Jesus heals our faith (Luke 8:22-25) – Let’s Cry out, not complain.

Jesus heals our faith (Luke 8:22-25) – Let’s Cry out, not complain.

 

22 one day Jesus said to his disciples, "Let's go over to the other side of the lake." So they got into a boat and set out.

23 As they sailed, he fell asleep. A squall came down on the lake, so that the boat was being swamped, and they were in great danger.

24 The disciples went and woke him, saying, "Master, Master, we're going to drown!" He got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters; the storm subsided, and all was calm.

25 'Where is your faith?' he asked his disciples. In fear and amazement, they asked one another, 'Who is this? He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him.'  - Luke 8:22-25

 

How are you doing churches in Jesus Christ?

I hope in my prayer, you and your family are doing well and good in His mercy and grace. 

Today, I want to share to you about being in storms of life with faith.

Because we are facing storms in our daily lives whether we are believers or nonbelievers.

In today’s text, now it happened, on a certain day that Jesus got into a boat with His Disciples.  And He said to them, “Let us cross over to the other side of the lake.”  And they launched out. But as they sailed Jesus fell asleep.  And a windstorm came down on the lake, and they were filling with water, and were in jeopardy.”   And they came to Jesus and awoke Him, saying, “Master, Master, we are perishing!”  Then He arose and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water.  And they ceased, and there was a calm.  But Jesus said to them, “Where is your faith?” And they were afraid, and marveled, saying to one another, “Who can this be?” For He commands even the winds and water, and they obey Him!”

So, I will make sure that I will not talk about how to get rid of all the storms through our lives with our strong faith, but will remind you how our God, savior, and Lord is the firm foundation as we rely on Him.  “For the Lord is my strong tower, the righteous run to it!”(Proverbs 18:10)

Yes!  As one sits in a warm heated and comfortable auditorium it is easy to think good thoughts about the world outside.  But we know how life is; there can be and probably will be darker, more difficult days than this.

The whole point of the story is storms happen!

I have heard that some preachers say that if you have storms in your life, your faith isn’t what it should be. I don’t think that is entirely accurate.  An analysis of the storms in our lives reveals that sometimes they are brought on by our own stupidity or our sin.  Sometimes they are caused by one’s own bad decisions.  They may be caused by the actions of someone else.  Sometimes, they just seem to happen and we have no idea why.  However, I believe that if you have storms in your life, it is because you are a human, and we all have storms.  Right? 

Again, no matter what storms come up in our life, we can call upon Jesus.   This is the bottom line and what we can only do for it.   

There is nobody in the world that will not face a problem during his or her life. However, there is anybody in the world that can call upon our mighty King of kings, Jesus during their life.

First of all, to call upon Him, we should change our way of thinking.

Speaking of strong faith, many times we have heard that our faith reminds God with us in all the time and all the situations.  Yes! It is right!

However, how many times we’ve thought, “my God doesn’t care for us as we are in a storm.”  How could he fall asleep?  He was fast asleep.  How dare he, even though we are facing big problems, and are struggling to solve them.  When we are in the midst of a crisis of one form or another and it seems that Jesus doesn’t care.  Jesus, my Lord, doesn’t seem to be interested or concerned with what we are going through.  Have you had the same feeling like this in your life?  I have. 

However, remember this.  Our God never promised our lives wouldn’t bring any pain, disappointment, or storms.  I know it.  According to Lamentation 3:33, it says “for He does not willingly bring affliction or grief to the children of men.”  Yes!  This is also about His willing or intention, not a promise.  He still wants us to be happy all the time in His everlasting love.

But here is the key.  I can clearly say that God does care for us through His lives.  Because the fact is that Jesus was right there with them in the ship, and facing the same storm.  Don’t forget this!  He came from heaven to here to be with us, to suffer with us, and to save us. The true statement is Jesus didn’t want heaven without us!

