Sermon Central
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Facing The Storms Of Life
Contributed by Chris Layton on Sep 13, 2011 (message contributor)
Summary: Regardless of what comes Jesus is there.
Facing the Storms of Life
• 9/11…
• Katrina…
• Japan’s earthquakes/tsunami’s…
• Death in the family…
• Lost your job…
• Spouse has left you…
All of these things happened because God allowed it to happen.
1) Why would God allow bad things to happen to good people?
a. It may be that where you are in not where He wants you.
i. The only way to get from where you are to where He wants you is to go through a storm.
b. He has a better plan than what we have here on earth, and He wants each of us to be a part of that plan.
i. I know the plans that I have for you,' declares the LORD, 'plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope. (Jeremiah 29:11)
ii. While we are concerned with the physical and the mortal,
iii. He is concerned with the spiritual and the eternal.
c. And if the only way he can get you from point A to point B is by taken you through a storm then it is worth it.
There is an excellent story that we have all heard and read that points this out very plainly.
Read with me beginning in verse 45…
Jesus has just finished what is arguably the greatest miracle He performed while on earth – feeding 5,000…
Verse 45-47) He made the disciples leave the area because he knew what the crowd was thinking.
• Jesus knew, after that last miracle, that the people would want to force Him to be king.
• Know was not the time for that. He would become King.
o Not by a coup.
o But by a cross
• Jesus wanted to get the disciples out of the way so that they didn’t get caught up in the attempt by the people.
o It is a lot easier to go along with the crowd than to stand against it.
o Jesus had other plans for these men.
• Jesus even removes Himself from this situation
o He heads up the mountain to spend time with the Father.
He had to stay focused on His mission.
o We could all spend less time getting ourselves out of jams if we would spend more time with the Father ourselves.
• From atop the mountain Jesus sees the disciple’s boat.
o We see, in verse 39, that Jesus had the people sit on green grass.
This puts it about mid-April.
That becomes important now because it is around the time of Passover.
This means that there was a full moon and it was by the light of the moon that Jesus was able to see clearly.
o So, He sets out to help His friends.
Verse 49-52)
• Jesus made Himself available to His friends in the storm.
o They thought He was a ghost, so they cried out in fear.
o You can’t blame them!
Man is not supposed to be able to walk on water.
o What would you think?
• Jesus understands their fear.
o It’s in the middle of the storm when they are most afraid that He Speaks to them.
o He calms their fears and let them know that everything was alright.
• Upon recognizing who it was they invited Him into the boat.
o When He got in the storm stopped.
o Regardless of the storm around them they were now safe because of Who was with them during the storm.
• Jesus is the answer to man’s need.
o He proved that by feeding the 5,000 and the disciples missed it.
o So this time it was more personal for them.
Application)
• So, what was the point?
o They would have never gotten to the other side and accomplished everything they accomplished without first going through that storm.
o Their life was changed during that storm.
o Other lives were changed because of that storm.
• Every disaster that comes, big or small, God has a reason for it.
o For your life
o And for others.
