Calming the Storm - Message given in evening worship, August 19, 2007
MAR 4: 35 As evening came, Jesus said to his disciples, "Let's cross to the other side of the lake." 36 He was already in the boat, so they started out, leaving the crowds behind (although other boats followed). 37 But soon a fierce storm arose. High waves began to break into the boat until it was nearly full of water. 38 Jesus was sleeping at the back of the boat with his head on a cushion. Frantically they woke him up, shouting, "Teacher, don't you even care that we are going to drown?" 39 When he woke up, he rebuked the wind and said to the water, "Quiet down!" Suddenly the wind stopped, and there was a great calm. 40 And he asked them, "Why are you so afraid? Do you still not have faith in me?" 41 And they were filled with awe and said among themselves, "Who is this man, that even the wind and waves obey him?"
The Word of God, written for the people of God - Thanks be to God
Let us pray:
Most Gracious, powerful and loving God, we are thankful that You are always with us, in the good times, in the bad times, in all our times. As we face the difficult times in our lives, help us keep you at the center of our lives, exactly where we need you to be. I pray that each heart here be open to your word this evening and that my words become truly yours in spirit. May the words of my mouth and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable in your sight oh Lord our rock and our redeemer. AMEN
Sailboat story - My Son & I went to Lake Lanier in north Georgia to rent a sailboat. Weather was cloudy and windy. The boat rental agent said it was “a great day for sailing, IF you know what you’re doing.” I was inexperienced, but didn’t let my son know. We were able to get back safely, but not without some pretty scary times for my son. He counted on me to get him through the storm. The disciples were counting on Jesus to get them through their storm. But they might have thought that Jesus was “asleep at the helm.”
Do we ever accuse God of not caring for us? What does it do to our faith and trust when we think that God no longer cares? How does God show that he cares for us? Must God always perform miracles -- remove us from dangerous storms for us to believe that God cares for us?
It’s interesting that Jesus was asleep. Did he care? Did it bother him? Was he just waiting to be asked? Did he want to have the disciples work it out themselves? There are a lot of questions.
Some think that it’s all right to assume the boat was never in real danger. It sure seemed like it to the disciples, but if Jesus life were in jeopardy at that point, I doubt he'd have been sleeping. When they did wake him and he calmed the storm, Jesus rebuked them for lacking in faith. The storm was not the issue. It was how they handled it.
Jesus was with them during the storm; so by his presence, there was never any real danger. All the danger was believed, but not real.
How many times have we been all upset by the situations we find ourselves in, only to realize later how trivial those problems were? If Jesus is still our Savior, the storms are not going to sink us although they may scare us pretty badly. When we stop trying to bail out our lives ourselves and call upon the Christ, things happen. Our storm is calmed.
For the Disciples, the storm was a part of the process. They had to go through it to cross to the other side. When they lost faith in the midst of the storm, they were reprimanded by Jesus.
Likewise, when we go through difficult times, we should know that Jesus is in the same boat with us. Is he concerned or is he sleeping? If he is sleeping we can trust that the storm will not be fatal and then go about the difficult job of getting through it. What storms are you facing? Jesus is bigger than they are and can help you through them.
Scott Krippayne illustrates this point in a poem.
All who sail the sea of faith
Find out before too long
How quickly blue skies can grow dark
And gentle winds grow strong
Suddenly fear is like white water
Pounding on the soul
Still we sail on knowing
That our Lord is in control.
Sometimes He calms the storm
With a whispered "Peace be still"
He can settle any sea
But it doesn't mean He will
Sometimes He holds us close
And lets the wind and waves go wild
Sometimes he calms the storm
And other times He calms His child
He has a reason for each trial
That we pass through in life
And though we're shaken we cannot be
Pulled apart from Christ
No matter how the driving rain
Beats down on those who hold to faith
A heart of trust will always
Be a quiet peaceful place
Believing in Jesus and trusting in Jesus will not make your hard times go away. Christ doesn’t promise us a life of ease. However, with Christ the hard times are easier to take. He will never leave us or forsake us. In the name of the Father, and the Son and the Holy Spirit. AMEN
MAY WE PRAY? God, as we go through the storms of our lives, we thank you that you have given us your Son Jesus Christ to save us. Help us to respond to that gift by reflecting your love to those we meet who might be tossed in fearful storms of their own. Now, go in peace, and serve the Lord with gladness in all that you do. In Jesus name, AMEN.
