Where is Your Faith?

Where is Your Faith?

  • Take God’s Word and open to Luke, chapter 8 (p. 696).

 

We are preaching our way through the Book of Luke, verse-by-verse, allowing the Bible to determine our topic each week. Verse-by-verse biblical preaching through books of the Bible safeguards us from deciding what we want to talk about and then looking for verses to back it up. Rather, biblical preaching through books of the Bible allows the text to speak for itself. It allows God to select the topic and allows God to do the talking. So rather than placing ourselves above the Bible, we place ourselves below the Bible, submitting ourselves to its teaching, listening carefully to what God is saying to us.

 

We left off at verse 21 in chapter 8 so we pick up in verse 22 and go through to verse 25. The text this morning is a small one, which is providential given our limited time. Many of us are familiar with this passage of Scripture. It concerns our Lord Jesus’ mastery over the wind and the waves. Jesus miraculously calms the storm on the Sea of Galilee. Let’s read it now.

 

  • Stand in honor of the reading of the Word of God.

 

22 Now it happened, on a certain day, that He 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.

23 But as they sailed He fell asleep. And a windstorm came down on the lake, and they were filling with water, and were in jeopardy.

24 And they came to Him 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.

25 But He 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!”

 

  • Pray.

Introduction:

 

As recent as 1986, one of the most significant archaeological discoveries was made on the Sea of Galilee. On the northwestern shore of the Sea of Galilee a fishing boat was discovered that dated back to New Testament times. Radiocarbon analysis as well as pottery found that was associated with the boat, pottery including a cooking pot and a lamp, dated the boat to 2,000 years, the time of Jesus. The boat, now on display in a museum in Israel, is approximately 26 ½ feet long, 7 ½ feet wide, and could hold about 15 people. It would have been a boat very much like this one that Jesus and His disciples were traveling in as they crossed the Sea of Galilee.

 

And as they attempted to cross the Sea of Galilee, the sea actually a freshwater lake, also known as Lake Gennesaret, something happened that happened frequently. In fact, it continues to happen even today there on the largest freshwater lake in Israel. This lake lies very low, nearly 700 feet below sea level. It is also surrounded on nearly every side by tall mountains that make for a powerful chute or tunnel when the winds blow at certain times. In one moment the Sea may be relatively calm, but suddenly the wind comes whistling down those mountains and hits the water, often causing unsuspecting storms in an instant.

 

Isn’t that the way your life works? Things are relatively calm and then suddenly: Storm! Years ago I heard someone say the Christian life was like this: at any given point every Christian is either in a storm, coming out of a storm, or getting ready to head back into another storm. Where are you this morning? Are you in a storm, your financial situation has you whirling about? Or are you coming out of a storm? You’re like, “Praise the Lord, I got through that!” Or, without even realizing it, you are heading back into another storm this week, a storm at work, a storm in your family, or some other storm you could have never anticipated?

 

Well, this small passage contains big encouragement for us this morning! Luke’s main concern in the passage is to stress the bigness of Jesus Christ. After Jesus calms the storm, the question on the disciples’ lips there in verse 25 is the question, “Who can this be? For He commands the winds and water, and they obey Him!” Luke wants every one of us to ask that same question. He wants us to seriously consider, “Who is this Jesus? Who can this be? He speaks and calms the violent storm! Who is this guy?!” Some of you may already be asking questions of Jesus. Who is Jesus? Is He merely a prophet according to the teaching of Islam? Is He merely a wonderful teacher showing us how we can be wonderful people, too? Or is He more than a prophet? Is He, in fact, God Himself?

 

So I want us to position that question, the question of the disciples in verse 25, “Who can this be” with the question that precedes it, the question of our Lord in verse 25, “Where is your faith?” And I’d like each of us to consider the answer to that question of our Lord’s, “Where is your faith?” What do you believe about Jesus and how does it make a difference in your life?

 

And as we journey back through these four verses I want to suggest three actions that surface from the text. The first action requires our being honest about our fears. Truth is, storms often cause fear and all of us are susceptible to the reality of fear.

 

I. Be Honest: Storms often cause Fear

 

We may be tempted to think that there is something wrong with us when we become fearful. “I’m just not spiritual! I’m an inferior Christian!”

