Necessary Storms | John 6:15–21

Opening Remarks: Our last sermon in John saw Jesus turning five loaves of bread and two fish into enough food to feed 5,000 men, plus their families. It’s one of the most well-known miracles in all the Bible.

John includes it in His Gospel as a sign pointing people to the deity of Christ. Only God in the flesh could do something like that. And John hopes that the evidence will cause readers to believe in Jesus Christ.

This sign certainly created a stir among the Jews. They were so impressed by it that they immediately said, “This is God’s Son, let’s make Him our king!”

That’s where we’ll pick up our reading. Look at Vs. 15.

Yet another well-known miracle. Jesus walks on the water while the disciples are struggling to survive a storm.

And while we often consider the presence of a storm as an accident or mistake, we find out from this passage that certain storms are necessary. Following God means there will be times that we face “Necessary Storms.”

PRAY

Introduction: Storms are in the news this week. Tropical Storm Beryl is about to make landfall in Texas, where they expect it to build in strength and become a full-blown hurricane. Forecasters are predicting flooding rainfall, high winds, and even tornadoes as a result. They’re bracing for a rare mid-summer hurricane.

And while we feel the dangers of a storm like that, there’s also something fascinating about storms. It’s amazing how many shapes and sizes storms come in:

Southern Thunderstorms, South Dakota Blizzards, Oklahoma Tornadoes, Florida Hurricanes, Derechos like we saw here a couple of years ago, Damaging Windstorms, and Devastating Hailstorms. As I was thinking about storms this week, it dawned on me that South Dakota is one of the lucky states that gets to enjoy just about every type of storm except for Hurricanes. Aren’t we blessed?!?

And even though storms are dangerous, there’s something about their power and volatility that captures our attention.

That’s why any time there was a tornado when we lived in Oklahoma, half the people we knew were on their roof waiting to see it. Why you would go outside and get closer to the sky during a tornado never made much sense to me, but Okies can be hard to figure out.

One interesting point that came to my attention this week as Hurricane Beryl sets its sights on Texas is that a storm like that is actually helpful for the earth’s weather balance.

A Hurricane helps move heat from the warmer regions around the equator toward the colder polar regions. It balances out the earth’s weather. Now, that’s not overlooking the devastating damage they cause to property and people, along with huge economic impacts, but there is a balance from the storm.

Essentially, Hurricanes are Necessary.

(https://www.wpbf.com/article/florida-why-we-need-hurricanes/40095745 & https://www.clickorlando.com/weather/2019/09/06/why-we-need-hurricanes/)

I didn’t say fun. I didn’t say easy. I didn’t even say manageable. Sometimes they’re not. But they are necessary.

Which is a thought that actually helps us understand this text. Sometimes we face Necessary Storms:

How do we know they’re necessary?

Well, First….

I. God allows us to enter storms

That’s what happened to the disciples.

At this point, Jesus is the most popular He’ll ever be. This is the apex of His fame. After feeding thousands, they say, “Let’s make Him our King! Coronation Day!”

But that wasn’t the Father’s plan. So Jesus removes Himself from the situation immediately and retreats back to the mountain like He intended to do at the beginning of the chapter.

The accounts in Mark 6 and Matthew 14 tells us that He was going to the mountain to pray.

And we won’t read them now, but Mark 6:45-51 and Matthew 14:22-33 are parallel passages that give us this same account from the perspective of Mark and Matthew.

So Jesus sends the disciples down to the boat to cross the Sea of Galilee and head back home. In fact, comparing this account with Mark 6 and Matthew 14, Jesus actually constrains or compels the disciples to cross the sea in the ship at this time.

Mark 6:45 “And straightway he constrained his disciples to get into the ship, and to go to the other side before unto Bethsaida, while he sent away the people.”

Matthew 14:22 “And straightway Jesus constrained his disciples to get into a ship, and to go before him unto the other side, while he sent the multitudes away.”

Constrained means to compel. Jesus insisted on His disciples getting into that boat. That was His plan. And if that’s true, that means that the storm was part of Jesus’ plan for the disciples.

Vs. 17 says they entered the ship and headed out toward Capernaum. But as it got dark, a windstorm came along and the sea got dangerous.

At some point it’s only natural to stop and ask, “Why would He send them into a storm?”

It doesn’t seem compassionate or caring. It seems like the opposite of what should happen.

Illustration: Most of us will do anything to avoid a storm. Driving to California after Christmas, kept moving south to avoid the blizzard.

It’s in our nature to avoids storm at all costs. But apparently there will come times when a storm is part of God’s plan.

But why? Well, consider again what has just happened.

The multitudes want to make Jesus their King. They’re ready to crown Him.

