Into the Unknown: Calming the Storm
The Way, the Truth, and the Life: Studying Jesus Through the Gospels • Sermon • Submitted • Presented • 1:06:19
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Introduction
Introduction
We continue our study through the life of Christ this morning, remembering that last week we finished up studying the first major grouping of parables that Jesus taught. We ended by looking at a couple of parables that teach us both the value of the Kingdom of God and the cost of discipleship.
Today, as we continue our journey of following Jesus, we find Jesus in the evening getting ready to sail to the other side of the Sea of Galilee. But before He is able to leave, he is approached by some men.
19 And a certain scribe came, and said unto him, Master, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest.
20 And Jesus saith unto him, The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.
21 And another of his disciples said unto him, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father.
22 But Jesus said unto him, Follow me; and let the dead bury their dead.
Luke tells us of yet a third man that came wanting to follow Jesus.
61 And another also said, Lord, I will follow thee; but let me first go bid them farewell, which are at home at my house.
62 And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.
Looking at these men, we see first, a scribe. We have seen that not all the scribes and not all the Pharisees were hostile toward Jesus, and this particular scribe is one that is willing to follow Jesus. However, Jesus responds to, not the Scribe’s words, but his heart, when He tells the Scribe that he has no house or shelter of His own. This is implying that to follow Jesus, the Scribe would have to be comfortable with that. Eager to declare his discipleship, the Scribe had not counted the cost.
The next person that speaks to Jesus seems to be one of the disciples, we do not know which, and we do not know if it is one of the 12 or one of the other many disciples that Jesus had. But this disciple asks to go bury his father. But it was necessary for Jesus to leave at that moment, and Jesus says, “Let the dead bury their dead; you follow me.” This is not Jesus advocating that sons be irresponsible in the care of their parents. Nor is it a call for children to dishonor their parents. In fact, Jesus will make a point to call out the Pharisees for dishonoring their parents.
What Jesus’ response to his disciple that wishes to go and bury his father teaches us is that if life ever comes down to a choice between fulfilling earthly responsibilities or following Jesus, following Jesus should always come first. We will see throughout this session and the next why it was so urgent for Jesus to leave now, and for that particular disciple to follow Him.
The third man that tells Jesus that he will follow Him is presumably one of the multitude that had stayed behind seeking deeper understanding of the parables. We do not know how long this many has been away from his family as he has followed Jesus, but now he is ready to commit to following closely in a full-time fashion. However, he asks Jesus to allow him to go back to say goodbye to his family.
And Jesus responds that you cannot follow me with one eye on family and one eye on me. This may seem to us at first glance to be uncompassionate, but this is exactly what Peter, Andrew, James, and John went through. They immediately left their boats, nets, and families to follow Jesus.
Again, Jesus responds to peoples’ hearts, and it could be that Jesus understood that if this man were to go back to his family, his heart would not be totally with Jesus.
So who ends up following Him? Matthew 8:23
23 And when he was entered into a ship, his disciples followed him.
The disciples are the ones that follow Him into the ship. The one that wanted to bury his father, he’s in the ship. The scribe and the other man are not.
And this call, this call to follow Jesus, turns out to be a dangerous call.
Into the Unknown
Into the Unknown
We rarely find Jesus telling His disciples what the endgame of His plans are. Though in this case, He does tell them what the immediate plan is. The story we are about to study is found in Matthew, Mark, and Luke. Both Mark and Luke tell us that Jesus relays the destination to the disciples. Look at Luke 8:22
22 Now it came to pass on a certain day, that he went into a ship with his disciples: and he said unto them, Let us go over unto the other side of the lake. And they launched forth.
They are on one side of the Sea of Galilea, and Jesus says, “Let’s go to the other side.” So they push off and begin their journey.
Now, Mark tells us that when they leave shore, other boats leave with Jesus.
36 And when they had sent away the multitude, they took him even as he was in the ship. And there were also with him other little ships.
