jesus. Jesus could have kept on walking she could have gone back home. But Jesus knew that her issue wasn’t her issue. It was about her identity. So he has a conversation with her and calls her daughter. The only woman to ever get that title. For Jesus the realization of who she was was way more important than the physical healing. Or when the father brings his boy to jesus because the demon keeps throwing him in the fire and in the middle of that the demon makes the boy spazz out. Jesus doesn’t deal with the boy until he deals with the faith of the father. The father says I believe but help my unbelief.
If Jesus doesn’t do the transformation you will never sustain the miracle.
So look at this. He gets the storm handled then immediately starts a conversation.
25 “Where is your faith?” he asked his disciples. In fear and amazement they asked one another, “Who is this? He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him.”
I think most of the time we misinterpret this. If I walked up to and said where is your car? That would automatically imply that I know you have a car. If I come up to you and say where is your husband. That would automatically suppose that you have a husband. I am not asking that prophetically. lol He is not saying they have no faith. He is saying the faith they have has been misplaced. When Jesus says where is your faith, he is not saying you do have faith but your faith is in the wrong thing. A lot of people think they have a faith problem, but the truth is they have a location problem. Your faith in your job. Your faith is in your spouse. Your faith is in your 401k. Your faith is in your pastor or your church. Your faith is in the government. Your faith is in stuff that will pass away. Put your faith in the imperishable. So ask yourself where is your faith.
My faith is not whether or not you like me. My faith is in the identity given me. In this culture right now we have too many who put faith in their likes and stuff. So Jesus ask where is your faith.
Jesus has no problem quantifying faith. He says people have great faith in one instance, in another so little faith he couldn’t do anything then another in the most back handed compliment of Jesus and says your faith is so small, but if you have it like a mustard seed then you can still move mountains. Its like Jesus saying your faith is garbage but I can work with it. lol Its me on the tug of war rope when I was a kid. Your big but not strong. Get in side the loop and just sit down. We can still use you. The only issue is that their faith is not in Him.
You have so much faith. Faith has been given to you. All of you in here wouldn’t be here if you didn’t have at least some faith because you have to beleive that God exist and that is faith. The problem is you keep putting that big faith in past experiences, yesterday’s hurts, earlier relationships that failed and yet they keep popping up over and over because you put faith in that is exactly what will happen.
Your faith is a tool. It is a tool given to you. You know I know this. We are told to take up our shield of faith. That means to put it in your hands to use it. I can talk about pastor since he isn’t here. He is probably watching so no need to text him. If you put a hammer in his hand, he can really mess some stuff up. Then he will have to call me to use that same hammer to put some stuff together. A hammer in my hand can get some things build in his could be a disaster. Faith itself is neither positive nor negative. Faith is neutral. It works for you or against you based on how you use it. Which is why guarding your heart and shutting your mouth is so vital.
Oh here we go I will say this again what I said Wednesday. It is so easy for people to leave the church or church hop because they have put their faith in the wrong person. My faith is in Jesus who died on the cross and rose again and is the Son of the Most High God and as long as he is alive, I will be in the church serving and volunteering because my faith is in him. No matter who is faithful in the church or not. How you gonna leave church for 6 years cuz someone else wasn’t faithful to their call. Where is your faith?
25 “Where is your faith?” he asked his disciples. In fear and amazement they asked one another, “Who is this? He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him.”
Why in the world with all the things that Jesus has done, do they now marvel in fear and amazement because he stops the storm.
Because they, like you and I, have hoops they want Jesus to jump through before we believe.
Lord if you will do this, if you will take care of this, If you will remove this or bless this. then I will follow you.
It reminds me of another time in scripture that another set of people were told to cross over to the other side. 12 men were sent to spy on the land. Just look at the land and tell us if it is everything God said it was. Because if it aint we ain’t going but if it is, i guess we should go. So the men go. Look at this.
30 Then Caleb silenced the people before Moses and said, “We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it.”
31 But the men who had gone up with him said, “We can’t attack those people; they are stronger than we are.”
32 And they spread among the Israelites a bad report about the land they had explored. They said, “The land we explored devours those living in it. All the people we saw there are of great size.
33 We saw the Nephilim there (the descendants of Anak come from the Nephilim). We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them.”
