Surviving the Storms of Life

“Surviving the Storms of Life”

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There are all kinds of storms; when I was a kid my family went through several hurricanes.

Here in Missouri we have seen what tornadoes can do. A lot of people die each year from lightning storms. We’ve been in rainstorms where you couldn’t see one foot in front of you. And who can forget the ice storm of 2007. But the worst storm, is a storm in the middle of the Sea. A storm on the sea gives you a whole new sense of how small you are, and how powerful God is.

Tess and I went on a cruise to the Bahamas, and one night the cruise boat went through a storm. The boat was rocking and reeling, and rolling. They hung little white bags on every stairwell. When I saw those little white bags, I said to Tess, what are those little white bags for? She said, you don’t know? Then she gave me the throw up motion…OK, Now I Know!

And unfortunately, people use them!

Here in these verses we have a very familiar scene, Jesus and his disciples climb into a boat to sail across the Sea of Galilee. But as they sail, they find themselves in a terrible storm.

Several times in the Gospels were told about the disciples in a storm on the Sea of Galilee.

Why does the Bible give us so much information about the storms the disciples went through?

For one thing, to teach us that disciples go through storms. The Old Testament many times compares the troubles of life, to storms on the sea.

,-“Save me, O God; for the waters or come in unto my soul… Let not the water overflowed me, neither let the deep swallow me up.

David is not talking about a literal storm on the sea; he is talking about the storm that’s taking place in his life.

As we sail on the sea of life, we will experience storms, heartaches, difficulties and troubles.

What the disciples went through on the Sea of Galilee is something we all go through in life:

Seas of difficulty and storms of trouble. People lose their jobs or suffer financial hardship, and they get tossed by waves of worry. They receive an unfavorable diagnosis or struggle with some chronic illness, and they are flooded with fear. They have painful conflicts at home, in the neighborhood, at work, or in church, they feel as if they are sinking. They lose someone they love, and they are drowning in sorrow. The boat of life sometimes gets swamped with all the little responsibilities and difficulties of everyday life. We will all pass through troubled seas!

Nobody has a life of all sunshine and no rain, nobody has a life of total smooth sailing, without any storms.

The question is not will the vessel of your life go through storms, the question is how can you survive the storms of life?

As we look at this storm we see three great truths that help us survive the storms of life.

When you find yourself in a storm, Truth #1:

1. Jesus is with you!

V:22-“It happened on a certain day that he got into a boat with his disciples. And said to them, let us cross over to the other side of the lake”.

These men were Jesus disciples, and Jesus was their Savior and Lord. They had forsaken all and were following him. He was the captain of their life; and the captain of that ship. So on “that certain day” Jesus was in that boat with his disciples.

When they pushed off from the shore Jesus was with them! Jesus is on board with his disciples, on the Sea of Galilee. The Sea of Galilee is some 13 miles long, and 7 miles wide, and not very deep. The Sea of Galilee is 700 feet below sea level, making it the lowest freshwater lake on the earth. It is surrounded by hills, with ravines in them; the cold wind would sweep down those ravines and hit the warm water on the sea and cause storms.

This storm Luke says was a windstorm, a violent storm.

Matthew in his gospel implies that it struck without any warning. It was a squall, a sudden and violent gust of wind, usually accompanied by heavy rain.

These disciples were all experienced seamen, remember Peter and Andrew and James and John were fishermen by trade and spent most of their life on this lake. They had weathered many storms; but this was the worst storm they had ever gone through.

When they sailed away on that smooth sea, Jesus was with them.

When the storm swept down those hills to the surface of the Sea of Galilee, and was tossing that boat like a cork in the ocean, Jesus was with them.

Jesus did not climb overboard when the storm hit!

And if you know Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord, he is on board your life when it’s smooth sailing, and when it’s not!

This storm is reminder of how storms hit our lives. One day things are going great, it’s smooth sailing, and everything seems to be fine. Then suddenly out of nowhere you find yourself in a storm. One moment sunny skies, the next moment dark skies and pelting rain.

You may start the day off, and everything’s great; then you get a phone call that your dad is dead.

There’s been a car wreck, or you need to come to the school. You go into work and the boss says we’re going to have to lay you off.

You go to the doctor and he says we’re going to have to run some test, and it comes back and you have cancer. Sometimes storms come suddenly, and we are not prepared for them.

Life is filled storms, sometimes there are storms of sickness, storms of temptation, financial storms, and family storms. All kinds of storms come into our lives.

