Who Then Is This?
Notes
Transcript
Handout
THE STORM
fierce (Gk. megas) gale of wind
waves breaking over the boat
boat was filling up
Peter Andrew James & John are in the boat
Jesus was in the stern asleep on a cushion
“Teacher do you not care that we are perishing?” (They were afraid)
Jesus rebuked the wind and said to the sea hush, be still
it became perfectly (Gk. megas) calm
Why are you afraid? Do you have no faith?
They begin to wrestle with what they just saw, “they became very much (Gk. Megas) afraid
Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him? Who is this? who has the ability to calm the storm? The answer, there is only one who can calm the storm. The God of Heaven, the one who created all things with the power of His Word.
Who stills the roaring of the seas, The roaring of their waves, And the tumult of the peoples.
You rule the swelling of the sea; When its waves rise, You still them.
More than the sounds of many waters, Than the mighty breakers of the sea, The Lord on high is mighty.
He caused the storm to be still, So that the waves of the sea were hushed.
For I know that the Lord is great And that our Lord is above all gods.
Whatever the Lord pleases, He does, In heaven and in earth, in the seas and in all deeps.
He causes the vapors to ascend from the ends of the earth; Who makes lightnings for the rain, Who brings forth the wind from His treasuries.
What are you afraid of this morning? What is rocking your boat this morning? What in life is tossing you around and making you afraid?
We face lot’s of storms in our lives both literal and figurative
tornadoes, hurricanes, fires, flash floods, etc.
sickness, accidents, disappointments, death
uncertainty, chaos, unrest
tribulation Acts 14:22 , persecution 2 Tim. 3:12, fiery ordeals 1 Pet. 4:12
Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you;
strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying, “Through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.”
When those storms come and believe me they will come I wonder what our response be. Will it be any different than what the disciples did?
will we be afraid (“we are perishing”)
where does fear come from? It doesn’t come from God For God did not give us a spirit of fear (timidity) but of power love and self discipline.
notice how jesus equates their fear with a lack of faith. Why are you afraid, do you still have no faith? they had seen miracle after miracle after miracle. Healing’s of various kinds, casting out of demons, incredible teachings. But…they still had no faith
to overcome storms you have to faith. You have to know with certainty the one whom you serve and follow is Jesus the Son of God. That is why they are very much afraid after jesus does this because they realize maybe for the first time that this is not some man or prophet who is doing some extraordinary miracles but this is the Son of God
When we are afraid that is a lack of faith, a lack of faith in the one who can calm the storm. How is your faith this morning? Do you have no faith, little faith or much faith? If a storm hit you today, could withstand the storm, where or who will you run to?
When the disciples saw the storm what did they see, what did they trust in? Where was their faith? They trusted what their eyes saw. They trusted what their skin felt. They trusted the violent force that was tossing the boat like a toy and would have rolled them over any minute. They trusted the stories told by their father. They trusted the tragedies they remember. They trusted the power of the storm because storms kill people. Where was their faith?
Don’t we do the same thing today. We trust in what we see and feel? We trust in our own abilities (I feel, I think)? We trust what other people say and tell us to do? We doubt what God says and teaches in His word. we make excuses and well but...Where is our faith? Is it in Jesus, is it in the one who calms the storm?
How can I build my faith? How can I grow in my faith so that when the storms of life come I will not be found with no faith?
So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.
we better listen, hear and obey Jesus words
“Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock.
“And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock.
“Everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand.
“The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell—and great was its fall.”
We better know who Jesus is and have a relationship, a close relationship with Him and we begin that relationship when we are washed in the blood of jesus thru baptism and our faith and love continues to increase everyday.
We better increase in Christian virtues 2 Pet. 1:5-8
Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge,
and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness,
and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love.
For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
We better have an active prayer life
Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession.
For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin.
Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
Therefore He is able also to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.
Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.
And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
When the perfect storm comes, the day of judgment, will you be ready? Make no doubt about it we will all have to face it one day.
For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.
In order to with stand that storm we need to come in contact with the blood of Jesus
For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.
For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die.
But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him.
For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.
have YOU BEEN RECONCILED TO GOD THROUGH THE DEATH OF HIS SON HAVE YOU BEEN JUSTIFIED BY THE BLOOD OF JESUS, BURIED WITH HIM THRU BAPTISM TO BE RAISED IN NEWNESS OF LIFE?
IF YOU HAVE SINNED, HAVE COME TO GOD IN CONFESSION AND REPENTANCE
But by His word the present heavens and earth are being reserved for fire, kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men.
But do not let this one fact escape your notice, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day.
The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.
But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up.
Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness,
looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be destroyed by burning, and the elements will melt with intense heat!
Will you come to Jesus, the Son of God, who can calm the storm this morning please come while we stand and sing.