Navigating the Darkest Storms of Life!
Journey Through the Gospel of John • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Introduction
Introduction
Over the past two weeks, we have considered the many spiritual trials that God often allows in our lives. He allows them with the purpose of helping believers grow spiritually. Without these trials, many of us would not have grown spiritually. Our job is to be ready for when trials arrive and embrace them, as James 1:2 tells us. Christ presents another test in the gospel of John, challenging the disciples' faith and obedience during a dark storm. Many of us have faced similar challenging tests in our lives, feeling isolated and alone. In today's text, the disciples find themselves in a similar situation.
14 Then those men, when they had seen the miracle that Jesus did, said, This is of a truth that prophet that should come into the world.
15 When Jesus therefore perceived that they would come and take him by force, to make him a king, he departed again into a mountain himself alone.
16 And when even was now come, his disciples went down unto the sea,
17 And entered into a ship, and went over the sea toward Capernaum. And it was now dark, and Jesus was not come to them.
18 And the sea arose by reason of a great wind that blew.
19 So when they had rowed about five and twenty or thirty furlongs, they see Jesus walking on the sea, and drawing nigh unto the ship: and they were afraid.
20 But he saith unto them, It is I; be not afraid.
21 Then they willingly received him into the ship: and immediately the ship was at the land whither they went.
Here is an important point to remember before we dive into today’s message.
Obedience to Christ does not remove obstacles.
For example, the disciples obeyed Christ when they fed the 5,000, and they learned the right response to a spiritual test. However, their obedience did not prevent further tests or obstacles from coming their way. Christ himself sent them straight into this subsequent trial, which was even darker and more difficult than the first. This is evident in one of the parallel passages found in the Gospel of Matthew.
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.
Even during life's toughest trials, we can successfully navigate them using God's guidance. Once again, faith and obedience play a crucial role in helping us through the darkest storms. Here is the first point from our text today. In times of great trial...
We must CLING to Faith!
We must CLING to Faith!
16 And when even was now come, his disciples went down unto the sea,
17 And entered into a ship, and went over the sea toward Capernaum. And it was now dark, and Jesus was not come to them.
Faith is an interesting thing. In Hebrews 11, the Holy Spirit describes faith as the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen.
1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
We see an illustration of this by way of Christ’s absence. Christ instructed His disciples to get into the boat and row to the other side. Then, He stayed behind to pray. While He was praying, the disciples were rowing and facing an oncoming storm. It must also be noted that it was dark; the sun had gone down, and a storm was approaching. If you have ever been on a lake, sea, or even the ocean at night with a storm approaching, you know how dark it can get. I remember being in a cavern with the lights off, and it became so dark you couldn’t see your hand in front of your face. There are times when the storm is approaching, darkness has settled in, and you know that you are alone. These men were alone. Christ was not with them. He removed himself from the equation. He let these men arrive at a place where He was not near them. They could not, as another time when He was in the boat sleeping, go to Him, wake Him, and plead for His help. No, they were on their own.
Have you ever been in that same place? There might be some of you here this morning in such a place even now. God seems distant. You know He is God. You know He is your savior. However, for some reason, this storm is different. You don’t feel His presence, and you are not sure if He even cares. The great news is that you are not alone in this feeling. These disciples experienced it even when Christ was walking the earth physically. For us today, we feel this way, and we know that He is not here. But is that really true?
There is something wonderful happening while these men are in the midst of this great storm. Yes, Christ was not there. Where was Christ, and what was He doing? Let's go back to Matthew’s account.
Go with back to Matthew’s account.
23 And when he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was come, he was there alone.
As the men faced one of the fiercest storms of their lives, Christ was praying. He wasn't there with them, but He hadn't abandoned them. Instead, He was praying.
I want to emphasize this point: in times of great trials and tests, we must cling to faith. Remember, faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen. You might feel that Christ has abandoned you this morning, but I'm here to remind you that He hasn't deserted you. Quite the opposite is happening. Listen to the promise of 1 John 2:1.
1 My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:
Now add to that verse Romans 8:34
34 Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.
