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Summary: The tempest was over whelming the boat and the Savior slept. Fear gripped the disciples
and they cried out to Christ, "save us let we perish."
Introduction
A. Working at an airline ticket counter, I pulled up a passenger's reservation that showed his name as
"Cole, Pheven." "I'd like to be certain our information is correct," I said to him. "What is your first
name?" "It's Stephen," he replied. "I hope the reservation agent got it right. I told him it's spelled with
a ph."
B. The outline for this sermon was given by Pastor Paul Viggiano of the Branch of Hope Church
Now when He got into a boat, His disciples followed Him. {24} And suddenly a great tempest arose on
the sea, so that the boat was covered with the waves. But He was asleep. {25} Then His disciples came
to Him and awoke Him, saying, "Lord, save us! We are perishing!" {26} But He said to them, "Why are
you fearful, O you of little faith?" Then He arose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a
great calm. {27} So the men marveled, saying, "Who can this be, that even the winds and the sea obey
Him?"
2. In chapters eight through ten of Matthew we read of various miracles Jesus performs
And when John had heard in prison about the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples {3} and said
to Him, "Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?" {4} Jesus answered and said to them,
"Go and tell John the things which you hear and see: {5} "The blind see and the lame walk; the lepers
are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them.
{6} "And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me."
Then Jesus, moved with compassion, stretched out His hand and touched him, and said to him, "I am
willing; be cleansed."
d. These miracles also demonstrate His power over sickness, death, the elements and the devil
II. Body
A. The Storm
Now when He got into a boat, His disciples followed Him. {24} And suddenly a great tempest arose on
the sea, so that the boat was covered with the waves. But He was asleep.
a. Now we know that there were at least 4 experienced fishermen in the boat
(1) And these experienced men of the sea were afraid for their lives
(c) And the power of the elements are impossible enemies for mere men, even the most skilled men
i) As we have seen in the recent tsunami, water can be quite deadly and people do not have an
groundless fear of it
a. He had worked hard all day and had the perfect peace of His Father
(1) Jesus, as we may have thought at times, gives the appearance of not caring
But He was in the stern, asleep on a pillow. And they awoke Him and said to Him, "Teacher, do You not
care that we are perishing?"
(a) You know, sometimes it feels like Jesus, God, just doesn’t care
(b) Haven’t we been tempted to ask that same question during the storms of our lives? Do You not care
that we are perishing?"
c. I am not trying to change this storm into some kind of illustration, it was real and Peter, Andrew,
James and John, the men we know were experienced fishermen, were really afraid
e. What should we consider, what should we think, when it seems like Christ doesn’t
(1) It was and is not uncommon for the disciples of Christ to see, to use a biblical phrase, that Jesus’
arms seem to be too short
(b) Those in the boat with Jesus had not learned the fullness of Christ
(c) Oh, they thought of Jesus as very powerful, but now that man was asleep and they were in trouble
(d) They failed to realize that Jesus, the man slept, but Jesus, the living God, never sleeps
I will lift up my eyes to the hills; From whence comes my help? {2} My help comes from the LORD, Who
made heaven and earth. {3} He will not allow your foot to be moved; He who keeps you will not
slumber. {4} Behold, He who keeps Israel Shall neither slumber nor sleep.
(e) We should not think that if God does not respond immediately, or does not respond the way we
think He ought to that He is sleeping
(f) God’s actions, be they blessings and curses are always sure
(i) But the blessings and curses are not the sum of it
a. You would think that Jesus would still the storm first
b. If I am hanging from a cliff, please pull me up then warn me to stay away from the edge
c. But it was not as if Jesus was going to lose control of the situation
(1) And we are often most receptive while we are in the middle the storms of life
(a) I am quite afraid of heights. I don’t like flying. Once I parachuted. There was about six hours of
instruction prior to the jump. From elementary school to my Master’s degree, I have never been more
attentive to instruction in my life. It makes me wonder if the disciples were learning two lessons:
ii) But also the lesson of the power and judgments of Christ.
d. This storm, they might have thought is merely an object lesson in the hands of the Master.
