Faith Through Uncertainty

Matthew 8:23-34

If we are all honest the last few years have been well crazy and it seems as though it will only continue to increase as time continues to pass. Pandemics and lock-downs, killer hornets or bee’s, wild fire’s and other national disasters, riots hitting the majory US Cities, politicians trying to defund the police, food shortages, rising gas prices and inflation, men competing in women’s sports, LGBTQ+ content being pushed in children’s television and movies, incrimination laptops and diaries and possibly election fraud. Of course, you can’t forget Russia invading Ukraine in all of this as well. And that’s not even counting everything that most of us go through in our daily lives, if you would it is as if there is a strom raging all around us. Back in 2018 sometime during the summer I had just started attending and working at Family Worship Center in Mattoon, however, I lived in Bethany. I was leaving the Church after a Bible study and after going through Sullivan called Emily to let her know I would be home shortly and to check on how her and Christopher were doing as he was only a couple months old at the time, when out of no where the worst storm started to hit, you could barely see in front of you the rain was so terrible, everyone was pulling off to the side of the roads, the wind was shaking the Jeep, branches flying and my wife stated that a tornado had touched down only a few miles from where I was at, now although not everyone would make this decision I decided to push through as the military side of me took over and in mind during a chaotic, dangerous situation, movement is life. And by the grace of God I made it home without injury or damage to my vehicle. I share this story because we’re all in a situation like that in our world today. Instead of rain beating down on us, it’s one attack after another on our values, our beliefs, and our world view. Instead of actual wind shipping us from side to side, it’s winds of false doctrine, and false teaching, and miniformation, and lies tryin gto blow us about. Instead of tree limbs falling all around us, its the pillars of our society that are being torn down and uprooted. And itmay seem like one political pary or the other is to blame, but the Bible tells us in Ephesians 6:12 “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this darkness, against evil, spiritual forces in the heavens.”

So what are we to do? Thats the real question for you and me today. What should we do? What can we do? How do we navigate our way safely though this storm thats raging all around us.

If you have your bibles with you go ahead and open them to Matthew 8 and I’m going to be reading through verses 23 all the way to the of the Chapter. This will also be on the screen behind me, so if you would would follow along with me as I read Matthew 8:23-34 from the Word of God.

Matthew 8:23–34 CSB

As he got into the boat, his disciples followed him. Suddenly, a violent storm arose on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by the waves—but Jesus kept sleeping. So the disciples came and woke him up, saying, “Lord, save us! We’re going to die!” He said to them, “Why are you afraid, you of little faith?” Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. The men were amazed and asked, “What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the sea obey him!” When he had come to the other side, to the region of the Gadarenes, two demon-possessed men met him as they came out of the tombs. They were so violent that no one could pass that way. Suddenly they shouted, “What do you have to do with us, Son of God? Have you come here to torment us before the time?” A long way off from them, a large herd of pigs was feeding. “If you drive us out,” the demons begged him, “send us into the herd of pigs.” “Go!” he told them. So when they had come out, they entered the pigs, and the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea and perished in the water. Then the men who tended them fled. They went into the city and reported everything, especially what had happened to those who were demon-possessed. At that, the whole town went out to meet Jesus. When they saw him, they begged him to leave their region.

Now before we actually dive into this specific scripture let’s first go over the context. Prior to this we see that Jesus cleansed a leper that vs. 1-4, next he heals a centurion’s servant without even being present to touch the individual all Jesus had to do was speak the word and the servant was healed vs. 5-13, Then Jesus heals Peter’s mother in law, along with many others who were sick as well as freeing individuals from demonic possession vs. 14-17. So basically, what;s happening here is that we’re being shown a display of the power of Christ, and His love, grace, and mercy for humanity. So what Matthew is doing here is painting a picture for us. That Jesus has all power and authority over any circumnstance or situation, even over time and space. He can say the word and what is spoken must be and will be accomplished or done. I share this with you this morning to tell you first and foremost athat He’s still the same as He was then. Our God is the Great I Am- He is the same yesterday, today, and forever! He is All Mighty. He is soverign over all things! And in this picture that Matthew has painted for us, he has shown us that Jesus is sovering over every circumsntance, and sufficent for every circumstance that life can throw our direction. He’s sufficient.... He’s enough.... He’s all you ever need.

Now, let’s jump into this specific passage, what we find is Jesus and the disciples getting into the boat, and as they’re heading out across the Sea of Galilee this huge storm comes upon them. Now for those of you who aren’t familiary with the geography of Israel or of the Sea of Galilee, here in the US we’d probably call it a lake. It’s about 13 miles long and 8 miles wide, compared to Lak eMichigan, it’s tiny. Lake Michigan just to give you a little perspective is 307 miles long, and over 100 miles wide at it’s widest point. So it’s not a huge lake or sea… It also sits several hundred feet below sea level, and it’s surrounded by mountains. So the Sea of Galilee is basically a wind chamber. It’s the perfect place for storms. And that’s what happens. Jesus and His disciples get in a boat; they’re headed across the sea when all of a sudden a massive storm hits. The text tells us that the waves were coming over the side of the little fishing boat and flooding it. And it must’ve been bad, because the disciples made thier living out on the water as fishermen, they;ve proabbly seen storms before. But this is so bad that they thing they’re going to die.

I want us to see the lessons in this as we move through it. These guys were ebing faithful, its not like they’ve sinned and brough thtis upon themseleves. They were following Jesus, they were with Him, He’ right there with them in the boat, and they’re trying to do what He ahs told them to do… go to the other side of the Sea. And in their obedience, the storm comes.