Did you see it? There are two things that Christ is doing for us right now. We may not see Him, and He may not be here physically, but we can have faith that He is advocating for us and interceding on our behalf. The Holy Spirit attests to this in these two verses. “Advocate” is the same Greek word for “comforter,” used for the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit, who dwells within us even though we may not see Him in any physical manifestation, also intercedes on our behalf. Thus, we have two advocates that are invisible to the naked eye but are very real and highly active. The word “advocate” literally means someone who speaks on behalf of another, usually in a court of law. The great news is that Christ and the Holy Spirit are constantly speaking (praying, if you will) on our behalf. They do so all the more as we face the darkest of storms. Christ demonstrated this in the spiritual storm these men were facing, and He does so even today. Therefore, we must cling to the belief that they are doing so. It is our lifeline. It is our hope. Here is the next thing we must do to navigate life's darkest storms. Amidst the dark storms of life...
We must PERSIST in Obedience!
We must PERSIST in Obedience!
Let’s go back to our text.
17 And entered into a ship, and went over the sea toward Capernaum. And it was now dark, and Jesus was not come to them.
18 And the sea arose by reason of a great wind that blew.
Okay, let’s set the scene once again: Christ instructs them to row to the other side, but He is not with them. It is already dark as they set out in obedience. They are rowing when a "great wind" starts blowing so hard that the sea is rising around them. Matthew provides the following description.
24 But the ship was now in the midst of the sea, tossed with waves: for the wind was contrary.
They are now in the heart of the storm. It is dark. The wind is making things difficult. The sea is churning all around them. What are the disciples doing now? Did they quit? Did they give up? The answer is no. They persisted and persevered in their obedience to Christ.
19 So when they had rowed about five and twenty or thirty furlongs, they see Jesus walking on the sea, and drawing nigh unto the ship: and they were afraid.
Mark notes in his account the following.
48 And he saw them toiling in rowing; for the wind was contrary unto them: and about the fourth watch of the night he cometh unto them, walking upon the sea, and would have passed by them.
These men were determined. Even though Christ was not with them and the storm was raging, they continued to row, demonstrating their obedience. What's even more amazing is John's account noted that they had rowed 25 to 30 furlongs, which is about 3 miles in today's terms. The Sea of Galilee is 8.1 miles at its widest point, so they hadn't even reached the halfway point. Assuming they left after sunset and Christ came to them in the fourth watch, between 3:00 A.M. and 6:00 A.M., they had been rowing for close to 5 to 6 hours. Despite only having rowed 3 miles and not yet reaching halfway across the sea, they continued rowing. It's likely they were tired, discouraged, and overwhelmed, and starting to lose hope. Yet, they persisted in rowing. Even as Christ saw them and started His journey towards them, they did not quit.
The point here is that no matter how dark the storm may be, it is not the time to quit. It is the time when we must persist in our obedience to Christ. It is a time when we must lean into 1 Corinthians 15:57-58.
57 But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.
If we remember 1 Corinthians 10:13, we are reminded that God always provides a way out of difficult situations. With this in mind, we already have victory over life's most challenging times. To maintain this victory, we must stand firm and unwavering in our faith. Additionally, we should constantly engage in the work of the Lord through obedience. Another important point to remember when facing tough times is to rely on two principles that are not directly mentioned in today's text but are found throughout the Word of God and are highly relevant. When doubt creeps in...
We must HOLD FAST to His Promises!
We must HOLD FAST to His Promises!
As we know, Christ came to them. He demonstrated His authority over creation as He walked on top of the water as if walking on dry land. Seeing Him walking across the water caused quite a stir.
19 So when they had rowed about five and twenty or thirty furlongs, they see Jesus walking on the sea, and drawing nigh unto the ship: and they were afraid.
In Matthew, we read.
26 And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit; and they cried out for fear.
There is some humor in Mark’s account.
Mark 6:48–50 (KJV 1900)
48 And he saw them toiling in rowing; for the wind was contrary unto them: and about the fourth watch of the night he cometh unto them, walking upon the sea, and would have passed by them.