These were probably people from the multitude that are now eager to follow Jesus to see what He is going to do on the other side of the sea.
So Jesus and the disciples begin their journey to the other side of the Sea of Galilea, and Jesus has had a very long day. So, Jesus goes to sleep in the back of the boat, the stern.
23 But as they sailed he fell asleep: and there came down a storm of wind on the lake; and they were filled with water, and were in jeopardy.
Sometime during their trip, Jesus falls asleep, and while He is sleeping, a storm arises. Luke here tells us that the ship is in jeopardy as they are filling with water.
Mark tells us Mark 4:37
37 And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full.
The wind is so strong that it is beating on the ship, and because of the winds effect on the waves, the ship is full of water.
24 And, behold, there arose a great tempest in the sea, insomuch that the ship was covered with the waves: but he was asleep.
The waves were so high and relentless that Matthew describes it as if the ship was not only full of water but covered in water. They were in trouble, their ship was sinking.
That we know of, none of these disciples had anticipated this storm. According to many people that have been in the region and according to commentators, both ancient and modern, wind storms like these were a regular enough event on the sea of Galilea, but they would appear suddenly and violently, without any kind of warning.
The danger is real. The ship is filling with water, Luke says. It is full of water, Mark says. And Matthew pretty much tells us that it is about under water.
But Jesus? He’s asleep. We do not know how long this storm went on. We do not know how long the disciples had been trying to handle the situation on their own. But eventually, they cannot continue. They left ill-prepared for this storm, and now it seems as if all will be lost.
“Master, We Perish!”
“Master, We Perish!”
The disciples, knowing that even the four experienced fishermen are not going to eb able to help them through this, finally decide to go wake up Jesus.
24 And they came to him, and awoke him, saying, Master, master, we perish.
Then he arose, and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water: and they ceased, and there was a calm.
Master, we perish!
Look at how Matthew record it. Matthew 8:25
25 And his disciples came to him, and awoke him, saying, Lord, save us: we perish.
Lord, save us; we perish!
Mark records it as well, and I want to pay careful attention to how he records it because it gives us a detail that the other gospels leave out. And this detail provides us the means to understand something that, at least for me, it took years and years of trying to explain this.
38 And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish?
Notice what they say to Jesus. “Lord, save us!” “Master, we are in danger!” And over the cacophony of voices, one cries out, “Master, don’t you even care that we are about to die?”
“Peace, Be Still.”
“Peace, Be Still.”
So what does Jesus do? He calms the storm.
39 And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.
He rebuked the wind. Matthew says that he rebuked the wind and the sea. Luke tells us that He rebuke the wind and the raging of the sea. Basically, Jesus put the nature in time-out.
And what happened after that? Nature listened - there was a great calm.
“O Ye of Little Faith”
“O Ye of Little Faith”
So, after calming the storm and there being a calmness where there was at one point raging wind and super high waves, now there is peace. A great calm.
Jesus rebukes the sea and the waves, and judging by what He says next as He turns to the disciples, it looks like he may have a rebuke for them also.
40 And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith?
25 And he said unto them, Where is your faith?
26 And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm.
Oh ye of little faith.
I struggled with this for a very long time. Why would Jesus say that they had little faith for coming to Him in a time that was dangerous? I thought that going to Jesus with your needs is an act of faith?
So as I started to really think about this, this is what came to me. It is not a show of little faith that the disciples went to Jesus and asked them to save them. The little faith showed in that they were afraid. They believed, even if it was for just a moment, that Jesus did not care about them. Notice the phrasing that Mark records, “Master, don’t you even care that we are perishing?”
So Jesus rebukes the wind and waves and then turns to them saying, “Oh ye of little faith, why were you afraid?” Here is Jesus, once again speaking to the heart of those around Him.
But the good news is that they had at least a little faith - faith enough to call on Jesus.
“What Manner of Man Is This?”
“What Manner of Man Is This?”
