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When Faith Falters

June 23, 2024 / Mother Liberty CME Church / Sermon

When Faith Falters

Regardless of the level of our spiritual attainment and our constant striving to maintain a steadfast faith in God, there comes a time in all our lives when our faith in God seems to falter, when our faith seems insufficient for the crisis through which we are passing.

Of course, this isn’t a situation peculiar to us, but rather it is one that is common in the lives of believers past and present, and so it was with the disciples on the boat.

Mark: 4:38 Don’t you care.

Jesus and the disciples had gotten into a boat to go to the other side of the lake. Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. As a severe storm came the disciples woke him in fear and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” Mark 4:38 He woke up rebuked the wind and said Peace be still.

Why didn’t Jesus immediately react?

The actions or inactions of people are often interpreted to show how much they care for or don’t care for others. If a person does nothing at all when another is going through a hard time, it is usually interpreted as if he does not care.

With this type of automatic interpretation, it refuses to know or understand the reasoning behind the refusal to act in the situation. There may be greater knowledge behind the Sean as to why one could help but does not help.

God, being the creator of everything and in complete control, will often tell His follower to go forward into what appears to be dangerous and deadly. Walking with God will, at times, appear to be life threatening.

As the water began to fill the boat after the wind had blown so harshly against the boat with each wave, they became frantic and felt that at any moment would be the end.

They finally reached the point to doubt God. As they pleaded within their heart, how can a good God know what we are going through and do nothing about it. So here they are scared, defeated, disgusted, and feeling left alone as finite, not really in control, human beings, many will be afraid when danger arises before them that threatens their life or well-being. Immediately many are like the disciples crying out to God, asking if He really cares about them. They often feel as if God has sent them forward to their death.

Christian/Christlike people, need to know that when God send them forward on a path, it is for a purpose. Most often, He will bring them through to the other side. If He does not, the reality is that they will arrive on the other side stepping into eternity in heaven.

That’s not what you want to hear, you want to know that God can get you out of a bad situation in life and leave you here on earth. Sometimes it doesn’t happen that way, but God will ultimately take care of us.

Here on the brink of despair. Here with nothing that they could do or say. So, what should they do?

Somehow, they had enough courage to realize somethings that, even we in our day of enlightenment have not come to realize, that is their trouble could not be solved by the rearrangement of the environmental factors, nor by reckless actions. But by renewal within/in other words, overcoming their fear and doubt. So, they went to the one place where they had known certainty before, and there they found it again. There safely in Jesus.

Before we come down too hard on the disciples, we need to remember that they were just growing into their faith. While they may have questioned Jesus’ care for them, at least they had the idea that He could do something about the problem. This shows that they knew He had some extraordinary power and authority. Their question “Don’t you care?” was also an indignant affront to Jesus’ so,

After rebuking the storm, Jesus issues a rebuke to the disciples as well: “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?” (Mark 4:40). In essence, He was also saying “Peace, be still” to the disciples. “Calm down. I was always in complete control.” Asleep or awake I was in control.

When we read the account of Jesus’ saying “Peace, be still” today, we need to remember that Jesus is always in control of our circumstances, and, when we trust Him, He will calm the raging inside our souls. When we find ourselves raging and tossing and turning on the inside, Philippians 4:6–7 tells us what to do: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

Critical Moments: Homelessness-Lost saving in the stock market, Gambling, home in foreclosure, Business bankrupt, can’t’ pay student Loans, lost my job, living in an abusive relationship, Alcoholism, Drug addiction, Prostitution, death, and unfavorable diagnosis. So, what do I do? This is not a cliché’

Go to church: (1). Go to Church. Somehow all of us need this understanding. Well, you are saying I’m in church, yes, you are, but there are family members friends, neighbors, husbands, wife’s, children, and many people that we encounter every day that isn’t in church. Some of them even live in our homes. What bothers me and should bother you is people talking about their struggles of life and yet they stay away from their source of help-The church of the living God. Nor am I Irked anymore than by the refusal of those who have sickness and talk about that God can heal them and never come to the source of their healing. (I am not talking about the home bound). Nor am I saying that the church is the only place that God can be found? Not at all. But I am saying since the day of the children of Israel God has set aside a special place for his people to come and meet him, and that place is the church. And thus, you are more likely to find him there than anywhere else. And furthermore, had Jesus not seen the church as important to our physical and spiritual well-being, Jesus would not have given his life for it, nor would the early Christian have given their lives for it.