49 But when they saw him walking upon the sea, they supposed it had been a spirit, and cried out:
50 For they all saw him, and were troubled.
The humor is at the end of verse 48. Note that Christ was walking on the sea and “would have passed by them.” Christ was on His way to the other side. It seems a little humorous when you think that Christ was walking right past the boat and would have kept on going had they not seen Him.
Yet, they did. They saw Him and they did not recognize Him. Instead, they thought He was a ghost. Imagine their situation. They are in the middle of the sea. It is extremely dark, with the wind howling against them and the waves crashing all around. They row with all their might to stay afloat and make it to the other side. They are weary. And then, a ghost appears. They are in trouble now. Fear grips them, and thoughts of dying enter their minds. As far as they knew, Christ was nowhere near.
Let's revisit the beginning of this story.
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.
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.
As I understand it, Christ sent the disciples ahead on the ship with the plan to meet them on the other side. His instructions came with the promise that He would be there waiting for them. It's important to remember that Christ is God and He always keeps His promises. Even though the disciples were still learning this, we know today that Christ never fails to uphold His Word. All the disciples had to do was hold fast to His promise to meet them on the other side. This is why the Holy Spirit recorded in Mark that Christ "would have passed by them" – He was fulfilling His promise, ensuring that they would make it to the other side regardless of the circumstances. No amount of wind, waves, or fear could stop Christ from keeping His promise.
However, let's not be quick to judge. We too often lose sight of God's promises during the darkest storms. Doubt creeps in, circumstances seem overwhelming, and we lose focus. We know that part of this story is Peter's attempt to walk on water, but that's a different story for another day. Peter also failed when he took his eyes off Jesus and focused on the circumstances.
The point is this: we cannot afford to let doubt creep in. Instead of focusing on the darkest storms, we must hold fast to His promises. The phrase "hold fast" is seen several times in Scripture, for example, in 1 Thessalonians 5:21.
21 Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.
In the original Greek, "hold fast" means to hold onto something firmly. The concept is about clinging to something as if your life depended on it. This meaning is found in 6 different verses in the New Testament. Interestingly, in each of those verses, we are encouraged to firmly hold onto God’s promises. One of the more notable of these verses is Hebrews 10:23.
23 Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)
That is our point. We must HOLD FAST without wavering and without doubt that He is faithful who promised. The Holy Spirit used Paul to say it this way.
6 Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:
How do we survive the darkest storms in life? We cling to our faith in Christ. We must persist in obeying His commands. We must hold fast to His promises as if our lives depended on them because they do.
And there is one last thing we must do.
Through it all...
We must TRUST in His Unwavering Love!
We must TRUST in His Unwavering Love!
How do we see His unwavering love in this story?
First, we see His unwavering love as He brings about each spiritual test so that we might grow.
35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.
Second, we see His unwavering love as He prays for us.
15 I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.
16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.
Third, we see His unwavering love as He speaks to us through His word and says, “Be not afraid.”
1 But now thus saith the Lord that created thee, O Jacob, And he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine.
2 When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; And through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: When thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; Neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.
3 For I am the Lord thy God, The Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour: I gave Egypt for thy ransom, Ethiopia and Seba for thee.
Fourth, we see His unwavering love as He always fulfills His promises to us.
56 Blessed be the Lord, that hath given rest unto his people Israel, according to all that he promised: there hath not failed one word of all his good promise, which he promised by the hand of Moses his servant.
21 And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform.
Christ demonstrated that same love to his disciples. He challenged them with trials, both small and great so that they would grow and be a testimony to him. He prayed for them as they were being challenged by one of the darkest storms to date. He spoke to them with words of great assurance, dispersing their fears. He fulfilled his promise. I love how this story ends here in John.
21 Then they willingly received him into the ship: and immediately the ship was at the land whither they went.
Conclusion
Conclusion
How do we navigate the darkest and fiercest storms of life? We do so by using the great spiritual tools of obedience and faith. During times of great trial, we must cling to our faith in Christ as the God of the Universe. When we are in the darkest moments of our life, we must persist in our obedience to His commands. If doubt starts to creep in, hold fast to His promises. And through each trial or temptation, we must trust in His unwavering love.