Of course, a miracle of this magnitude will cause wonder and amazement. Luke 8:25b
25 … And they being afraid wondered, saying one to another, What manner of man is this! for he commandeth even the winds and water, and they obey him.
The word “afraid” means that they were in awe. And why were they in awe? Because they thought to themselves, “What manner of man is this?” What kind of man is this who speaks to and commands the sea and the wind, and they obey Him?!”
And I want you to remember, it is not just the disciples that saw it. Remember, tossed by that same sea were a bunch of other little boats that were following Jesus and His disciples.
This miracle establishes Jesus as having complete authority over the forces of nature. Not only does He command the spiritual realm. casting out demons from those possessed; not only does He have control over the realm of physical health; not only does He have complete access to the psyche of each individual, knowing and properly judging hearts and minds; but now Jesus demonstrates absolute authority over the forces of nature as well.
And the response by those that witnessed it all, those that have seen Him exercise authority in every other area of life? “What manner of man is this?!” Well, the fact is that Jesus’ disciples would have now been even more convinced of Jesus’ divinity. Because they would have know passages like Psalm 62:11
11 God hath spoken once; Twice have I heard this; That power belongeth unto God.
Power belongs to God. Just as Jesus did not cast out demons or heal by any other name, He did not perform this miracle in any other name. He spoke, and because Jesus is the Creator King, creation obeyed.
Part of Jesus’ reason for coming to earth was to demonstrate power as proof that He is indeed the Son of God. And like His parables, even His miracles proclaimed the Kingdom of Heaven. Every time Jesus healed, it foreshadowed the fact that in the millennial reign of Jesus upon this earth, there will be no sickness. Every time he cast out a demon, it foreshadowed the fact that Satan and his minions will be bound and powerless for a thousand years. Every time Jesus responded to sinful thoughts and lying hearts, He foreshadowed the fact that in His thousand year reign, there will be no sin and no struggle with sinful thoughts and attitudes. And now, as He commands the forces of nature, Jesus foreshadows the fact that as King, He will not only have the rule over people, but nature itself will be free from the curse of sin.
This millennial reign of Jesus, that, by the way, the Bible teaches as a real and future event, is a preview to the new heaven and new earth. In this new creation, Jesus will rule as King, exercising authority over everything still.
What kind of man is this? The God-in-the-flesh kind of man. The one and only Son of the living God.
Following Jesus into the Unknown
Following Jesus into the Unknown
This morning, to wrap this up, I want to talk about what it means to follow Jesus. Disciple means follower. Every Christian is called to be a follower of Jesus. In fact, that is what Christian translates to - imitator of Christ. Peter and John boldly proclaimed and defended the truth after Jesus’ death, burial, resurrection, and ascension, and those that questioned them, the Bible said, took note from their manner of speaking that they had been with Jesus.
They recognized how they spoke and how they carried themselves as ones that were followers of Jesus. Followers of particular rabbi’s in those day would attempt to do just that - take on the same mannerisms and affect the same speech patterns of their rabbi or their teacher.
That is what it means to follow Jesus for us today - that we follow so closely and resemble Him so much that we no longer have individual identity, but we are swallowed up in the identity of who Jesus is and what He makes of us.
We have seen before, and we will continue to see, that following Jesus is not easy. There are many reason why. One that we have already looked at and looked at plainly in Scripture and over the last 2,000 years, is persecution.
33 These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.
That word “tribulation” does not just mean “hard times.” It means hard times because of persecution. Jesus tells His disciples, and us, that we will suffer persecution in this world because of Him. But He tells us to be of good cheer. Why? Because He has overcome the world. The world may persecute, but they will never win. Jesus has already won.
Here, in America, the persecution that Christians suffer is negligible compared to what Christians around the world suffer. We often think that we are relatively safe from dangerous, life-threatening persecution. We aren’t in N. Korea. We aren’t in communist China, or Muslim ruled areas that have outlawed Christianity. We read of missionaries, and our hearts are touched, and maybe we even get a little sentimental when we here of their sacrifice for the cause of Christ. But then, a few minutes later, we have forgotten, and we go about life as usual because that sort of thing is not a reality to us.