That would put the disciples in a very favorable position.

Judas would suddenly become treasurer of the kingdom.

Peter might be Prime Minister.

John could become the King’s chief counselor.

It may have appealed to the disciples, but that wasn’t God’s plan. And before the disciples get too carried away with the thought, I personally think Jesus was trying to protect them from the temptation.

It seems as if He wants to use the storm to give them perspective.

In many ways, Jesus wasn’t sending them into danger. He was protecting them from a different kind of danger.

I would submit to you that it was safer in the boat facing the storm than it would have been to get caught up in what the crowd was saying.

Storms can balance us. They can bring perspective. They can remind of what is true.

Just like a Hurricane balances the heat from the tropics to the poles, a storm can help balance our perspective.

We get too comfortable. Too proud. Too focused on material things. We just live our lives without focus or seriousness, and sometimes a storm is about the only thing that will remind us just how small and insignificant and powerless we are.

I won’t spend much time on this, but there are two kinds of storms: Storms of correction and storms of perfection.

Jonah faced a storm of correction. He disobeyed God and needed to be reminded who was in charge.

But the disciples are facing a storm of perfection. They hadn’t done anything wrong. But Jesus was trying to purge them, to test them, to grow their faith, so he allows them to face a storm that would grow their faith.

Bro. Juan this morning - There is no growth without adversity. Last Sunday night, “There is no growth without struggle.”

If you’re facing a storm, make sure you recognize the storm has a purpose.

If it’s a storm of correction, take the correction. Get things right. Don’t hold on to sin. Confess and forsake it. Let the storm do its work.

But if you’re facing a storm of perfection, don’t miss what God is trying to do by getting angry or upset. Trust that the Sovereign God of the universe knows what you need. Mark 6 says He was alone on the mountaintop but He was watching them toiling in rowing. The God of Heaven is watching from above and He is interested in your plight. And He will come and deliver you one way or another, but first make sure you don’t miss whatever lesson He is trying to impress upon you.

When you face a Necessary Storm:

Remember there are times that God allows the storm.

Second…

II. Remember that storms give us an opportunity to face our fears.

This may not be exactly what you think.

The disciples were afraid, but notice it doesn’t say they were afraid of the storm. Fear isn’t mentioned until Jesus shows up.

Vs. 19 - The disciples weren’t afraid of the storm. They were afraid of Jesus.

These guys were professional fishermen. They knew what to do. They had faced nighttime windstorms on the water.

But, according to Mark and Matthew, during the fourth watch of the night, between 3 and 6am, after rowing about 3 miles and making very little progress, the thing that pushes them over the edge is seeing a figure walking on the water.

And I can’t say I blame them. I would struggle to hold myself together if I saw someone walking on the water.

Mark and Matthew both wrote that they thought it was a spirit. A ghost.

They’re in danger. It’s the middle of the night. They’re exhausted. They’re toiling in rowing. But the sight of Jesus is what causes their greatest fear.

Here’s a truth for us: Our greatest fear is not always the storm. Sometimes we’re more afraid of recognizing Jesus and handing Him control of the situation.

Rowing through a storm, that’s something they’d done before. But recognizing and submitting to Jesus in a storm, that’s a little harder.

Especially for manly men. Type A personalities. Guys who rarely need help with anything.

But they’re not the only ones.

I would submit to you that it’s often not the storms that scare us the most. It’s trusting Jesus to handle the storm rather than doing it ourselves.

We’re really good at pulling ourselves up with our own bootstraps. We’re not as good at saying, “Father, take the oar.”

Here’s why storms are necessary: They force us to face our greatest fear - the fear of letting Christ take complete control of our lives.

Listen, we have no reason to put our lives into God’s hands unless we face a situation too big for our hands.

The storms force us to stop rowing and look to Jesus for help.

There’s nothing more terrifying than giving up control when you’re used to doing it all yourself.

Illustration: Teaching my kids to drive. It’s a huge matter of trust to take my hands off the wheel and sit down in the passenger seat.

That will make you feel helpless. But that’s exactly what God asks us to do in the storms.

Friend, stop rowing and recognize Jesus.

It’s easy to pick up oars when it comes to your own health. You take matters into your own hands. That’s what you’ve always done. But faith means you finally stop feeling the pressure and trust Christ in the storm. He’s the Great Physician, not you.

It’s easy to pick up oars for our children. We want to always be there to watch over and protect and keep safe. But at some point, you have to put the oar down and say, “I can’t be afraid to trust God with my child’s life. He’s better at this than me.” By the way, that doesn’t get easier the older they get. They go to college, the move out. Trusting God with our kids is hard. But I know parents that worry themselves sick and at some point you’re going to have to trust that God is in control of their lives.

