Some Answers We Need to be Ready For- Part 4
Notes
Transcript
Some Answers We Need to be Ready For
Part 4
Text: 1 Peter 3:15–16 (KJV 1900)
15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:
Series Introduction:
* There are some questions from unbelievers that we should be ready to answer.
* The sermon this morning is a different kind of sermon than I have previously delivered at this church.
* Todays sermon is what is called an “apologetic sermon.”
* The English word “apology” comes from a Greek word which basically means “to give a defense.”
* Christian apologetics, then, is the science of giving a defense of the Christian faith.
* There are many skeptics who doubt the existence of God and/or attack belief in the God of the Bible.
* There are many critics who attack the inspiration and inerrancy of the Bible.
* There are many false teachers who promote false doctrines and deny the key truths of the Christian faith.
* Apologetics is the defense of the truths of the Christian faith and the Bible.
* In order to defend the faith, we must then be able to give answers to those critics who demand of us answers to their questions.
* In this 4 part series of messages, we have already answered the question:
“If God is always good, and God has the power to prevent evil things from happening in the world, then where does evil come from?
* and we have answered the question:
“Did God create evil.”
* We also answered the question:
“Why does a good God allow evil to continue in the world?”
* This morning, we will continue from last Sunday’s sermon, and attempt to answer, from the Word of God:
“Why does a good God allow innocent people to die in wars, and famines, and natural disasters?”
* So here is our proposition this morning:
Main Clause: "Since God is always good, and God is love, then why does a God allow evil things like war, and famines, and terrible diseases, and the innocent to suffer?
* According to the apostle Peter in our series text, we need to always be ready to answer this question.
Text: 1 Peter 3:15–16 (KJV 1900)
15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:
* If you haven’t already written down the outline for our series on “Why does God allow evil in the World,” then this would be a good time to write it down:
* With this series of 4 sermons, we have answered the question “Why does God allow evil in the world” by 4 simple reasons:
I. satan causes the innocent to suffer, because he is actively attempting to hide God's Love.
II. satan causes the innocent to suffer because we are the object of God's love.
III. satan causes the innocent to suffer by causing us to doubt God's love.
IV. God allows the innocent to suffer temporarily, in order that He might reveal His love, by destroying evil and suffering permanently.
1 John 3:8–8 (KJV 1900)
8 He that committeth sin is of the devil;
for the devil sinneth from the beginning.
For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.
* Do you remember the story of the prodigal son? That father loved his son so much!
*He also wanted His son to understand His great love for him, and He wanted his so to love him back.
* The heart of the father of the prodigal son was grieved that his son had rejected His rule over him.
* The father in the story of the prodigal son knew what it would take to cause his son to see his father’s great love for Him.
* The father knew that, if his son was ever going to know how much he loved him, he must allow His rebellious son the free will to decide to walk away and go his own way.
* Do you think that the father wanted his son to wind up suffering as a result of his rejection himself? Of course not!
* Neither is our Heavenly Father ok with the fact that the world is in chaos and full of suffering and pain and even natural disasters!
* No, that father was so concerned for His son that he patiently waited every day for his son to return home.
* Our heavenly father, the Creator does not want this world to suffer either, but the world does suffer because of sin, and so the Creator patiently allows sin to run its full course in this world, so that men would look upon their suffering, and, like the prodigal son, come to their senses and come to the Creator for mercy so that their suffering might be taken away.
* Now here is a great truth:
“If God did not allow the consequences of sin and evil to continue in the world, then no one would ever repent of sin, and there would be no reason for anybody to come to God and have sin removed.”
* Just as the loving father in the story of the prodigal son did not want his son to go into a far country and suffer,
* because He loved his son, even thought if grieved him at his heart, he let his son suffer the consequences of his rebellion, so that he might learn by suffering, the father’s great love for him.
* and what did the father do in the end of the story? He restored everything the son had lost, and threw a party for him!
* That is exactly what our Heavenly Father says He will do for all those who are tired of living in the pig pen of their sin, and are sick and tired of the suffering that sin and rebellion has caused, and who come to the Heavenly Father in repentance asking for mercy.
* The Heavenly father is going to restore everything that sin took away from us and remove all of the suffering that sin has caused in the world.
