First Baptist Church Dec 19, 2021

God's word says this one day he got into a boat with his disciples and he said to them let us go across to the other side of the lake so they set out and as they sailed he fell asleep and a windstorm came down on the lake and they were filling with water and were in danger and they went and woke him saying master master we are perishing and he awoke and rebuked the wind and the raging waves and they ceased and there was calm he said to them where is your faith and they were afraid and they marveled saying to one another who then is this

That he commands even winds and water and they obey him let's pray so God we do pray that your peace would be on us and if there's anyone here that maybe they don't have that lasting eternal peace Lord we pray that today might be that you would draw them out of darkness and into light that we would celebrate rebirth and God I just pray for the many Christians that are here where maybe there is not much peace maybe our hearts are unsettled help us during this time to draw close to you by the preaching of your word in Jesus name amen all right so Christ at this time in this particular Gospel he is increasing in popularity very rapidly there's thousands of people that are listening to his teachings his main ministry is centered around the city called capernaum and it's right at the northern shore of galilee yeah this is where it is if you see in the bottom left-hand corner where it says wrath that's nazareth and that's where of course Jesus was grown up as a boy and he travels from nazareth to capernaum to establish his public ministry it's where he really starts teaching it's where he calls the first disciples it's where he teaches it's where he heals actually in the book of Matthew chapters six through eight it's where he spends a great chunk of his time preaching the sermon on the mount and he gets in a boat and he says hey guys let's go to the other side now I want you guys to understand something because Jesus is about is doing something that rabbis that jewish people really ought not to be doing because when you go to the other side of

Capernaum oh go back when you go to the other side of capernaum you see that on the on the I guess that's the eastern shore you see guergesa and hippos and some of those places okay those are those are very greek areas it's actually a part of the middle east that's known as the decapolis the ten cities it was it was a place where where greeks were greeks romans were romans and jews avoided that place because to be a jew among the gentiles was very much frowned upon and now the jews they obviously had population centers but it wasn't a place that a rabbi would take his disciples and so he goes there and I want you guys I don't want you guys to miss this that Jesus at the very beginning of his ministry on his first mission trip if you would he is pointing the disciples to the entire goal of Christianity the goal of Christianity is not for us to see how much we can learn or to see how great we can debate or to see how great our ministry can get the whole goal of Christianity is to make disciples amen that's the whole goal you know we our lives are to be completely poured out for the Gospel and however that looks by ministering to neighbors and to our family and to our co-workers and we are called to not just preach the Gospel but Jesus he said that all authority has been given unto me go therefore and make disciples our job is also to bring everything under the authority of Christ so as we go and as we preach we see to make Christian groups in Christian areas we want Christian families we want leaders in government that are Christians because all authority is given to Jesus

Christ and he is Lord and he will have it that way so Jesus he is leading his disciples and he's going to the other side of galilee and I want I want to show you the boat now this is probably very much the size of the boat there we go it was about 27 feet long about four and a half feet deep maybe four and a thirds feet deep and it was it was enough to fit about maybe like 16 guys or so it was it was pretty cramped if you tried to do that but they're not going fishing they're just traveling across it was made out of cedar and actually archaeologists have uncovered a first century fishing boat that's not to say that was the fishing boat that Jesus was in but they found one and we got the artwork and everything so this is pretty much identical to the kind of boat that Jesus would have been in and at the very stern they would have had a cushion where the captain would have sat and Jesus goes to sleep anybody need a good nap it's christmas season everybody's going out to parties and all that kind of stuff and he goes out with his disciples now this is not in your notes but when we look at disciples we have to ask who are these disciples because oftentimes we look at that and we think oh it's the 12. Move on but the Bible uses disciple in many different forms and we're going to look at them and I think that's important because of these four different categories of disciples they might describe you where you're at right now and the first disciple that this could have been the disciples could have been curious disciples curious disciples just put in another