It’s easy to look at the state of our nation and try to pick up oars. Take matters into our own hands. Reinvest so we don’t lose our retirement. Worry over who gets elected. But, ultimately, we have to remember that God is the best at rowing, not us.

We are so dependent on our rowing that we think that’s how we get through storms.

But self-dependence ought to scare us more than anything.

Jesus said in John 15:5 “Without me ye can do nothing.”

We have no control. We have limited knowledge. Limited strength. Limited resources. Limited experience.

Yet we hold tight to the reins of our lives when we have a limitless Father.

Storms are Necessary:

God allows them, so He must have a plan for them.

They help us overcome our fear of surrender to the Father.

III. They clarify Who is truly in control.

Vs. 20

A. Jesus says, “I am. You have no reason to be afraid. I’m here. This storm is nothing compared to me.”

It’s easy to lose sight of everything else when a storm shows up.

If you’ve ever been caught in a blizzard, you’re not thinking about the big game.

If you’ve ever had a tornado bearing down on you, you’re not concerned about your bank account in that moment.

And storms of life do the same thing. If it’s big enough, you forget what is true.

A big obstacle can quickly make you forget that nothing compares to the power and love of the Father.

Romans 8:38–39 “For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Those verses speak both to Christ’s love and power. Nothing compares to Him. His love is immeasurable. His power in unconquerable. That’s the God who walks the waves in the middle of your storm.

We have nothing to fear in His presence.

One lesson the disciples learned is that Jesus cared about them. He was watching them from the mountain. He came to them in their time of greatest need. How would they have learned these lessons without a storm?

They learned of Christ’s power, but they also learned of Christ’s love.

And His love shines forth when He says, “Be not afraid, it is I.”

Both Mark and Matthew include the phrase, “Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid.”

How do you know if you’re focused on Christ during a storm? When you have good cheer. Peace instead of turmoil Joy instead of fear..

If the storm is causing panic rather than peace, then you’re likely not focused on Jesus Christ.

I’m not saying it’s easy. I’m not saying it’s fun. But, as a child of God, if the presence of Christ doesn’t make a difference in how we respond to the storms, then we are missing the lesson.

You have Christ’s presence. Be of good cheer.

Psalm 16:11 “…In thy presence is fulness of joy; At thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.”

B. Their willingness to receive Him moved Him to answer. Vs. 21

I just wonder how many times God waits to move in our lives until we choose to trust Him.

It wasn’t until “they were willing” that Jesus did something.

And notice, He didn’t answer this in a conventional way.

First, He came walking on the water.

And second, they simply ended up at the shore.

Only Jesus could get the credit for how this went down.

This was unconventional in every way. But in cases like this, only the Lord get the credit.

A healed body is not a doctor. It’s the Lord.

A restored relationship is not because of a skilled counselor. It’s God working on a heart.

A prodigal returned is not circumstantial. It’s divine.

God may use different means to see those things done, but at the root is a God who is working on hearts and doing miracles that can’t be explained except by saying, “He’s God. Only He could have done that.”

It could be that the Lord is waiting to deliver you because He’s waiting on you to learn to trust Him.

Storms are big. And scary. And dangerous. And they’ve been the cause of many Christian casualties.

They’re not fun. They’re not easy. But, at times, our Father deems them necessary.

If we focus on the danger, we miss the lessons.

But if we focus on a loving Savior, our faith can grow.

CIT: When we hold the oar, storms mean destruction. If we hand it God, storms mean growth.

Three closing truth:

1. Be more afraid of self-dependence than the storm.

The most dangerous thing in our lives is not a trial. It’s pride.

Self-dependence is pride. It leaves God out of the process and leaves the results up to us. That’s a disaster waiting to happen.

2. Hand God the oars, because He’s better at this than you.

Who do you trust more - you or Him?

So stop rowing and hand Him the oar.

Salvation - Can’t do it in your own strength.

Christian - Can’t live this life without His help.

3. When He delivers you, give Him all the glory.

Only Jesus could have walked to them on the water.

Only Jesus could have made the boat go right to shore.

But sometimes we get the answer we wanted and forget who did it.

When God moves in unexpected ways, make sure that you give Him the glory He deserves.

Don’t miss the lessons in your storm.

When we hold the oar, storms mean destruction. If we hand it God, storms mean growth.

If we can remember this, we’ll look back and see a storm that could have destroyed us become a turning point of growth in our faith.

That’s why Storms Are Necessary.

Not easy. Not fun. Not even manageable. In our strength.

But when we hand Him the oar, we find out just how Necessary The Storms Are to our growth.

They are for our good. For our growth.

Not easy. Not fun. But Necessary.