Will you Grow in Faith?

Introduction

In this story Jesus and his disciples get in a boat to make the journey to the other side of the sea. During this trip a great storm arose that was troubling for the disciples. Obviously, many of them were fisherman and had likely been on the sea during storms before so given their reaction this must have been a larger storm than they were used to seeing and they were very afraid.

Apparently, before the storm began Jesus went and got a pillow and decided to take a nap. As the storm began to get wild and scary Jesus remained asleep. When the disciples looked around and saw how boistrous the storm was they began to panic. As they looked around they must have spotted Jesus just laying there sleeping as if nothing was wrong.

They go over to Jesus and they begin to wake him up. They say to him, “Master, carest thou not that we perish?” They woke him up and indicted him for the charge of not caring for them. They actually interpreted his peace in the situation for a lack of care for their lives when in reality he hadn’t even be awake since the storm started.

Jesus immediately gets up and takes care of the storm and then issues an indictment of his own; “Why are ye so fearful? how is it that you have no faith.”

Let’s see if we can grow in our understanding of faith this evening through this story.

Jesus Tries our Faith

In the previous verses the disciples have been listening to Jesus preach specifically about Faith. He talks about sowing the seed and the various ways that faith (or lack of it) effected the outcome, he talked about sharing the faith that we have received (which can be done by word or deed), he speaks about the fruit of faith, and finally he speaks about the small amount of faith that one needs to have to be able to do the will of God.

Then comes the trial of their faith. Let’s see what you have learned. “Let us pass over unto the other side.”

Now the storm comes. He goes over to the boat and he takes a nap. He knows what is coming, but he is completely at peace because he knows who he is. The questions is do the disciples have faith in who he is. Jesus answered that question for us when he said, “How is it that ye have no faith.”

You see it is not the circumstances that should determine our faith, but the circumstances, no matter how dire, should highlight our faith in God for other people. The disciples failed in showing their faith in Christ in this moment.

Jesus Teaches us Faith

Jesus knew exactly what was about to happen. Did Jesus set them up? Did he cause this storm to come just so he could point to the disciples lack of faith? Well, yes he did do this to highlight their lack of faith, but he did not do it to shame them or to expose them. This storm came so that he might teach them about faith. The fact that the storm came in their life was not a failure of their faith, but their panic and their despair showed their failure of faith.

Jesus wants us to have faith in him. There are times when he will bring storms into our lives so that he can teach us how to live and how to trust in him.

Jesus used the storm to help them see where their faith was lacking so that they could grow in their faith. Don’t be completely discouraged when you fail in your faith because it just may be a moment that God is using to teach you about your faith; your lack of faith, your need for faith, and the benefits of faith.

Jesus teaches us about our lack of faith

When we fail in our faith then it teaches us where our faith is lacking in our lives. It teaches where we need to increase our faith and learn to trust. It teaches us about the areas of life that challenge our faith the most. We need to learn from the times where we have a lack of faith because it will help us strengthen our faith.

Jesus teaches us about our need for faith

We need faith to be able to live life the way that Jesus intended for us to live.

2 Timothy 1:7 KJV 1900

For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

Did the disciples have a sound mind during this storm? No, they did not and this helps them see their need for faith in the midst of life’s storms. A Christian does not have to be running around in despair. They can be resting in the Lord, but they cannot do that without faith in him.

Jesus teaches us about the benefits of faith

One of the benefits of faith is that the storm does not have to be calmed before we are at peace. As you see in this story the disciples were living in fear and they were expressing despair. They were talking about dying. They were not talking about God’s protection, his promises, his love, his mercy, his peace. They were talking about their death. Carest thou not that we perish?

The benefits of faith for a Christian is that they do not have to despair. They do not have to live in fear. They can be a peace in the midst of the storm. Jesus was over their laying on the pillow; not because he did not care, but because he was trying to model how a Christian was suppose to exhibit peace in the midst of the storm.

Jesus Rebukes their Doubt

Mark 4:40 KJV 1900

And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith?

Notice he does not says they had little faith, or small faith, or lacking faith. He said, no faith. The disciples had not given any thought to peace. They were afraid. They were in despair. They were not at rest. They had already given up and came to the conclusion that they were going to die.

Jesus rebukes their lack of any faith. You mean you get into the middle of the storm with the Son of God in the boat and your first thought is that you are going to die? Now, before we get too upset at these disciples we need to realize that each and every day Jesus is with us in the boat of life and we still running around in fear and despair like the disciples were. Jesus rebukes this. We need to grow in our faith so that when we get into the storm we go over to Jesus and say, “Hey Jesus, I am going to lay down right here with you where all is at peace.” The storm may rage, but where Jesus is there is peace and we can rest in it.

Conclusion

This evening I hope that you will not just take these messages on faith and let them come in one ear and right out the other. The disciples listened to Jesus teach about faith all day long and the first test they were given they responded, not with faith, but in fear and despair. I hope this month as we examine the topic of Faith that we will understand it and grow in it so that we serve God in a more powerful way.

Jesus is going to try your faith? How will you do on the test? Jesus is going to teach you faith? How are you going to respond to his teaching? Jesus is going to rebuke you when your faith is lacking? How are you going to respond to his rebuke? Are you going to grow in your faith or you going to wallow in your despair?