Column on your note sheet if you're taking notes at the end of John chapter six Jesus he begins teaching the disciples and he's saying some really really weird things I'll give you an example he says unless you eat the flesh of the son of man and drink his blood you have no life in you okay like we hear that we understand that he's talking about communion but put yourself in those shoes where they don't have communion and they get really confused they kind of get grossed out Jesus he keeps on pressing that point he says whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life and I will raise him up on the last day and the people they don't understand it Jesus why are you talking like that I don't understand what you're saying and here's the result of that in John chapter 6 verse 66 it says after this many of the disciples turned back and no longer walked with him and this might be you might be really curious about Jesus you might be curious about Christianity and the hope and the peace that true Christians have and so you're here it's the christmas season you want to find out what's going on what is christmas really all about and we are happy that you're that you're here I'm glad that you are but I pray that you leave here transformed by the power of Christ that's what I pray for you right now and there's another group that we could say the intellectually convinced we could put Nicodemus into this category right there's no evidence in Scripture that Nicodemus followed Christ it's not there Christian tradition says that he converted after the resurrection but if you look in John chapter 3 Nicodemus he says rabbi we know that you are a teacher come from God for no one can do these signs that

You do unless God is with him now does did that make him born again saying I we know that you are a teacher come from God does that save him no believing in God doesn't save you even knowing that Jesus is from God doesn't save you even later on Jesus explicitly teaches that you must be born again so Nicodemus knows you must be born again but that doesn't save you merely knowing that you need to be born again doesn't save being born again does and there's also confidential believers this is the third kind of disciple these are people that are very private about their faith could be that they're very introverted or very private people or maybe they're fearful of what other people might think you could put Joseph of arimathea into this category he retrieved the body of Christ on the covered darkness from pilate very hush-hush kind of deal that might be you but there's also candid believers as well candid these are public followers of Christ they confess Christ before men and so who's in the boat with Jesus it's well in other parts of the other Gospels it says there were multiple boats with them and so I would say it's a lot of different people people that are curious people that are secretly followers people that are publicly like the 12 people that are convinced that this is this is Jesus but they're not quite there which one of these are you because that determines you're standing before God where you're at and so Jesus he probably has his 12 with him we know that there were at least four of them that were professional fishermen Andrew Peter James and John they were very experienced with the sea

Of galilee do you have candid believers up there buddy there we go Andrew Peter James and John they were fishermen maybe even Thomas and nathaniel and Philip they were experienced fishermen that's what they were doing when they met the resurrected Lord either way these men are very experienced with the sea of galilee and they know that when the storm comes they are in deep trouble so anyways they set off on the sea of galilee it's evening Jesus is exhausted from his ministry from his teaching he has had some family encounters that were pretty heavy we read about them earlier in the passage he's he's been teaching all day he's performed miracles and he is just exhausted and he passes out on a cushion in a boat and I want you to understand the humanity of Jesus Christ right here that Jesus he really was fully human Jesus he really got tired he really got hungry he was tempted just like you and I yet he was without sin Jesus he really experienced hurt and pain and he got angry and he experienced exhaustion and so Jesus he is asleep and this storm hits now the sea of galilee it's a it's a very it's a shallow sea it's only about 400 feet deep it's a small body of water if you could throw up that picture it's about 18 miles wide and about seven miles long and it would have taken in perfect conditions about four to six hours to go from capernaum to the land of the gerasenes where Jesus is heading but a storm comes up and the reason why it changes weather so quickly is you see those snow-capped mountains in the background right there those that's mount hermon that's right there

The sea of galilee is the second lowest lake sea in the world it lies about 696 feet below sea level and mount hermon rises up about 9000 feet above sea level and so you have this huge disparity between elevations and so some of you know like the perkins y'all go out and y'all go to colorado a lot right and the winds they come over the rockies right and they blow hard right anybody ever experienced wind shears it can be kind of daunting and so the pressure comes over those mountains and actually can cause on a really windy day about six foot tall waves on the sea of galilee if it's just a really strong wind but even in modern day recordings when it's a stormy day and it's a bad storm the waves can get up to about 10 feet tall now imagine that you yourself you are out in a first century fishing boat in galilee and put yourself in those shoes how might you be feeling if there's 10 foot swells on lake of the ozarks and you're in a you know a 23-foot boat and it's it's handmade and it's rocking back and forth and it's dipping and diving you might be prone to fear as well as these guys now the windstorm that's used here the greek word homer uses this to describe a hurricane or a tempest it means a very severe and destructive storm in Matthew chapter 8 verse 24 it says and behold there arose a great storm on the sea so that the boat was being swamped by the waves but he was asleep you know if you're taking notes write this down this is the first principle for lasting peace is that God leads us do you think that this storm caught