Revelation 21:1–7 (KJV 1900)
And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. 2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
3 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.
4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.
5 And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful. 6 And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.
7 He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.
* This leads us to another question that we must be ready to answer this morning:
* There are those who will ask you:
“If God is a good God, then why does a good God, allow people to go to a terrible place called Hell and suffer and burn forever?”
* Well, the answer is found in I Peter chapter 3 and verse 9 where the Bible says:
2 Peter 3:9 (KJV 1900)
9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish,
but that all should come to repentance.
* Jesus illustrated God’s desire to save people form the punishment of Hell, with a wonder word picture in Matthew chapter 18 and verse 12. Jesus said:
Matthew 18:12–14 (KJV 1900)
12 How think ye? if a man have an hundred sheep, and one of them be gone astray, doth he not leave the ninety and nine, and goeth into the mountains, and seeketh that which is gone astray? 13 And if so be that he find it, verily I say unto you, he rejoiceth more of that sheep, than of the ninety and nine which went not astray.
14 Even so it is not the will of your Father which is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish.
* On one occasion Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem and He sent some messengers ahead into a village of the Samaritans to prepare for his arrival, but the people of the city would not let Jesus into their city, and the sent Jesus away.
* Well the disciples they were incensed! This really made them angry! They were fighting mad! The gall of these people!
* When James and John heard this, they said “Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, even as Elias did?”
* But Jesus said “Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of. 56 For the Son of man is not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them.”
* As we learned with the story of Job, satan is the one responsible for suffering from the violence of war and natural disasters that plague the world in which we live.
* We saw satan send a whirlwind and kill the innocent children of Job, and we saw satan use the violence of war to kill Job’s servants and animals.
* We saw satan use lightning to burn up all of Job’s crops in the field.
* Also, as we learned from the story of Job, Yes, God has allowed suffering of the innocent in this world indeed!
* And yes, absolutely! satan can definitely use sickness and disease, and wars and natural disasters to kill innocent people in the world that we live in as we saw last week in our discussion about the innocent man Job.
* But this suffering is not the will of God.
* There is also suffering in Hell this morning.
* But it is not the will of God that anyone ever go there!
* Could God stop all the violence and natural disasters? Most certainly!
* but in order to do so, God would have to judge the world, and the result would be to destroy all sinners in Hell.
* If God stopped to judge the world right now, and make an end to all sin and suffering the world, there would be no one left!
* All of mankind would be consumed in the judgment of a burning Hell, because we are all sinners.
* Now back to the question before us this morning-
“Why does God allow innocent people to suffer from sickness, and pain, and violence, and natural disasters?
* Because God has delayed the judgment of sin temporarily, in order that He might carry out his plan of redemption of the souls of men.
* You might ask:
“Since God is a good God, and it is not His will that anybody suffer, then why doesn’t God just do something to end all of the suffering and evil in this world?”
* Well, the answer is that God has, and God is doing something about the evil and suffering in the world!
* God Himself entered into His own creation and suffered along with us that He might destroy suffering and death once and for all!
* satan would have you to blame God for all the suffering and pain in the world, but the truth is-
that God Himself endured “that same suffering of the innocent” that men complain about, that you and I might be delivered from suffering permanently, once and for all!
* God Himself suffered evil as an innocent man and was crucified on an old rugged cross!
* Listen to the words of the old song, The Old Rugged Cross:
1 On a hill far away stood an old rugged cross,
The emblem of suffering and shame;
And I love that old cross where the dearest and best
For a world of lost sinners was slain.
2 Oh, that old rugged cross, so despised by the world,
Has a wondrous attraction for me;
For the dear Lamb of God left His glory above,
To bear it to dark Calvary.
3 In the old rugged cross, stained with blood so divine,
Such a wonderful beauty I see;
For ‘twas on that old cross Jesus suffered and died,
To pardon and sanctify me.
4 To the old rugged cross I will ever be true,
Its shame and reproach gladly bear;
Then He’ll call me some day to my home far way,
Where His glory forever I’ll share.
Chorus So I’ll cherish the old rugged cross,
Till my trophies at last I lay down;
I will cling to the old rugged cross
And exchange it someday for a crown.
John 3:16 (KJV 1900)
16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
* My friends, God is not just passively standing by while the world goes on in chaos and suffering! No! No!
