Jesus & The Storms Of Life
The Life Of Christ • Sermon • Submitted
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Introduction
Introduction
Greetings…
Theme for this year has been, “The Life of Christ.”
I pray we are growing closer to our God through examining “God in the flesh” and his life here on earth.
Last week we examined “A King By Force” from John 6:1-15.
In this we discussed how Jesus’ popularity had grown to an astonishing height.
This was great “as more people heard the word” and dangerous “as his enemies were growing.”
We saw how Jesus feed the 5000 plus people that were their to hear him and how afterward these 5000 men wanted to take Jesus by force and make him their king.
The one miracle mentioned in every gospel account.
Today, we are going to focus our attention on what happened “after this took place” from Matthew’s gospel account in Matthew 14:22-33.
We are going to examine, in other words, “Jesus & The Storms Of Life.”
With the crowd pressing to “force Jesus to become king” (John 6:15) Jesus withdrew up the mountain but not before he sent his disciples away into the boat, on to the Sea of Galilee.
In other words, Jesus had his disciples…
Sent Into A Storm
Sent Into A Storm
Jesus “Made” Them Leave.
Jesus “Made” Them Leave.
In Matthew 14:22 we read…
22 Immediately he made the disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds.
In order to keep his disciples from getting involved with the crowd and their agenda, before Jesus dismissed the crowd, he “made” his disciples get into the boat and sail for the other side of the Sea of Galilee.
However, there is no doubt that Jesus would have known the storm was coming as well, and therefore it was because Jesus sent them out on to the sea that they got caught up in this severe storm.
The point is, sometimes…
Jesus “Sends” Us Into Storms.
Jesus “Sends” Us Into Storms.
It won’t take long for a child of God to realize that becoming a Christian doesn’t result in “smooth sailing” for us.
In fact, because Christians sometimes forget this fact, when troubles arise we question whether or not “we are doing God’s will” if we are in such troublesome times.
Don’t get me wrong, God will discipline those he loves.
11 My son, do not despise the Lord’s discipline or be weary of his reproof, 12 for the Lord reproves him whom he loves, as a father the son in whom he delights.
However, that doesn’t mean ever time we are dealing with some “storm of life” we are going through it because we need correction.
Job is a great example of this.
There was no other as faithful as him on earth, “a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil” (Job 1:8).
Yet, as we know, Job went through most horrific of trails (Job 1-2).
The truth is God will place his children, Christians, into situations where they will have to go through trails.
Paul told Timothy in 2 Timothy 3:12…
12 Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted,
Jesus declared this same truth to his disciples.
33 I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”
The simple fact is trials and tribulations are a apart of life.
But why would God “send us into storms?”
As said, sometimes we need correction (Hebrews 12:7ff) makes this clear.
However, sometimes, we are placed in tribulations, not for correction but perfection, which seems to be the case here in Matthew 14.
Jesus used this “storm,” in our text, to demonstrate to his disciples that he was indeed the Messiah.
Up to this point none of his disciples had yet confessed him as the “Son of God.”
32 And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased. 33 And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”
Sometimes God will send us into trying times to grow our knowledge and wisdom of him and our trust in him to get us where we need to be.
To remember his words…
Hebrews 13:5 (ESV)
5 …I will never leave you nor forsake you.
Sometimes God will send us into trying times so that we will grow and mature our Christian characteristics.
2 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, 3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. 4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
Sometimes God sends us “various trials” so that we can get more understanding of God’s word which has all the answers to godly living and dealing with trails, which will result in us praising, glorying, and honoring God’s written mind.
6 In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, 7 so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
Summary
Summary
If every time we try and teach someone the gospel and they reject it and we take this “as if we have done something wrong” and God is discipling us” we would never teach anyone again.
What if every teacher or preacher looked at a failed sermon or class as a sign that they were doing something wrong and being disciplined. They would stop preaching and teaching.
What if Jesus had interpreted his own suffering as a sign ob being in the wrong place and the wrong time, we would have no Savior.
God, through Solomon, tells us…
Ecclesiastes 9:11 (ESV)
11 Again I saw that under the sun the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, nor bread to the wise, nor riches to the intelligent, nor favor to those with knowledge, but time and chance happen to them all.
Storms are going to come, and unless we are aware of violating God’s will we should not just assume we are being disciplined but rather “chosen” to grown and was promised to come our way.
Thankfully, Jesus didn’t leave his disciples to fend for themselves, no he…
Came To The Rescue
Came To The Rescue
He Walked To Them.
He Walked To Them.
We read in Matthew 14:25…
25 And in the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea.
Now Jesus could have come to them in any form or fashion, any sort of way.
Why come in the midst of the storm rather than leaving with them in the boat as he had done before?
Why come walking on the water?
We may never know the exact reasons for Jesus walking on the water to them but Warren Wiesbe has a good thought on it.
“to show that the very thing they feared (the sea) was only a staircase upon which He could come to them.”
Whatever the exact reason what we do know is that our troubles are always an avenue for God’s greatest blessings.
Think about it for a moment, how much spiritual growth have you attained when “everything” was easy?
The apostle Paul learned this in 2 Corinthians 12:7-10 when he prayed three times for his “thorn in the flesh to be removed,” only to be told “my grace is sufficient.”
Paul was reminded right then that “in his very weakness God was able to show ‘his’ power through Paul.
My point is this, when we are going through these “troublesome times” God doesn’t leave us on our own, no he is right there with us.
16 At my first defense no one came to stand by me, but all deserted me. May it not be charged against them! 17 But the Lord stood by me and strengthened me, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. So I was rescued from the lion’s mouth. 18 The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed and bring me safely into his heavenly kingdom. To him be the glory forever and ever. Amen.
Have you ever wondered why the disciples on that boat didn’t recognize Jesus?
Sure it was dark and storming.
Sure there was a lot of confusion going on while trying to save the boat.
But they did eventually look out and see someone, but didn’t know who it was.
The reality was, they simply were not looking for Jesus at that moment and did not expect him to “come to the rescue.”
Unfortunately, we sometimes do not expect Jesus to come to our rescue during our “storms.”
However, those are the exact times we should be looking all the more attentively for him because he has promised us that nothing can separate us from his love.
31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? 33 Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies.
34 Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? 36 As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.”
37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Summary
Summary
When in distress, we should ask with excited anticipation, “How will you help me God?”
How will God do this for me?
In Isaiah 43:1-3 we read these comforting words God sent his people.
Isaiah 43:1–3 (ESV)
1 But now thus says the Lord, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. 2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you. 3 For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior....
Jesus promised something similar in Matthew 28:20…
Matthew 28:20 (ESV)
20 …And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.
Conclusion
Conclusion
We will pass through the water and through the fire, but we will not pass through them alone.
Jesus may sometimes send us storm, we will not always be shielded from the difficulties of life.
However, it’s during these times that we see Christ more clearly and understand his power more completely.
I might add, that this is often when others are drawn to Christ through our reaction and actions concerning these storms as well (Matthew 5:12-16).
Invitation
1 Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save, or his ear dull, that it cannot hear; 2 but your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear.
6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.
17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.
6 And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.
32 “Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven.
8 in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.
1 Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, 2 and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. 3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures,
3 Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.
7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.