Jesus off guard no he was asleep safe and sound why do you think that he was able to rest because he was so exhausted well maybe I don't know I think that was more because he was in the so he was in the storm but he trusted in his father in the hurricane if you've ever experienced a hurricane before where is the safest and quietest spot it's in the eye it's right there right in the middle and when we draw close to God it's like being right in the middle of a great storm where yeah there's a storm going on around us but we're safe because we're close to the Lord listen to psalm chapter 62 verses 5 through 8 it says this remember this is what God says for God alone oh my soul wait in silence for my hope is from him he only is my rock and my salvation my fortress I shall not be shaken on God rest my salvation in my glory my mighty rock my refuge is God trust in him at all times o people pour out your heart before him God is a refuge for us the hymn amazing grace tells us through many dangers toils and snares I have already come his grace has brought me safe thus far his grace shall lead me home Jesus he is leading these disciples into the storm and he will see them through it and the principle for you and I here is that whatever the storm is that you're in right now you can trust that Christ will see you through that storm when we remain close to him when we're following his lead is God leading you is God leading you in your life right now

The truth is that many of us were in storms because God has sent them to us like you know we think oh I've got this God I'm going to walk in my own path and my own plan and I'm going to go my own route and so we depart from God's God's path and so he sends his storm and God does this doesn't he that's kind of what happened to the prophet Jonah there he is he's running from the Lord's path for him and God he sends this gigantic storm and a giant fish and it's only when Jonah repents that God sets him back on that path and so this is the truth for us as well is that you and I we can't really blame God for the suffering and the storms of our life when our disobedience might be the cause of it as well this is true in our personal lives it's true on a national scale you know we shouldn't shouldn't be surprised when the creator of heaven and earth sends heaven and earth as a judgment when we keep walking in disobedience so how do you respond to the storms of life in the different Gospels in Matthew Mark and Luke there's actually three different reactions that we see from the disciples in Luke 8 which we've read it says they went and woke him saying master master we are perishing notice that there's no like cry of salvation here in this particular narrative do you maybe lead towards fatalism where your prayer life you're like well whatever God's gonna do God's gonna do I don't need I just kind of tell them about the situation and you know whatever God's going to do he's going to do it so I'm not really going to take it to God I'm just going to tell him how bad the situation is look

He's a master master we is dead can you imagine that they went and they woke them we're perishing Jesus we're dying in Mark chapter 4 verse 38 this says that they woke him and said to him teacher do you not care that we're perishing God you see us here don't you care don't you care about me don't you understand about the suffering that I'm going through don't you care God listen God he cares about all your situations he just wants you to come to him in Matthew chapter 8 verse 25 telling the same story it puts it in the best perspective they went and they woke him saying save us Lord we are perishing notice the result of each of these point number two God hears us he hears us even when things are unspoken like master we're perishing like he knows our hearts he gives us what we need because we come to him teacher don't you care but he still hears our hearts thank the Lord that the Holy Spirit ends her seats before for us before the throne of grace point number two God hears us he hears you he hears your mind he hears your heart in psalm 139 it says this oh Lord you have searched me and known me you know when I sit and when I rise up you discern my thoughts from afar you search out my path am I lying down and are acquainted with all my ways even before a word is on my tongue behold o Lord you know it all together take your cares to the Lord because when the storm becomes too much we need to be taking it to God before it becomes too much anyways when the winds batter you and the waves overwhelm you take it to God when sickness strikes when the economy falls