* He did something about it! He is doing something about it!
* All over the world right now God is accepting repentant sinners and saving them from the penalty and suffering of sin!
* God is active working in the world to rid the world of the suffering that has been cause by sin and Satan!
* Listen to the words of Isaiah the prophet as he tells us how God suffered on our behalf as He was doing something about the suffering in the world:
* Listen as the prophet describes that God did to rid the world of famines, and sickness, and wars, and natural disasters, and all manner of evil and suffering that satan has brought upon this word we life in!
Isaiah 53:3–7 (KJV 1900)
3 He is despised and rejected of men;
A man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief:
And we hid as it were our faces from him;
He was despised, and we esteemed him not.
4 Surely he hath borne our griefs,
And carried our sorrows:
Yet we did esteem him stricken,
Smitten of God, and afflicted.
5 But he was wounded for our transgressions,
He was bruised for our iniquities:
The chastisement of our peace was upon him;
And with his stripes we are healed.
6 All we like sheep have gone astray;
We have turned every one to his own way;
And the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.
7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted,
Yet he opened not his mouth:
He is brought as a lamb to the slaughter,
And as a sheep before her shearers is dumb,
So he openeth not his mouth.
* Oh naysayer! Oh one how doubts the love of God because you think that your little self-righteous pea brain can hold God accountable for all the suffering and pain in the world- listen to the words of a God who loves his world!
* A God who suffered so the He might end your suffering!
* Listen to the thoughts of Jesus, the one who created the universe, as he hung there on that old rugged cross!
Psalm 22:1–22 (KJV 1900)
1 My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?
Why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring?
2 O my God, I cry in the daytime, but thou hearest not;
And in the night season, and am not silent.
3 But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel.
4 Our fathers trusted in thee:
They trusted, and thou didst deliver them.
5 They cried unto thee, and were delivered:
They trusted in thee, and were not confounded.
6 But I am a worm, and no man;
A reproach of men, and despised of the people.
7 All they that see me laugh me to scorn:
They shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying,
8 He trusted on the Lord that he would deliver him:
Let him deliver him, seeing he delighted in him.
9 But thou art he that took me out of the womb:
Thou didst make me hope when I was upon my mother’s breasts.
10 I was cast upon thee from the womb:
Thou art my God from my mother’s belly.
11 Be not far from me; for trouble is near;
For there is none to help.
12 Many bulls have compassed me:
Strong bulls of Bashan have beset me round.
13 They gaped upon me with their mouths,
As a ravening and a roaring lion.
14 I am poured out like water,
And all my bones are out of joint:
My heart is like wax;
It is melted in the midst of my bowels.
15 My strength is dried up like a potsherd;
And my tongue cleaveth to my jaws;
And thou hast brought me into the dust of death.
16 For dogs have compassed me:
The assembly of the wicked have inclosed me:
They pierced my hands and my feet.
17 I may tell all my bones:
They look and stare upon me.
18 They part my garments among them,
And cast lots upon my vesture.
19 But be not thou far from me, O Lord:
O my strength, haste thee to help me.
20 Deliver my soul from the sword;
My darling from the power of the dog.
21 Save me from the lion’s mouth:
For thou hast heard me from the horns of the unicorns.
22 I will declare thy name unto my brethren:
In the midst of the congregation will I praise thee.
* Listen to the words of the apostle Peter in I Peter speaking of how God stepped into the world and did something to make a difference in a suffering and chaotic world!
1 Peter 2:24–25 (KJV 1900)
24 Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.
25 For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.
* The apostle Paul gives us the fix for the problem of suffering in the world:
1 Corinthians 15:21–26 (KJV 1900)
21 For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead.
22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. 23 But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming. 24 Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. 25 For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet. 26 The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.
Hebrews 2:9–18 (KJV 1900)
9 But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.
10 For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.
11 For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren, 12 Saying, I will declare thy name unto my brethren, in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee. 13 And again, I will put my trust in him. And again, Behold I and the children which God hath given me.
14 Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; 15 And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.
16 For verily he took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham.
17 Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people. 18 For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted.
Hebrews 4:14–16 (KJV 1900)
14 Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. 15 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.