A few weeks ago it got a little more real for many when we heard of the assassination of Charlie Kirk. You may believe that he was assassinated for his political views, but I will hold to the view that his assassination was due 100% to his faith in Christ and the fact that that faith permeated every area of his life, including his political views. Make no mistake, Charlie Kirk was killed because he was a Christian, a disciple of Jesus, and was vocal about it.
That event made things a little more real for some of us about the persecution that might come to Christians even here in the United States.
But none of us here have a platform like Charlie Kirk. No one in this building has the influence and reach that Charlie Kirk did. So even this event may seem a bit surreal for us, and cause us to view the threat of deadly persecution as highly unlikely.
So this morning, I want make it as real as I can for you. This morning, I want you to begin to realize that it not only takes boldness to be a vocal disciple of Jesus Christ out in the world, but we have now come to a time where it will take boldness to even gather here, in this building.
This past week, ISIS released a newsletter calling for the “faithful” to target Christians specifically in Europe and in America. It was not a general call to violence; it was a call to specifically target Christian gatherings in churches and public events with a variety of methods ranging from using vehicles to run over Christians to bombing their places of worship while services were happening.
From now on, it’s not just living like Christ at work and speaking like Christ at work and standing up for truth in the world that is going to require boldness. From now on, showing up on Sunday morning, being here on Wednesday night is going to require a measure of boldness too, because now, every single person that walks through these doors has a target.
Mike, is that what it means to follow Jesus into the unknown? That and so much more.
Jesus told His disciples, “Get in the boat, let’s go to the other side.” Tired from all the day’s ministering, Jesus fall asleep in the boat. His sleep is so deep that the rocking of the boat and the howling of the wind do not wake Him. It is finally when the boat seems like it is going to sink, the disciples, in a fearful panic, go and wake Jesus up with the words, “Master, do you even care that we are perishing?”
And sometimes that is what following Jesus into the unknown looks like. So far, everywhere that Jesus goes, there are some unpredictable things that happen. People are looking for ways to kill Him. His own family wants to shut Jesus down. The Pharisees pop up every once in a while, and when they do, it is to try to undermine Him. If I were one of the disciples, I would be thinking, “I wonder if there is going to be problems today?” with every new morning, every new multitude, and every new location.
And now, Jesus has changed their location once again. He said, “Let’s go to the other side,” and who followed Him? Just His disciples. There were the twelve in that boat with Jesus, but there were the others that had been with him earlier in the day asking Jesus about the meanings of the parables that launched out in their own boats to follow Jesus. And none of them knew what was going to happen.
The storm arises. And it does for those that follow Jesus. These storms will happen. Tribulation in the form of persecution, in the form of sickness, finances, discomfort, uncertainty, and all manner of other things WILL come suddenly to those that chose to get in the boat with Jesus.
Sometimes, we can see it coming. Sometimes there are signs that a storm is approaching. But other time, it’s like lightning out of the blue, clear sky. The day is beautiful. One minute the birds are singing, the sun is shining, and the sea is calm. The next minute, it’s like we are being shaken up in a snow-globe relentlessly by 5 year old that won’t give it a rest.
So what is there to do?
Run to Jesus
Run to Jesus
When the storm comes, run to Jesus. This is exactly what Jesus tells us to do. He is the one we are to go to when the storms of life rage. He is the one that gives rest. He is our comfort and our rescue.
He is the one that can calm the storm, because He is the one that can raise the storms. He has authority and control over everything around us.
There is a part of Psalm 107 that speaks of those that are in ships among great waters. And this is what they do - Psalm 107:27-29
27 They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man, And are at their wits’ end.
28 Then they cry unto the Lord in their trouble, And he bringeth them out of their distresses.
29 He maketh the storm a calm, So that the waves thereof are still.
That is what Jesus wants us to do, is to go to Him. When? When the storms toss us to and fro, when we are at our wits’ end. Cry to the Lord and He will bring us out of our distresses. He makes the storm a calm.