During my last deployment, I traveled to many countries in Europe to provide a suicide prevention training, and religious support for my Soldiers of all areas in Europe with my assistant.  Due to distance and time limitation, we usually left early morning without breakfast and had lunch late in the afternoon in the rest area.  Someday, I felt hungry and realized we missed lunch.  So I asked my assistant “aren’t you hungry?  I think we missed lunch.”  He said “Yes Sir! I’m also hungry and know we missed it.”  I said “Why didn’t you tell me and remind me?’”  He said “Because I know you are with us, and also I believe you are hungry too.  So… the only thing I could do is wait for you.”  Churches!  I believe this is the faith that God wants.  This faith is not about idealistic, but very practical faith.

Again, Jesus is with us when we face the storm and He also faces the storm with us.

Second, to call upon Him, we should cry out in faith, not blame in fear.

I found a funny thing from the text.  When the storm came to disciples in the boat, they were in total chaos, and denounced (blame, complain) Jesus. As to what they said, their words differ slightly from one gospel account to another.  Matthew records that disciples cry out, “Lord save us we are going to drown.” (Matthew 8:25) which seems to be a cry for help.  In Mark, the record is that they say, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown.”   Which seems to be a rebuke of Jesus’ lack of action. I believe all of those things were said and probably more. Why?  I can understand them.  Notice that the disciples were in the midst of a storm not because they had disobeyed, but because they had obeyed. Yet, although disciples rebuked, blamed, or complained to Jesus, Jesus didn’t rebuke them back.  Jesus got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters.  This is funny to me.  Do you believe that God created the world?  If yes, within this faith, He set certain processes in motion of the earth.  Storms at sea?  Sorry, there are certain natural laws, which have been established, certain climatic processes.  There are storms. Nothing can be done about it.  Storms didn’t do anything wrong!  They just followed natural laws from God’s providence.

But now, Jesus rebukes the storms.  Here is what I emphasize this!  Can you feel it how much our Father loves us?  He understands our limitation and us.  He loves us so much.  We blame Him because our lacking of faith, but God scolds our problems with His mighty power even though He sometimes break laws which has been set up.

It is Jesus Christ.  Can you imagine this?  How did God become human?  How did God become flesh and made his dwelling among us?  How was He killed by us?

(He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth.) (Isa 53:7)

The only answer is the proof how much He loves us.  To save us, our Father has never hesitated to do action.  This is the Love.  There is no one who can give this love in the world. only Him.  It is only Jesus.

So… Jesus asked, “Where is your faith.”  Disciples also asked, “Who is this?”

Yes… This is a dilemma between God and Us.

The Lord is always interested in our faith. on the other hand, we are always interested in "how is God going to help me when I am in trouble?"

What I found out is that Jesus who is unconcerned about the storm, the wind, the waves and the raging sea, is concerned about his disciples in fear, not in faith.  The storm was necessary for the spiritual development of the disciples.  I realized disciples supposed to be calm, not rage.

Why we often miss to answer when Jesus asks, “Where is your faith?”  We should answer that “Lord, my faith is in you, so I am still calm.”

In conclusion, first of all, Brothers and Sisters, faith and fear cannot dwell together in the same heart.

With faith in God, we will no longer be afraid of what we don’t know or what we cannot control, because someone is.

Second, “Faith comes from knowing the Word of God.”

No wonder Jesus could sleep with such assurance and peace.  Can we?  Can we sleep well in the midst of troubles?  Can we trust God, and not worry about the storms we face in life-our health, our kids, our job, our future related worries and our finances?

Get in the Word today.  Read, listen, study and meditate on it for the whole year of 2018.  Then go out and live by faith.

Churches, God Loves you so much that He sent Jesus into this world – so that through His words, His deeds, and His life we will come to know that God exists and we need to return back to Him. (His Word)

Jesus came and paid the price for our sins.  Put your trust in Him as your Savior, and you’ll reconciled with God.  You’ll experience His presence, His love and His help through life.  

 

011418 By Pastor Whang ji Yong