16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
* Oh my friend, God does allow death, and war, and disease, and famines, and natural disasters in the world, but because of the works of satan, these evils exist in the world!
* Our loving Creator is more concerned with the suffering of this present world more that you will ever know, and could ever imagine!
*And the Creator Himself has suffered in order to save us from our suffering!
I. satan causes the innocent suffer because he is actively attempting to hide God's Love.
II. satan causes the innocent to suffer because we are the object of God's love.
III. satan causes the innocent to suffer by causing us to doubt God's love.
IV. God allows the innocent to suffer temporarily, in order to show us His love, by destroying evil and suffering, the works of satan, permanently.
Conclusion:
Text: 1 Peter 3:15–16 (KJV 1900)
15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:
Main Clause:
"Since a good God allows the innocent to suffer, then we should be ready with an answer when people ask why and tell them-
* God is only allowing the evil and suffering in the world by death, and famine, and disease, and war, and natural disasters to continue on a temporary basis.
* We need to tell the world that the answer to suffering is that, God loves His creation, but satan is actively trying to turn the minds of mankind away from the love of God by creating havoc and chaos in the world.
* God is concerned with the suffering of the innocent, and He is doing something about it!
* And it caused a loving God to come down here with us, and suffer with us, as a man,
* so the He might as a man, deliver us from this evil world full of war and sickness, and murder, and natural disasters a world of caos because of satan and sin.
* According to the apostle Paul, Jesus was the second Adam that came to defeat the works of satan, and deliver this world that He loves and destroy the works of the devil forever!
* I have been preaching mainly to saved folks this morning, but there may be one among this morning that God has spoken to your heart about how much God loves you, and how much He suffered for you.
* God loves you and wants you to be saved this morning- Will you come and be saved?
* Will you come and place your faith on the work that Jesus did on the cross for you, that you might be saved from sin and death and receive eternal life where there is no suffering, no sickness, no pain, and no more death?
(This section was deleted in order to reduce the sermon time)
This should be placed after the introduction and before the beginning of the point #IV.)
Sermon Introduction:
* Imagine with me for a minute if you will, you are standing at the bedside of your son or your daughter, who’s body has been broken, and life has been destroyed by a catastrophic tornado in the Sweetwater-Philadelphia area.
* Their innocent body wracked with pain, their home and livelihood destroyed, their faith in God damaged to the point of despair, they cry out to God, while all the time they are looking right in your face, at you, demanding an answer was to why God would allow all this evil to come upon them!
* What would you do? What would you say?
* In our text this morning:
Text: 1 Peter 3:15–16 (KJV 1900)
15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:
* The Apostle Peter tells us that we should always be ready to answer to every man why we can still have hope when we don’t understand why God allows innocent people to suffer.
*Does satan have the power to hurt innocent people with war or natural disasters?
Well let's look at the Bible this morning and see...
* Now, I believe that God has given us an entire book in the Bible from which He shows us why He allows innocent people to suffer.
* Turn with me to the book of Job this morning- we will read together Job Chapter 1 verses 6-12 where we left off last Sunday morning.
Job 1:6–12 (KJV 1900)
6 Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan came also among them.
7 And the Lord said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the Lord, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.
8 And the Lord said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil?
9 Then Satan answered the Lord, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought? 10 Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land.
11 But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face.
12 And the Lord said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thine hand. So Satan went forth from the presence of the Lord.
* In this account given to us by the Holy Spirit in the book of Job, satan is behind all of the suffering of the innocent man, Job.
* Job, his animals, his children, are all innocent, but they all suffer great losses in this account.
* We see in this story the principle that God does temporarily allow evil to happen in the world, but the evil and suffering in this world is not His will.
* The evil that is in this present world is here because satan, whom mankind has chosen as the god of this world, wills it.
* Yes, God does allows the innocent to suffer as a result of satan and sin, but He does so in order that He might defeat evil works of satan, the present ruler of darkness in the world.
* In the book of Acts, in chapter 26, the apostle Paul, when telling the story of how Jesus appeared to him on the road to Damascus, said that Jesus told him that He had come to open people’s eyes, and to turn them from darkness to the light, and from the power of satan unto God.
* At this moment, according to the apostle Paul, this world is presently under the power of satan. And the chaos and suffering in this world is the will of satan.