So why then, did Jesus say that the disciples had little faith if they did exactly what they were supposed to do? Because they did it in fear.
Don’t Fear
Don’t Fear
The Bible tells us that we have not been given a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and of a sound mind. Going to Him in the storm should not be a reaction from fear, it should be an acknowledgment of our weakness and of His control and protection.
You have probably heard that the Bible says the words “fear not” 365 times - one for each day of the year. This is not very accurate. Depending on the translation you use and how broadly you want to qualify a phrase as being equivalent to “fear not,” it only appears in the Bible about 70 - 100 times. This does not diminish the power of this phrase, however.
When Jesus says to us, “Don’t worry about having your needs provided to you,” in Luke 12, he follows it up by saying, “Fear not, little flock. It is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the Kingdom.” The intent of the storms is not to destroy us, but to better prepare us in the Kingdom. It is to cause us to run to Him. It is to help us see His mighty power and control over all the things we cannot control.
The disciples ran to Jesus in fear, we ought to run to Him in confidence.
But what happens if I do fear? Take note of what Jesus did with the disciples. Matthew 8:26
26 And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm.
Did Jesus rebuke the disciples? No. He rebuked the winds and the sea. Did he put them down? No, He calmed the storm and gave them peace. This event grew their faith. It grew Peter’s faith so much that further down the road, on a certain dark and stormy night, Peter called out to Jesus, “Jesus, if that is really you, bid me to walk on the water with you.”
This storm followed by the amazing other things that they were about to experience for having followed Jesus onto the boat, was going to grow their faith by leaps and bounds.
So what we can learn here is this...
Get in the Boat
Get in the Boat
What do I mean by “Get in the boat”? Fully commit to following Jesus. That’s what I mean by “Get in the boat.” How so? Because once you’re in the boat, there ain’t no getting out until you’re at the captain’s destination.
Some of you, Jesus is calling you - “Come with me, get in the boat with me. Follow me. We are going to the other side, let’s go.”
And some of you are saying, “Jesus, I’ll follow you.” I want to remind you, following Jesus will take you out of your comfort zone. And I want to encourage you not to be like the Scribe. Get in the boat.
Some of you might be thinking, “I have to get my affairs in order before I follow Jesus.” No you don’t just get in the boat. Do it today.
Others may be thinking, “I can’t get in that boat right now. I need to live my life a little, first. I need to party hard one more time. Let me say goodbye to may family and friends and the old life one more time before I commit.”
And Jesus’ response is, “No. Get in the boat now.”
There is no time to prepare. There is not time go back and get things, say goodbye, live it up one more time. The time to get in the boat is now. Mark 4:35-36
35 And the same day, when the even was come, he saith unto them, Let us pass over unto the other side.
36 And when they had sent away the multitude, they took him even as he was in the ship. And there were also with him other little ships.
When Jesus said, “Let’s go,” it was like He was saying, “All aboard who are coming aboard.” And the disciples got in the boat, and they departed. Those that followed in the other little ships climbed on those, and had no time to do anything else but get in their boats and follow Jesus too.
“But there may be storms, Mike. I don’t like storms. Storms on the land are so much easier to navigate. Storms in a boat though, I don’t know about that.” If you are hesitant about following Jesus into the boat because of the possibility, or reality, I should say, of storms. look with me at what Psalm 107:23-24
23 They that go down to the sea in ships, That do business in great waters;
24 These see the works of the Lord, And his wonders in the deep.
Who experiences the mighty works of God? Who gets first hand experience of the Lord calming the raging seas that are tossing them too and fro? The ones that get in the boat! If you don’t get in the boat, you might get to see the storm from afar. You might even suffer some rain and wind. You might witness the calm, but you don’t get to experience Jesus’ absolute control over everything when you are being tossed around by waves one minute, and the next the surface of the sea is like glass.