I want you to know Jesus is with you in the storms!!

Can you picture these disciples as the storm rolls in, they pull down the sails, button-down the hatches, as the water fills the boat, their bailing for dear life. There filled with fear, began to panic and say we’re going to perish; were going down to Davy Jones locker.

But the truth was they were going to the other side! We know that for two reasons; Jesus told them when they launched from the shore, let’s go to the other side. Jesus told them they were going to the other side, he had an appointment with a demon possessed man on the other side. The second reason is because Jesus was on board.

They were filled with fear because they didn’t know who Jesus was; and they had not received the word of promise that Jesus had told them. How could they fear that God would allow his son, the promise redeemer to drown? Jesus is on board with us as we ride out the storm. He has given us the promise of his presence, and the promise of heaven.

“Jesus never promise smooth sailing, but he did promise a safe landing”.

When we find ourselves in a storm we have this promise as an anchor for the soul:

-Read.

What a difference it makes in a storm to know that Jesus is on board the boat with you!

Since the time of the New Testament, Christians have often use the boat as a symbol of the church of Jesus Christ.

Charles Spurgeon said, I scarcely know of a better picture of the church than this ship on the treacherous Sea of Galilee with Jesus and his disciples. Every sail of the good ship which bears the flag of the high Admiral of our fleet must be beaten with the wind, and every plank in her must be tried by the waves”.

This is a great encouragement, because it guarantees that even when the storm is raging, the ship of God’s church will never sink.

Jesus is on board, and we can trust that our master and Captain will see us safely through the storm to heaven shore.

Do you ever wonder where storms come from?

· Some storms we cause ourselves, by our disobedience and irresponsibility.

Remember Jonah the rebellious prophet, who sailed into the eye of a storm because of his disobedience. God sent the storm into Jonah’s life because of his disobedience. You may be in a storm of your own making; the decisions that you have made have whipped up a terrible storm in your life. What do you do? You cry out to Jesus and ask him for mercy and grace, and become obedient and responsible to do whatever is necessary to sail out of that storm.

· Sometimes the devil causes the storms in our lives.

V:24-“he arose and rebuked the wind…

The word “rebuke” is often used to speak of rebuking a demon. There are some who believe that this particular storm was satanic in origin. I don’t know whether it was or not, but I know this; the devil can kick up some pretty big storms in our lives. The apostle Paul told the church at Thessalonica: “I was planning on coming to see you, but Satan hindered me” ( )

The devil creates storms, difficulties and obstacles in the way of God’s people and tries to hinder us from doing the will of God. You don’t have a friend in the devil. Adrian Roger said “If you were up to your neck in quicksand the devil would pat you on the head”.

· Sometimes God sends storms into our life to grow us.

Part of God’s strategy to grow us is storms of difficulties, trials, stresses, and failures. Storms are a part of the process of our spiritual growth! And here is a fact we don’t like to think about, we grow best in the storms. God’s plan for Eddie Bumpers is to grow me, mature me, and make me like the Lord Jesus. It is in the storms that we cry out to God, it is in the storms we pray more, it is in the storms that we really evaluate our spiritual condition.

No one enjoys going through storms, but they are necessary to mature us!

Jesus sailed with his disciples into the storm; to grow them!

-“You hast enlarged me when I was in distress”

Someone said, “Faith like film is best developed in the dark”

The plan of God for our spiritual grow includes storms, trails, and heartaches.

To grow spiritually you have to have difficulties, it is part of God’s plan to grow us up in Christ.

When the storm is over we are better people, stronger people, with a greater faith in God!

The disciples learned things about Jesus in that storm they could learn no other way.

Imagine after the storm was over the disciples were being interviewed by good morning Capernaum, and the anchorman says to them “We heard you got caught in that terrible storm last night on the Sea of Galilee, boy that was quiet a storm; I bet you boys wish you didn’t have to go through that”

I think the disciples would have said, Oh no we are glad we got caught in that storm; we learned some things about Jesus we couldn’t have learned any other way. We learned that Jesus is God, and he can command the winds and the waves to lay down and they obey him! Were glad we went through the storm to learn that.

When you find yourself in a storm, Truth #1:

1. Jesus is with you!

When you find yourself in a storm, truth #2:

2. Jesus is Not Shaken!

V:23-“but as they sailed he fell asleep…

Jesus was the kind of guy if he were flying on an airplane, would fall asleep before the wheels got off the ground. Or if he were in a vehicle, he would have the seat lean back before they got out of town.