* The apostle John, again in I John 3 and verse 8 tells us that Jesus came to eliminate the suffering and pain, that satan has inflicted on this present world:
1 John 3:8–8 (KJV 1900)
8 He that committeth sin is of the devil;
for the devil sinneth from the beginning.
For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.
* God, in the story of Job, and in the story of human history, temporary allows evil and suffering, in order to allow satan’s rebellion, or evil to run out its course and be ultimately defeated.
*I believe that the story of Job is a real story about a real man, but it has been preserved for us here in the Bible in order to illustrate for us a great truth.
* The truth that God is presently allowing the evil and suffering that satan has caused in the world to continue- on a temporary basis,
* so that satan’s rebellion, which is sin, will ultimately run out its course, and then God will destroy satan, and all the chaos and suffering he has caused, and restore paradise to this earth.
* At the end of the book, God restores everything that satan took from Job, and blesses him a hundred fold.
* In the story of Job, satan's strategy is to make Job doubt God's goodness and thus throw away his allegiance to God.
* This is what satan want’s for every member of the human race, he wants to cause them to reject the love of the Creator.
* We are warned by the apostle Peter in I Peter chapter 5 and verse 8:
1 Peter 5:8–11 (KJV 1900)
8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:
9 Whom resist stedfast in the faith,
knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.
(Note that Peter indicates that satan is causing afflictions to the people who he is writing to)
* In our story of Job, we see God tell Satan that he has the power to hurt what belonged to Job:
Job 1:12 (KJV 1900)
12 And the Lord said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thine hand. So Satan went forth from the presence of the Lord.
So what does satan use to hurt Job ...
* First we see satan use violence and war to hurt Job...
Job 1:13–22 (KJV 1900)
13 And there was a day when his sons and his daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother’s house: 14 And there came a messenger unto Job, and said, The oxen were plowing, and the asses feeding beside them: 15 And the Sabeans fell upon them, and took them away; yea, they have slain the servants with the edge of the sword; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.
Second we see satan used the weather to hurt Job...
16 While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, The fire of God is fallen from heaven, and hath burned up the sheep, and the servants, and consumed them; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.
17 While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, The Chaldeans made out three bands, and fell upon the camels, and have carried them away, yea, and slain the servants with the edge of the sword; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.
18 While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, Thy sons and thy daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother’s house: 19 And, behold, there came a great wind from the wilderness, and smote the four corners of the house, and it fell upon the young men, and they are dead; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.
Third we see proper response to suffering in this world...
20 Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped, 21 And said,
Naked came I out of my mother’s womb,
And naked shall I return thither:
The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away;
Blessed be the name of the Lord.
22 In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly.
* Job never doubted God’s love for him. Job never doubted that God, even He allowed him to suffer, he never doubted that God loved him and has his best interest at heart.- that’s faith!
Job 13:15–16 (KJV 1900)
15 Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him:
But I will maintain mine own ways before him.
16 He also shall be my salvation…
1 John 5:2–4 (KJV 1900)
3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous. 4 For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.
* Faith in the love of God is the theme of the Book of Job!
* Satan was allowed by God to torment Job in order to test him, and this included “the fire of God” (probably lightning) which “fell from the sky and burned up the sheep and the servants” (Job 1:16).
* This was followed by a “mighty wind” (possibly a tornado) that destroyed his home and killed his children (vv. 18-19).
* So if the fire from heaven and the tornado were somehow caused by Satan, they were still under the ultimate control of God for His purposes, but the were carried out by the will of the devil.
* Remember the storm that arose on the sea of Galilee?
* Jesus rebuked the disciples because of their lack of faith. This storm may have been of a more sinister nature, intended to destroy Jesus and his disciples.
* It many have very well been brought about by the devil.
* Notice that Jesus reacted to the storm in the same way that God reacted to Job.
* Near the end of the book of Job, God rebukes Job for his lack of faith in the creator that made nature.
* On the sea of Galilei, Jesus rebuked his disciples for their lack of faith in the one that had control over nature!
* The scriptures says that “the men marvelled, saying, What manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him!”
* Job reacted to the evil that befell him in the right way- by his faith in God’s love.
* The message that the Holy Spirit has given us through the book of Job is that when evil comes, place your faith in the love of God!