When there's rumors of wars take it to God because he can and he will do something about it and look at the second part of verse 24 with me and he awoke he rebuked the wind in the raging waves and they ceased and there was calm now Mark tells us exactly what Jesus says it doesn't just say he rebuked the ways but he says that he said peace and be still and peace it is sepayo which means to be calm or to make silent but be still it's much more aggressive it's famoumai which means to like gag or to cause something to shut up and principle number three here is that God is sovereign he can handle that situation what we mean by this is truth number one is that God he's all-powerful he can handle it he's omnipotent it's characteristic of God truth number two is that God will not do anything to violate his holy character not one bit the third thing is that God is not a God of fate or chance he didn't just set the universe into motion and step back and say let's see how this all plays out he is intentionally loving toward you first thing I want you to understand here when it comes to what sovereignty really means is that God he upholds the whole universe by the word of his power that's the truth in Ephesians in Ephesians and Hebrews 1 and Colossians 1 17. God he causes the grass to grow he causes the rain to fall he even directs the hearts of men and women and Bible even says even kings and God right now the whole universe is being upheld by the word of his power it's not just because of physics he created physics that's why physics is consistent because God is consistent he

Never changes it's why we have modern technology like cell phones medicine because God is unchanging and we can count on the laws of science to be unchanging and we thank the Lord for that how awful would it be if penicillin just started like killing people just a random happening that'd be detrimental to our society but God is good and he is faithful listen to job 37 verses 6 through 13 it says for to the snow he says fall on the earth likewise to the downpour his mighty downpour he seals up the hand of every man that all men whom he made may know it then the beasts go to their lairs and remain in their dens from its chamber comes the whirlwind and cold from the scattering winds by the breath of God ice is given and the broad waters are frozen fast he loads the thick cloud with moisture the clouds scatter his lightning I mean just think of how involved God is be overwhelmed with joy that he is that involved in your life as well and he is working all these things out to the good of those who love God and are called according to his purposes the second thing I want you to understand is that God he works all things according to his counsel that's Ephesians 1 11. God he is sovereign over everything from nature to seemingly random events like the cast of a die proverbs chapter 16 verse 33 says that the lot is cast into the lap but its very decision is from the Lord God he is sovereign over everything and everyone on earth too and yet we also know this truth that God he is not the author or cause of evil nor will sin in people's lives and the story of Joseph there was a lot of evil

Done to that poor guy I mean his brothers they grew up being very jealous of him which the Bible says was very evil he was he was they said hey let's kill him which was evil they changed their minds and said nah let's sell him into slavery which was evil he was lied about which was evil cast into prison which was evil at the end of the story though I mean you look at Genesis 48 Joseph he says God sent me before you to preserve life in Genesis chapter 50 it says as for you meant evil against me but God meant it for good to bring it about that many people should be kept alive as they are today and thirdly that God he has a definite and eternal plan Jesus was the plan before the foundation of the world which is why we celebrate advent he always wanted to redeem mankind you might be here and you might think God doesn't want to redeem me trust me he does he just wants you to turn to him and that's all it takes turn to Jesus repent of your sins and cling to him because he loves you and one day in the future the father only knows Jesus will return it's already there and he knows when that will happen and we look forward to that day when he will come and so Jesus he stops the storm it's calm and he asks all the disciples this question where is your faith where's your faith if he were to ask you that question right now where would your faith be what are you trusting in what are you trusting in to bring you peace and hope and joy what do you what do you think

What are you waiting for maybe down the road to bring you those things that you're looking for because that's ultimately where your faith is I want to give you an illustration here real quick it's not with this ah got two things a couple of visitors here are oh great he's busting out the kool-aid some of y'all can't take a joke it's okay I'll pray for you all right so I want this I want this to represent your life okay both of these and I want this to represent the world things that we might take comfort in from the world I want this to represent the things that come from Christ and want this to represent Jesus and abiding in him and so let's say that you're here and God speaks to you and you know you're just like man I just you know I'm just really convicted after that sermon and you know pastor's right the word of God is right I just I where is my faith I'm gonna I'm going to choose to trust the Lord and you really don't know what the next steps are for you right and so instead of really pursuing that and seeking Lord you say you know what I'm just gonna just gonna go on to tick tock or facebook and you know I'm gonna gonna go spend some time just doing what I usually do I'm gonna watch tv and you know chiefs aren't playing today so I'm I'm not gonna watch them but you start to like just go back to the old habits right you know and so yeah you're just kind of abiding in the world everything's okay nothing's really changed you know that God's calling you to do something

