MT 14:22 Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. 23 After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, 24 but the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it.
MT 14:25 During the fourth watch of the night Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. 26 When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. "It’s a ghost," they said, and cried out in fear.
MT 14:27 But Jesus immediately said to them: "Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid."28 "Lord, if it’s you," Peter replied, "tell me to come to you on the water."
LESSONS FROM A STORM PT. 1
Intro:
Have you ever wonder why contrary winds seem to keep blowing in your life (I have). Why the problems on the job, why the problems at home, why problems seem to be everywhere. Can I suggest that just maybe it is not really all about our jobs, homes and family or anyone else, just maybe these storms are all about us (that you and I). I would that we would consider what God maybe saying to us in our current situations. Yeah, we look good and we look fine but on inside we are about to loose our minds. We have gators on our feet’s, furs on backs, pearls around our necks and diamonds on our fingers but yet we at a loss to understand why the lions, bears and tigers (on my) are on our trails. We swim with sharks, we dance like Kevin Cosner with wolves, we sleep with the enemy and we are constantly subjected to the indecent proposals of the enemy and the prince of this world. Steaks in fridge, but no solutions to our storms, we have full pockets but empty hearts. We are pawns of an unjust world like John-Q. Yeah, the contrary winds and waves of the world leave us at a loss. Yet, here today we have three practical but powerful principles pregnated and imbedded within the womb of this passage that I believe can help with our storm situations.
Body:
Our text is recorded in each of the synoptic gospels. This is of great benefit to us, for it affords us a panoramic view of the events of the text. The context of our text is that Jesus has just fed the five thousand. The disciples have just witnesses the marvel of the mighty, and miraculous manifestation and demonstration of the power of God incarnate on display. Please note if you will the disconnection and the departure. Understand that our disconnections always precede our departures, turn and tell the person next to if you want to go somewhere there are some things you must turn a loose. Jesus dismisses the crowd and commands the disciples to go to the other side. Observe the atmosphere, the weather is normal or should I say ordinary. The background of this textual episode is an ordinary day, yeah the thing about storms that I want us to see is that they happen when we have disconnected and made our departures and are on way. Additionally storms often show up during what believe to be ordinary days. Look with me and see what we have. We have Jesus commanding devoted and dedicated followers to depart from their current location to another destination on what appears to be an ordinary day. Our text informs us that the principle parties (disciples) on the principle vehicle (boat) are far away from land. The other writers tell us that the boat was about half way across and then the weather changed. That is the nature of storms, the come unannounced, and during a time when we are to far out to turn back and to far out it seems to make it over. Yet, it during these times that God develops and delivers us. There are three quick principles or lessons that I want to share from this text.
1st Principle.
Vs. 22 Storms come even when we are obedient to the Commands of Jesus.
This text teaches us that a right relationship with Jesus is not a recipe for a storm proof life. After all it was Jesus who told the disciples to get on the boat. Yeah, after all it was Jesus who told the disciples to depart and go to the other side. Yes, this text reminds us that even when we do all we can, that even when we are striving and straining to be the best for God that we can that storms come. Yes, this text says to us that no matter who we are storms are going to come into our lives. See how the weather changes and the waters of relaxation become waters of restlessness. Sometimes we are sailing through life, working, providing for our families and going about our ordinary and habitual routines and the weather changes. The phone rings and we have lost a love one (weather has changed), sometimes it a lay off on the job (weather has changed) sometimes it is a love one saying I don’t love you any more and I want out of the relationship (weather has changed). Yeah, you were striving to do what the word said, but the weather changed. The first thing I would that we take from this text is that storms come even when we are obedient to the commands of Jesus.
What else can we find, let us look and see. Well there is another principle. The next principle is in verse 25.
2nd Principle
Vs. 25 Our Blessings are Found at the Darkest Part of our Storms.
While the scenery of the text is ruff and tuff, it is comforting to know that there are some positive things happen even in a ruff and tuff storm. Our text informs us that it was the 4th watch of the night. The Romans divided the night into four watches. The fourth watch was between 3:00 A.M. and 6:00 A.M which is believed to be the darkest part of the night. This text reveals to us that it is during the darkest hour of our storm that Jesus draws nigh. We should find it encouraging that Jesus in the hour of desperation and frustration is drawing nigh. This verse also reveals to us one of the purposes of storms. Storms are allowed by God to show us what is in us. Listen to the text, Jesus is moving toward the disciples but they suffer from a case of misidentification. Fears, runs rapid in the disciples like june-bugs in the sun. They mistake Jesus for a Ghost, their fears and phobias surface like the rising of the tide.
3rd Principle
Vs. 27. Storms Reveal the True Source of Our Strength (Courage).
When things were at their worst point for the disciples, when they were overwhelmed by the wind and the waves Jesus shows us. The disciples had been rowing for a long time, and yet they were unable to get trough the storm. Storms reveal our inability and the ability of God. We try to live large and in charge, but as great as our press clipping are when storms come the reveal all of inadequacies. Yet Paul declares when we are weak we are strong. When Jesus shows up in our storm, we find that we gain strength. We gain strength to do the possible, when Jesus shows up he makes marriages, out of mistakes. When Jesus shows up he invigorates, restores, empowers us to reach the unreachable, to cross the un-crossable. Storms let us know that without him, we can do nothing and without him we are doom to fail. Yet, when Jesus shows up, we gain the strength to join in with Paul and say in Christ I can do all things.