We studied it back a couple of years ago when we started the study through Experiencing God - truly experiencing God’s power and His direction in our lives comes from complete obedience to Him. There is no substitute. There is nothing like it. So get in the boat.
And when the storm rises, run to Jesus confidently. Psalm 107:29-30
29 He maketh the storm a calm, So that the waves thereof are still.
30 Then are they glad because they be quiet; So he bringeth them unto their desired haven.
We sing a song here titled Christ Our Hope in Life and Death. The second verse of this song says this:
What truth can calm the troubled soul?
God is good, God is good
Where is His grace and goodness known?
In our great Redeemer's blood
Who holds our faith when fears arise?
Who stands above the stormy trial?
Who sends the waves that bring us nigh
Unto the shore, the rock of Christ?
The answer to that last line is “Jesus.” He allows, and many times sends the waves, the storms. And He does it to drive us closer to Him - He is our desired haven.
There is nothing more important than for Christians, disciples, to get into the boat.
Invitation
Invitation
What is keeping you from getting in the boat? What is keeping you from fully following Jesus? Is it getting out of your comfort zone? Is it a feel that you have too many other responsibilities? Is it that you want to wait for your timing? Or is it simply the fear of the unknown?
We are learning how to be disciples and how to make disciples. On Wednesday nights, many of you have joined the course and are starting your journey of being a disciple-maker. There are some who whole-heartedly have dived into the course - reading, taking notes, completing the studies, choosing multiple application activities to complete throughout the weeks, coming back and discussing with their groups.
But there are others who have not. They are going through the motions. But even in this, there is no following Jesus whole-heartedly. They’re choosing the easiest tasks. They are checking off the boxes, literally, without it having any effect on their hearts or their lives.
If this is you, let me ask you this, “What is stopping you from getting into the boat?”
Don’t sit idly by on the shore. This body is beginning to experience some amazing things that God is doing. We are witnessing it in others, but we are experiencing it in our own lives too. You may be able to see that something is happening. You may hear how God did things in other’s lives. You may have some experience of God’s power in your life, but you won’t ever fully understand the awesomeness of God’s power until you get in the boat, until you decide to follow Jesus with no strings attached.
I’ll ask you to bow your heads at this moment.
For the saved -
For the unsaved -
A while ago we read Psalm 62:11 “11 God hath spoken once; Twice have I heard this; That power belongeth unto God.” But the next verse is Psalm 62:12 “12 Also unto thee, O Lord, belongeth mercy: For thou renderest to every man according to his work.”
Today, God has mercy extended to you. He will judge everyone according to their work, and the Bible tells us that our sinful deeds deserve death and hell. But to the Lord belongs mercy. And He has made a way to obtain that mercy. That way is through faith in Jesus Christ.
Life Group
Life Group
Warm-up
1. What comes to mind when thinking about storms—literal or figurative—in life?
2. What are some examples from your life where you felt Jesus was calling you to follow Him into the unknown?
3. Who is someone you consider to be a true follower or imitator in your life, and what about their attitude or actions stands out to you?
Scripture Focus
4. What do the responses of the scribe, the disciple wishing to bury his father, and the third man teach about counting the cost of following Jesus?
Heart Focus
5. Jesus seemed more concerned with the hearts of those wanting to follow him rather than their outward enthusiasm. Why do you think Jesus responded the way he did to each potential disciple’s excuse or delay?
6. Have you ever felt afraid, as the disciples did, even while turning to Jesus for help? What does this passage teach about fear and faith coexisting?
7. What does it mean to run to Jesus confidently, rather than in fear, when life’s storms come?
Application
8. How can you apply the idea of 'getting in the boat' in your own life this week?
9. What does it look like to prioritize your discipleship over earthly responsibilities?
10. When storms arise, how can believers cultivate confidence in Christ’s power and care, rather than responding out of fear?