The Word of God, written for the people of God - Thanks be to God
Let us pray:
Most Gracious, powerful and loving God, we are thankful that You are always with us, in the good times, in the bad times, in all our times. As we face the difficult times in our lives, help us keep you at the center of our lives, exactly where we need you to be. I pray that each heart here be open to your word this evening and that my words become truly yours in spirit. May the words of my mouth and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable in your sight oh Lord our rock and our redeemer. AMEN
Sailboat story - My Son & I went to Lake Lanier in north Georgia to rent a sailboat. Weather was cloudy and windy. The boat rental agent said it was “a great day for sailing, IF you know what you’re doing.” I was inexperienced, but didn’t let my son know. We were able to get back safely, but not without some pretty scary times for my son. He counted on me to get him through the storm. The disciples were counting on Jesus to get them through their storm. But they might have thought that Jesus was “asleep at the helm.”
Do we ever accuse God of not caring for us? What does it do to our faith and trust when we think that God no longer cares? How does God show that he cares for us? Must God always perform miracles -- remove us from dangerous storms for us to believe that God cares for us?
It’s interesting that Jesus was asleep. Did he care? Did it bother him? Was he just waiting to be asked? Did he want to have the disciples work it out themselves? There are a lot of questions.
Some think that it’s all right to assume the boat was never in real danger. It sure seemed like it to the disciples, but if Jesus life were in jeopardy at that point, I doubt he'd have been sleeping. When they did wake him and he calmed the storm, Jesus rebuked them for lacking in faith. The storm was not the issue. It was how they handled it.
Jesus was with them during the storm; so by his presence, there was never any real danger. All the danger was believed, but not real.
How many times have we been all upset by the situations we find ourselves in, only to realize later how trivial those problems were? If Jesus is still our Savior, the storms are not going to sink us although they may scare us pretty badly. When we stop trying to bail out our lives ourselves and call upon the Christ, things happen. Our storm is calmed.
For the Disciples, the storm was a part of the process. They had to go through it to cross to the other side. When they lost faith in the midst of the storm, they were reprimanded by Jesus.
Likewise, when we go through difficult times, we should know that Jesus is in the same boat with us. Is he concerned or is he sleeping? If he is sleeping we can trust that the storm will not be fatal and then go about the difficult job of getting through it. What storms are you facing? Jesus is bigger than they are and can help you through them.
Scott Krippayne illustrates this point in a poem.
All who sail the sea of faith
Find out before too long
How quickly blue skies can grow dark
And gentle winds grow strong
Suddenly fear is like white water
Pounding on the soul
Still we sail on knowing
That our Lord is in control.
Sometimes He calms the storm
With a whispered "Peace be still"
He can settle any sea
But it doesn't mean He will
Sometimes He holds us close
And lets the wind and waves go wild
Sometimes he calms the storm
And other times He calms His child
He has a reason for each trial
That we pass through in life
And though we're shaken we cannot be
Pulled apart from Christ
No matter how the driving rain
Beats down on those who hold to faith
A heart of trust will always
Be a quiet peaceful place
Believing in Jesus and trusting in Jesus will not make your hard times go away. Christ doesn’t promise us a life of ease. However, with Christ the hard times are easier to take. He will never leave us or forsake us. In the name of the Father, and the Son and the Holy Spirit. AMEN
MAY WE PRAY? God, as we go through the storms of our lives, we thank you that you have given us your Son Jesus Christ to save us. Help us to respond to that gift by reflecting your love to those we meet who might be tossed in fearful storms of their own. Now, go in peace, and serve the Lord with gladness in all that you do. In Jesus name, AMEN.