Caleb and Joshua said let’s go. It is exactly what God said it is and he told us to go possess it. So let’s go. I don’t care what ever else is there. God knows the enemy there and he aint worried so why you worried.
Then the men gave a bad report. Not an untrue report. Notice that. It was bad because they were placing their faith in themselves to defeat the enemy. Caleb and Joshua, let’s go get it. The rest we can’t go get it because they are big. BUT YOUR GOD IS BIGGER! Where is your faith. They had been so beat up in Egypt they couldn’t see past it.
You will not inherit an Israel blessing in an Egypt mindset.
10 of the men were just content not to be slaves any more. Let’s stay right here because at least this is better than it was. Yeah but this isn’t what God said. Well good may not be God and if you stop and good and don’t press on to God you will miss it all.
You must relocate your faith and put it where it truly belongs.
They tell us that we live in the most worry filled or anxious time ever in history. You know what anxiety is…a sign that you are creative. Because an anxious person has created a scenario of their future. I mean an anxious person will go into the future to see what will happen and then come back and live the life that will lead up to that outcome. You know what they really are doing misplacing their faith. If you can use your imagination and creativity to create a future that is doomed and gloomed and full of destruction, you can also in faith use that same imagination and creativity to create a world full of God and His presence.
YOU MIND BELONGS TO GOD SO PUT A HARNESS ON YOUR IMAGINATION. Remind the devil that you belong to Him. Your mind belongs to him. Harness that imagination to empower your faith to trust him.
You have been struggling with anxiety or worry place your faith in Him. It is not faith in you. It is faith in Him.
You are called to renew your mind but how
1 If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.
2 Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.
If you focus on Him, your mind will be transformed. Set your mind. Make a determined effort hello, to focus on the one. The more I focus on Him the smaller everything else gets.
You say to God, the mind belongs to you and you are the only authorized dealer to fix it. Come on folks. You know, how you have voided your warranty because you let someone work on your phone and they were unauthorized.
Take your brokenness to the only one qualified to fix you.
If you can worry, you can worship.
If you can focus on all the things going wrong. All the things stacked against you. All the things you don’t have. Then you can harness all that focus and put it toward the one who matters. Why because Jesus is an ever present help.
Ever present.
Ok yall hold on for a moment. Here comes the nerd ok.
Present is a two part word. Pre which before and sent which means at hand. So he was pre sent. You trying to look at what might happen in 2026 and God is saying I know what will happen and I am already here. So when you show up in 2026 the answer is already in place waiting on you. It happens all the time. I can worship in the middle of the valley because he will never leave me and I have faith in that. So in the storm I have a decision to make. Am I going to worry or worship.
So where was their faith? They told you. Master Master we are going to drown. Their faith was in their drowning. Their faith was in their demise. Their faith was in the ability of the storm to destroy them rather than the savior to save them. We are going to drown sounds like faith. They didn’t say we may drown. They didn’t say Jesus it does appeareth that there is a lot of waterth gettingeth intoith the boatith. They said we are going to drown. Drowning is for certain. How much conviction is in that. Faith is not always positive it is neutral. How you use it is whether it iwill be for you or against you.
worship time
Oh more nerd…You know the major idol that the israelites would turn to? The god baal. You know what ball was in control of? Storms. Part of his deal was the storms. So here is Jesus taking control of the thing they attributed to another God to show his power over the devil.
Because the devil doesn’t just show up on your security camera with his pitchfork and horn and tail and be like I am here to mess with you. Bow down and worship me. He knows most of us would never do that. He wanted to receive glory rather than reflect glory. He know you are too saved to just show up. He wraps himself up in the storms of life. If he can get you worried bout stuff. If he can get you anxious about the storm. He then gets you to move your faith from God to him. He gets you to move your worship to him.
This is why Jesus rebukes the storm. Because when he wakes up he realizes this isn’t natural. This isn’t happening as it is supposed to. The storm is just storming. But Jesus detects that it is a supernatural distraction sent to rid them of their peace, and awe and worship of Him. Becuase what you give your attention to you will eventuall give your allegiance to and what ou give your allegiance to you will give your worship to.
Do not be deceived!! He wants to steal your focus. So you can be in this room and be thinking about all your problems.
Where should their faith have been.
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.
Their faith should have been in what he said.
If he told you that you are getting to the other side keep going!!!!!