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. {28} Then they cry out to the LORD in their trouble, And He brings them out of their
distresses. {29} He calms the storm, So that its waves are still. {30} Then they are glad because they
are quiet; So He guides them to their desired haven. {31} Oh, that men would give thanks to the LORD
for His goodness, And for His wonderful works to the children of men! {32} Let them exalt Him also in
the assembly of the people, And praise Him in the company of the elders.
(3) What they may not have realized is that Jesus is not merely the calmer of storms, He is the raiser of
storms.
(b) Popular yet unbiblical is the notion that God is not the ultimate and first cause of our troubles—even
employing Satan for His own desired ends
(c) Think of it this way, all of creation is God’s classroom and Christians, His children, are His beloved
students
(4) I get a lot of E-Mails that spin tails of terrible happenings when our economy collapses. Riots in the
streets, looting, murder, all-in-all a complete breakdown of civilization
(b) Very simply, we are not going to be here when everything crashes
c. Not necessarily. We want our kids to have a healthy fear of electricity or the freeway or a Doberman
on the loose
(1) Well, perhaps I should say we want our kids to have a healthy respect for these dangerous things
(2) But, Jesus is not talking about a healthy respect, He is talking about abject terror
(3) I think that Jesus is talking about fear that is accompanied by hopelessness and despair
(4) This dread is the natural consequence of a stupid religion which seeks to oust God from His rightful
place
In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who
works all things according to the counsel of His will,
(a) These disciples must be prepared to face death and to face it in faithful nobility for this would be
their fate, well I should say that it is their lot
v) In Revelation 21:8 we find a list of things that will keep us out of heaven if it has become our lifestyle
"But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all
liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death."
a. Through the subtle treachery of the evil one, courage has become antiquated
b. Instead of men being the protector of the house and nation, they run and hid when the nation has
called
c. The mobs of the 60's, which has greatly influenced attitudes of today, believed that warriors are
dinosaurs
(1) The Building up of our faith is one of the great blessings conveyed to us by the Savior
(2) That faith, and the courage that it produces, yields a sure hope
And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; {4}
and perseverance, character; and character, hope. {5} Now hope does not disappoint, because the love
of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
a. Listen to me, Christian student if you grow weary of the storm, you grow weary of Master’s
instruction
c. And though certain tempests come and go, the lesson will not be over this side of glory.
d. We all have faced, are facing, and will face the storms until we draw our last breath.
(1) May God, by His grace, produce the type of courage in us that we would beckon our loved ones to
watch us die the way a Christian ought to die
b. There are few things which make the world seem more right than a calm sea.
You who still the noise of the seas, The noise of their waves, And the tumult of the peoples.
b. And how their thoughts would turn from their fear of the storm to the tranquility of the waters and to
the person of Christ.
And they feared exceedingly, and said to one another, "Who can this be, that even the wind and the sea
obey Him!"
d. It would seem that it was here that the disciples truly began to grasp the lesson
"The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.
e. If one is in fear of the storm, how much more should they fear the one to whom the storm must
submit.
Is My hand shortened at all that it cannot redeem? Or have I no power to deliver? Indeed with My
rebuke I dry up the sea, I make the rivers a wilderness; Their fish stink because there is no water, And
die of thirst.
h. And if I, as a dying man, am preaching to others who are dieing, then I do not fear because our
Savior has conquered death and in Christ we are more than conquerors
i. For those who trust in the Savior who never sleeps, death, and its attending squalls are defeated
enemies that deserved to be mocked
Oh, that men would give thanks to the LORD for His goodness, And for His wonderful works to the
children of men! {32} Let them exalt Him also in the assembly of the people, And praise Him in the
company of the elders..
And those who know Your name will put their trust in You; For You, LORD, have not forsaken those who
seek You.