Sermon Central
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Wits End
Contributed by Austin Calder on Jul 14, 2020 (message contributor)
Summary: Storms have a way of making us focus on what really matters in life. We tend to set everything straight and put our lives back on the right path when we face storms. Let’s look at a storm from the OT this morning.
Intro: A group of golfers were approaching the fourth hole on the golf course one afternoon Suddenly the sky turned ominous, and it began to rain amid claps of thunder They rushed to shelter in a gazebo near a metal fence. As the storm grow in intensity, a bolt of lightning hit the long fence and lit it up like a neon sign. It was a while before any of them could speak. Then one player turned to his opponents and said, “You know what I had on the first hole-it really was a seven."
Storms have a way of making us focus on what really matters in life. We tend to set everything straight and put our lives back on the right path when we face storms. Let’s look at a storm from the OT this morning.
“Ever find yourself at Wits End?”
At some point in our lives, some sooner than others, we will end up at “Wit’s End”. I have heard my parent say this to me many times as they look at my report card. “we are at Wits End with you boy” ? But I have to admit I never knew this was in the bible till a few years ago when I came across it in Psalm.
In today scriptures, we see a true to life experience. God sends a storm, and this was a big storm. It’s was not an Ida but more like a Wilma type of storm. The sailors found themselves at “Wits End”. So, what did they do?... the same thing we do when we find our self in a corner with no possible way out, they cry out to God to save them. God heard them and stilled the storm and brought them to their desired haven. This morning I want us to look at this story and discover together how we can ride out the storms of life when we find ourselves at Wits End.
Let’s pray.
1) The situation they Encountered. 23-27
23 Those who go down to the sea in ships, who do business on great waters, 24 They see the works of the LORD, And His wonders in the deep. 25 For He commands and raises the stormy wind, which lifts up the waves of the sea. 26 They mount up to the heavens, they go down again to the depths; Their soul melts because of trouble. 27 They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man, And are at their wits’ end.
So how does this O/T situation compare with what going on with US today? These seasoned sailors find themselves in a storm like they have never faced before, they had done all they knew to survive yet the storm is still raging and they find themselves at “Wits End”.
If you’re not at Wits End right now with what’s going on around you, I promise you will get there someday SOON.
Wits end for these sailors was after trying everything they could think of they were still in trouble. But that’s what we do right. We try to fix thing till it’s too late and we are at “Wits End” and we know now were in trouble.
ILL: A young boy was driving a hayrack down the road when the wagon fell over in front of a farmer's house. The farmer came out, saw the young boy crying and said, “son, don’t worry about this, we can fix it. Right now dinner's ready. Why don't you come in and eat with us and then I'll help you put the hay back on the rack. “The boy said, “no, I can't. My father is going to be very angry with me. "The farmer said, “Now don't worry, just come in and have some lunch and you'll feel better. “The boy said, “I’m just afraid my father is going to be very angry with me."The farmer and the young boy went inside and had dinner. Afterwards, as they walked outside to the hayrack, the farmer said, “Now, son, don’t you feel better after that great meal? “The boy said, “Yes but I just know that my father will be very angry with me. "The farmer said, “nonsense. Where is your father anyway? “The boy said, “He’s under that wagon." This young man knew he was in trouble. You know when you’re in trouble right?
?These merchants, they knew they were in trouble.
?They were seamen on the “mighty water” they had their sea legs.
?They had been in storms before.
ILL: I love to take people out fishing when I to have time. But every once in a while, you take someone out who has never been to sea before. When the boat starts to rock back and forth, if you don’t have your sea legs, you will find yourself in one of two places. A) The bottom of the boat laying down or B) hanging over the side giving back to nature. No sea legs.