But you're really not doing anything about it and then the storms of life come right what's going to come out as the pressure of the storm what's coming out the world right you got all these got probably cursing no not here though right you got bitterness you got resistance resentment you got hate you manipulate situations and as this pressure gets greater all that's coming out is just more of the world that's not that's not God's plan for you is it no that's not what God's plan is for Christians his plan is better than this but he invites us to abide in him and that's the only way I you know let's say same thing you come in here and you know that the Lord's working in your life and so you say you know I'm I still got sin and stuff that I'm still wrestling with but I'm going to try to I'm going to repent to that I'm going to ask for accountability which is huge in having success against sin I'm just gonna I'm gonna draw close to God and I'm just do what I can to worship him and I'm I'm gonna get rid of like 90 of my spotify list because it's all explicit and awful but no one here right looking at those teens over there you know and so you know you're you're you're trying to abide close to the Lord you're drawing close to him and then the storms of life come because there's they're going to come for Christians too right and what comes out of the Christian it's the fruit of the spirit what's what's the fruit of the spirit [Music]

And some of us mumbled along that's great good job the whole point is that where we abide where we draw close is where our faith is and you can always tell where our faith is when the storms of life come and what comes out from the pressure so where's your faith because that's the question that Jesus asks if he were to be in here right now and he's asking you this question and he really is right now where is your faith what is your response not where do you say your faith is because that's different Jesus didn't ask that question and I think this is an invitation that Jesus has given to his disciples as well he's offering it to them because they are shocked that even the wind and the waves obey him he is revealing himself to be very God in the flesh that's why the Bible says they were afraid and they marveled who then is this that he commands even winds and water and they obey him and what Jesus is doing is he is he is showing that not only is he fully man with exhaustion but he is also fully God the omnipotent creator of the universe unchanging full of love and grace and justice and wrath and he invites us to trust in him peace is the hope of every single man but it is only available in Jesus Christ head hand heart head I want you to know that Jesus offers lasting peace he offers lasting peace these men

They're driven to fear the storm but some of them became the boldest missionaries that the world has ever seen and the change was having an encounter with Christ now if you want peace on earth if you want peace in your life then you need peace with God and Jesus is the only one who offers it and he offers it freely to you when you turn away from your sin and you turn to him hand I want you to surrender control of that situation to the Lord and just see how he works very similar to last week's hand but I want you to understand that God he is sovereign he can handle whatever it is but sometimes surrender doesn't mean just simply letting go sometimes it means following his plan rather than our own heart I want you to believe that God he never leaves us in this middle of the storm never does he is right there Jesus he was there with peace and he never leaves us and he never forsakes us this is why Jesus came to earth as the angels declared as birth glory to God in the highest and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased so God we do thank you so much for this great day that you've given to us I pray for each person that's here maybe they need to know peace I pray that today would be that day that they would say pastor I just need to I need to talk and I just don't have that peace and I need it God may this be that day that they turn to you and for those of us as Christians Lord who maybe wrestle with surrendering these situations God help us to let them go that we might see your magnificent hand at work

As we stand and we worship together may you be glorified in Jesus name amen stand in worship [Music] once [Music] see what your God has done Christ is born for you [Music] of his perfect love guilty and hiding once there is no need to run see what your God has done Christ is born for you [Music] is [Music] come he is the offering see what your God has done Christ is born [Music] amen God is good isn't he all the time that's right one last thing christmas Eve service it's gonna be a fantastic time I hope that you can be here friday night it'll be right in here at five o'clock invited some neighbors let's pray and ask the Lord to equip us as we go don't forget lottie moon christmas offering every penny goes to reach the lost Lord we love you and we just ask your blessings over this offering we pray that you would just help us as your people to be filled with peace to be filled with you God that we might go and share that hope that we have with a lost world that desperately needs it Lord as we celebrate your advent Lord help us to reach out to those who might be shut in those who might need a hand to be ambassadors for your glory we love you in Jesus name amen thank you