When our faith falters, it brings us to doubt the wisdom of God’s government of the world. It doesn’t matter if Russia and South Corian president come to together, it only God’s government that will stand. Yes, we may be concerned that someday the way we live could be threatened. I stand to say trust in the lord, Psalms 121:3-4 reminds us that God does not sleep nor slumber. He who keeps you will not sleep, and he who keeps Iseral will not sleep. Jesus showed his humanity on the boat and went to sleep. But the Good who sent him, his father was not asleep. That why Jesus was always in control.

If God exist, He Will note cease to exist because a doubter Is temporarily unconvinced of his existence.

this passage not only reveals Jesus’ true humanity, but also Jesus’ deity because only God can make the “winds and water obey” (Luke 8:25). With one quick word from Christ, the storm abated and the sea became calm (Mark 4:39). The apostles marveled at this powerful display of Jesus’ supernatural ability over the elements (Luke 8:25). This can be immensely comforting to the Christian in a storm. Faith in Christ is never misplaced. If He can calm the storms of the sea with one word, He can calm the storms of life as well

When we read the account of Jesus’ saying “Peace, be still” today, we need to remember that Jesus is always in control of our circumstances, and, when we trust Him, He will calm the raging inside our souls. When we find ourselves raging and tossing and turning on the

Corrie Ten Boom The author of the Hiding Place. Her autobiography of her life. When Aldol Hitler sieged Normandy she and her family was taken into captivity and sent to a concentration camp, because a friend deceived her and told soldier that she and her family was hiding Jews and helping them to flee. After 10 days’ after they arrived, her father was killed. She and her sister lived to be transferred to several camps and lived in the most despicable condition. Her sister was badly beaten and abused and so was she. Finally, her sister died and left her alone. She said she became afraid at 53 yrs. old, in solitary confinement. She said that you must go where the Lord send you. She said they was sent to the deepest part of Germany where there was no hope to ever return. She said after arrival at the pit of no return her clothes were taken away in the middle of winter, and was replaced with something less than rags, she was given a number 77630. She was less than a human. While her faith faltered, she remembered psalms 91. He who dwells in the secretes places of the most- high shell abide under the shadows of the almighty. I will say to the Lord He is my refuge and my fortress; my God In him will I trust. She was reminded (do not fear these people) there’s no pit so deep and dark that God cannot see you there. She said her fear left here and she was able to take the next step.

Before she was accidently released from the concentration Camp three day before her sister died and 96,000.00 women had been killed. She lost her father, sister, and many relatives and close friends. But her faith that had faltered wasn’t faltering any longer because she had walked with the lord, and he had assured her that he would never leave her. He was not asleep. I was impressed when she said she had to forgive Roman 5: 5. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our heart by the Holy Spirit that was given to us. This venomous deed over the length and breadth of a nation of people was designed to defy justice and kindle hatred and bitterness among the races. She watched that evil movement toward the nation to one of its highest pitch resentment hatred and betterment and wondered how long wickless would go unpunished? And then it happens that voice of rage bitterness and resent can hardly speak even words of love. The ways of the wicked lives not forever. We are not rejoicing we simply recognize that God is in control.

Abraham, it took him 25 yrs. to get

inside, Philippians 4:6–7 tells us what to do: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” While it is great to see the storm around us calm down, it is even more as an important that our souls are calm in the midst of the storm. God has not promised to bring peace to every storm, but He has promised to give us peace through any storm if we will trust Him to take care of us.