(Does that sound familiar, John Henderson,

Stan Bisher, Chad Holland?) This is the only time in the Gospels we see Jesus sleeping.

It is hard to believe that Jesus could sleep through a storm like this, but he did. This testifies to the true humanity of Jesus, he was completely exhausted. The heavy demands of his teaching ministry, and the nonstop miracles and healing ministry and the constant demands of the people wore Jesus out physically. The book of Mark tells us he has a cushion, and he falls asleep in the back of the boat. But not only was he able to sleep through the storm because he was totally exhausted.

But Jesus was asleep because Jesus had complete confidence in the care of his father.

If Jesus felt like he had to look after his own life, he would have been awake when the first wave crashed over the Stern. Jesus was asleep in the storm like he didn’t have a care in the world; because he was resting in God’s will for his life!

When Jesus said to them in:

V:25-“where is your faith?”

He was challenging his disciples to live with the same kind of faith in God he had. Jesus knew God was in control, and was willing to rely on him completely. When storms come into our lives, we need to live with this same kind of faith, believing that God is in control, and relying on him.

How often we are filled with worry, biting our fingernails, with ulcers, staying awake at night worried, worried, worried! We worry about our finances, we are afraid of what might happen to our children. We agonize over our situation at work. These and many other concerns keep us up at night. Somehow we always feel like we need to keep an eye on things, just to be safe. But this quickly becomes exhausting, and it is because we are not trusting God to look after us. We do not rest in our father’s care the way that Jesus did.

Jesus is asleep; look at what the disciples are doing.

V:24-“And they came to him, and wake 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”.

Now don’t get the idea this is some kind of organized approach to Jesus to wake him up.

Don’t believe the picture that shows one disciple gently tapping Jesus on his shoulder to wake him up during the storm. No, no!

The book of Matthew says they call Jesus Lord.

The book of Mark says addressed him as a teacher.

The book of Luke says they said Master, Master.

Which one is it? It is all three, it is pandemonium among the disciples on the boat.

In that fearful moment they are all yelling every name they know. There crying out, Lord, or another is crying teacher, others are calling master, we are dying here!

They had reached the end of their resources; and now they cry out to Jesus! They had witnessed his power over diseases, demons and death, maybe he could do something about this storm.

Where should we go when troubles come? How should we react in times of difficulty and danger, whether physical or spiritual? The disciples cried out for Jesus to save them from perishing.

Where do you go when storms and difficulties come into your life?

Do you run to a friend? That’s not bad if there a Christian friend, who will pray for you and give you biblical counsel. You should never turn to ungodly counsel. What do you do when the storms come? Not if they come, when they come.

What is your coping mechanism? Do you head to the nearest bar, and get drunk? Do you take some pills, are smoke some pot, or go partying, dancing, gambling?

What you do in the storms of life will tell you a great deal about who you are and what you are!

The disciples did what we need to do when storms come; they went to Jesus!

Take your fears, problems and troubles to Jesus in prayer. Let your storm drive you to Jesus, not away from Jesus!

Whenever we are in danger of drowning, or at least we think we are; we should cry out to Jesus.

Today, if you are burdened with your sins, cry out to Jesus for mercy, ask him to save you through his cross and empty tomb!

If you are struggling to make ends meet, cry out to him for daily bread.

If you’re suffering from physical pain, cry out to him for patience and endurance.

If you are being torn apart by conflict in your marriage, in your life, cry out to him for peace.

If you’re facing death, cry out to Jesus for his hope.

When you call upon Jesus, he is able and willing to help. In times of troubles, and in the storms of life there’s no one better to call on than Jesus, no one more powerful than Jesus.

When the disciples cried out to Jesus,

V:24-“Jesus got up, and rebuked the wind and the raging waves, and they ceased, there was a calm”.

Can you picture that? The Lord Jesus standing in the back of that boat, wind blowing his robe, water spraying his face. Jesus rebuked the storm, he commanded the wind to stop blowing and the water to stop roaring and the wind and water laid down like little pups at Jesus feet.

It was a powerful storm; but Jesus is more powerful than your storm! One moment there is a violent storm, and the next second the sea becomes as glass. It is a miracle of great significance!

When you’re going through a violent storm in your life, and you’re fearful and shaken; cry out to Jesus, look in the face of Jesus, he is not shaken!

When you find yourself in a storm, truth #3:

3. Jesus is the Lord!

V:24-25-Read.