So the frist lesson is this: following, living for, and obeying Jesus does not exempt you from storms. In fact; they might come bcause of that. Now why do I say that? 2 Timothy 3:12 says “In fact, all who want to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.” Just prior to this, not only do we see Jeus sdoing all sorts of miracles and healings butthere is a section there where aman comes to him and says “Jesus I will follow you.” And Christ responds “If you do, there are times when you might not have a bed.” vs 20. “Fxoes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.” IN other words, you might have to choose between your own personal comfort and following Jesus. There’s also another eason why I say, when you’re following Jesus that the storm might come… This about this;

Jesus and His disciples are in the boat, and they’re headed to the other side and we know what ont he other side, because we just read the text. There’s a couple of deom possessed guys over there. There are a couple of guys on the other side who are under the complete sway and dominoin of Satan. They belong tot eh devil and he does not want Jesus anywhere near them. He doesn’t want Jesus rescuing them out of the kingdom of darkness. What does the storm do? It amkes you afraid. it gets your eyes off of jesus beecause you’re afraid of the winds and waves and uncertainty all around you. Satan wants you to think that thes storm is bigger than God. He wants your eyes on the storm, and your focus on the storm, because what that does Church is make you ineffective for the cause of Christ. He wants you so worried about the economy, how am I going to pay my bills? He wants you so worried about the moral collapse of society - that you place all your attention and focus on those things, and you end up in despair, and ineffective. Basically you lose your saltiness.

Thankfully; the disciples do the righ thing. they go to the Lord. They wake Him up, and Jesus asks them “Why were you afraid?” Uhmm.... Jesus, the waves are coming in the boat! We’re taking on water fast! We’re going down!”

Really....

And this is our next lesson from this passage. A lot of times, we belie in Jesus, and we believe Jesus.... To a Point. We say things like, “well yeah, Jesus can heal the sick… but....” or, “ Jesus can deliver me from sin… but...”, “Jesus can take care of my finances....but....” “Jesus is in control of my future… but...”

There can;t be any buts about it. Jesus is Lord over all! Period, Exclamation point, finished.

How often do you trust in the Lord to a point, but then start putting limits on HIm? We say, “Well I’ve got to help Jesus make this happen.” Now we’d probably never catuall say that with our mouths, but our lives and our actions show that’s often times what we actually believe. Remember a couple months ago when I preached out suffering, and how we all will endure suffering on this side of earth, I spoke about the family member who stated well you’re just not speaking life over yourself… It’s that same mentatily, Jesus can heal you.... but… you must do this. No, Jesus can heal me, He will heal me whether on this side of eternity or the next and I will place my trust in Him and Him alone as nothing that I say or do can change His soverignty.

You see sometimes that storm, whatever it is, it might be from our enemy, trying to get us off mission, off track, and our eyes on what’s going on directly around us - the cares of the world and deceitfulness of riches choke out the Word and make it unfruitful… but God can use that storm as well.

He can use it to show us that in and of ourselves, we are incapable of navigating it. He can use it to get us to call out to jesus in acknowledgment that we can’t do it on our own.

You know, there’s been serveral serveys’ recently that show a huge decline in prayer amongst professing Christians. People just aren’t going to God. Instead they ahve this false sense of self-reliance. Which is really just pride. It’s pride because a person is in effect saying, “I don’t want to ask for help, or admit that I need God’s help. I dont want to humble myself and go to God in prayer.” It’s pride or it’s willful rebellion… becuase the other reason folks don’t go to God in prayer is because they don’t want to hear the answer He’ll give them. “I want what I want God, and I dont want you to tell me no, so I’m not going to pray.... I’m not going to talk to my heavenly Father, because I don’t think I’ll like what He has to say.”

But that a sermon for another day… the point I’m trying to make here is that the devil might send a storm, but God is soverign over that storm, and God can and will use it for His purposes. And I think it’s pretty clear here that one of the purposes of this stomr is to get the disciples to see and realize that Jesus is Lord over all… even the weather.

If you go back up to ver 18, jesus had already given the command. The orders if you will, go to the other side. in other words, it was His will, and His command. And that brings me to my last lesson from this passage today.

If it is God’s will for you - “Why are you afraid?”

If it is God’s will for you, He will bring it to pass. Isaiah 55:11 says, “so my word that comes from my mouth will not return to me empty, but it will accomplish what I please and will prosper in what I send it to do.””

Psalm 115:3 “Our God is in heaven and does whatever he pleases.”

Jeremiah 32:17 “Oh, Lord God! You yourself made the heavens and earth by your great power and with your outstretched arm. Nothing is too difficult for you!”

In our text here, jesus sternly rebuked the wind and waves, but also rebuked His disciples.. not in the same way… it was a loving rebuke. He asked them “Why are you afraid, O you of little faith.” My question for you this morning is this - is - Jesus asking the same thing to us? “Why are you afraid?”

Are you afraid of the economic stituation? Are you afraid of what your future might or might not hold? Are you afraid that our nation seems to be going down the toilet?

What the answer?

Go to God! Go to Christ! Humble yourself and pray; seek His face, and repent. He is a good God, who loves you with an everlasting love. He sent His only Son, the Lord Jesus to die on the cross for your sins… to take the punishment of God’s wrath against your sin, upon Himself.

The storm is going to come, and it’s going to rage, but if you’ve built your house upon the Rock, it will not fall.

Have you done that? If not I pray that you would. As Emily and the worship team, comes forward it is my prayer that if you don’t jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior that you would come forward and accept His free gift of grace today, or speak with me or any of the other believers today about it, maybe you’re here and you do believe but you’re going through a storm in your life I am up here and the elder’s are ready to step forward as well to pray with you and are willing to speak with you and come along side you. Finally, as I always say at this time the altars are open for anyone to come forward and pray. We also, have the Baptistry open and full if someone would like to make that committment to Christ today.

Let’s pray.