When Jesus stood in that boat and commanded the winds and the waves to lay down; the disciples learned that not only was Jesus the master, of the sea. One moment they’re holding on for dear life, bailing water. The next moment everything is quiet, and the sea is calm, like glass. This was a supernatural miracle, and testified to the deity of Jesus, he is the Lord of the land and sea!

There are two questions asked in V:25.

1st question-“Jesus asked the disciples, “where is your faith?

Someone said, the storm did not disturb the master, but the unbelief of his disciples did.

This was a gentle rebuke, but rebuke nonetheless. The disciples were not really trusting in Jesus, or His word!

Martyn Lloyd Jones said, Jesus did not say they didn’t have any faith; he asked him where is your faith, why are you using the faith you have.

They had faith, they just weren’t using it. They had seen Jesus do countless miracles, they had faith, they just weren’t exercising, placing their faith in Jesus during the storm.

What do we learn from this? Faith is not automatic, faith is not a feeling, it’s not an impulse, and it doesn’t just happen. Faith doesn’t kick on like your air-conditioner kicks on when he gets hot. So don’t think well if I have faith and I get in the storm it’ll just kick on. Faith is a deliberate action of your will. Faith is applying what you know about Jesus, and his word. They were being controlled by what they saw, not by what Jesus said! Jesus said, “let’s go to the other side”. Jesus was the powerful son of God.

So based on who Jesus was, and what Jesus said, the disciples should’ve placed their faith in Jesus.

Jesus was saying to them, you have seen me heal the blind, the lame, and raise the dead. You know that not one thing I’ve ever said has failed to come true! Place your faith in me and my word!

These guys were fearful, and afraid because they weren’t focusing on who Jesus was and what Jesus said! You can’t draw spiritual strength by having some kind of general faith in faith! NO!

Faith is knowing that Jesus is the son of God who lived a sinless life, who died on the cross, who rose from the dead, who ascended back to heaven and is sitting at the right hand of God. And one day he will come to judge both the living and the dead.

If you believe that Jesus is the Lord of heaven and earth, land and sea, of death and eternity; then you no longer have to fear when the storms hit your life!

Jesus was telling them they should have known enough about his love, and word to handle the storm. When you’re in the storm filled with fear, see who Jesus is, and hear what Jesus says. By faith take hold of the promises of God, and they will carry you through the storm.

Then the disciples ask a question, V:25-“they being afraid, wondered, saying one to another, who can this be? For he commands even the winds and water, and they obey him!”

The disciples go from being afraid of the storm, to having a sense of fear and wonder about who Jesus is. Jesus has proven that he is more powerful than the mightiest storm at sea. And their overwhelmed with a fear and awe!

They knew he was a miracle worker, they believed he was the Messiah; but this miracle was on a different level to them. Opening blinded eyes, and raising the dead person was one thing.

But controlling nature, telling a storm to stop blowing, and waters to lay down; who can do that?

They knew from the Old Testament, it was God alone. , who sills the roaring sea and the roaring of the waves”

, addresses God directly by saying, “you rule over the surging sea, when his waves amount up, you still them”

Over and over verses in the Old Testament tell us that God alone controls the seas. The disciples are deducting, Jesus controls the seas, Jesus must be God; and there filled with fear, reverence and wonder. God is on board their boat.

Jesus is not just a prophet, a miracle-worker, a great philosopher, a religious leader: Jesus Christ is God in human flesh! The one who spoke the world into existence, spoke that day and calm the storm!

“For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible; all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together”.

When Jesus calmed the storm, he was exercising his right to rule the world that he had made.

Who is this Jesus? He is the Lord of the storm, the ruler of nature, the God of all creation.

The fact that Jesus is the creator, sustainer and everything was made by him, and headed to him leads to this ultimate logic: he can meet every need we will ever have in this life are in the world to come! This does not mean that we will never suffer any harm, but it does mean that the Lord Jesus will see us through! Who is Jesus? He is God in human flesh, who went through the ultimate storm, the storm of God’s wrath on the cross; and Jesus stilled the storm of the wrath of God for me and you. And Jesus calls for you today to place your faith in him as your personal Savior and Lord! He can calm the storm that’s raging in your heart today; if you will place your faith in him! Today dear Christian, we survived the storms of life as we remember:

1. Jesus is with you!

2. Jesus is not shaken by your storm!

3. Jesus is the Lord of creation and redemption!