 

But we may be encouraged to know that no less a disciple than the great Apostle Peter was fearful when this storm hit. In the boat with Peter are the two disciples known as the “Sons of Thunder,” James and John. Their names sound like a couple of guys who would never be fearful. Yet, they too cry out in verse 24 with the others, “Master, Master, we are perishing!” They, too, were afraid.

 

We need to be honest and admit that storms often cause fear and fear hits anyone. Saved people fear. Spiritual people fear. We are emotional beings and fear can hit any of us. It is often noted that there are at least 365 occurrences in the Bible of the phrase, “Fear not.” 365 times our Lord says to us, “Fear not.” That’s one for every day of the year.

 

But Jesus asks, “Where is your faith,” and maybe they began to wonder whether they have any faith, at all. Were they like those in the preceding parable with hearts of rocky soil. Were they those “who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; but having no root, believe only for awhile and in time of trial and affliction and storm, fall away (8:13)?”

 

No, the good news is that Jesus does not say to them, “Hey! You guys don’t have any faith!” That’s not what He said. He didn’t rebuke them for never having faith. He asked, “Where isyour faith?” It’s as if Jesus says, “I know you’ve got faith, but you seem to have misplaced it.” Where is it?! Find it!

 

So it’s not that they didn’t have faith. They did. They had faith. They believed in Jesus. They had seen Jesus cast out demons from people and heal the sick. They had seen Jesus raise the widow’s son from the dead. They believed. But it seems they had forgotten. The sights and sounds of the storm and the wind and the waves have paralyzed them. They seem to forget what Jesus has done in the past and that they were going to be alright.

 

And Jesus asks you when you are fearful, “Where is your faith?” I know you’ve got it, but you seem to have misplaced it. Don’t you remember what I’ve done for you? Don’t you remember how I’ve met your every need? Don’t you remember that I have saved you and I will never leave you nor forsake you?

 

We sing the praise chorus:

 

My Saviour, He can move the mountains,

My God is Mighty to save,

He is Mighty to save.

 

And our Lord may ask, “Really?! Do you really believe that? I’m just wondering because it seems you may have misplaced your faith?!”

 

Where is your faith?

 

The second action illustrates something positive that the disciples did. They went to Jesus. So:

 

II. Be Wise: Let the Storm Drive you to Jesus

 

Rather than running around fearfully and wringing your hands and worrying yourself to death, let the crisis of your storm drive you to Jesus. I mean, credit the disciples for doing the right thing here. They went to Jesus. Of course, they went to Him in fear, not seeming to realize that He need only speak a word to calm the storm, but they ran to Him, nonetheless. He is asleep in the boat and they come waking Him up, “Master, Master, we are perishing!”

 

When the crisis of your personal storm hits you, where do you run? It’s okay to run to others for support and counsel, but we must make sure that their support and counsel agrees with God’s Word and His revealed will. For example, if you’re going through a marital storm, you don’t run to a non-Christian storm counselor. You run to a storm counselor who loves Jesus and His word, one whose counsel agrees with the Bible. Let the storm drive you to Jesus.

 

If you’re going through a storm at work or school, go to Jesus in prayer and trust Him to guide you through it. Now He’s not going to always rescue you from the storm right away nor is He going to allow us to presume upon His storm-calming abilities. In other words, if you haven’t studied all week for that science test don’t be running to Jesus and pray, “Dear Lord, get me out of this storm! Give me an A!” No, but He is there for you to help you through the consequences of your having not studied, okay? That’s how it works.

 

But be wise and let the storm drive you to Jesus. He will help you through it. These disciples would have been relatively familiar with the Old Testament Scriptures and I just wonder when this thing took place, did they recall Psalm 107? Listen to this:

 

Psalm 107:23-30:

 

23 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.

 

That’s what our Lord does for us. “He calms the storm, so that its waves are still.” And Jesus can do this because He is more than a prophet. He is more than a man. He is the God-Man, fully God and fully man, two natures forever joined together in one person. This is Luke’s main point. The question, “Who can this be” is answered with, “He is more than a man. He is God.”

 

So be wise and let the storm drive you to Jesus who will calm the storm for you.

 

This brings us to our final action. We have noted that we should be honest: storms often cause fear, be wise: let the storm drive us to Jesus, and number three:

 

III. Be Encouraged: Jesus is in the Storm with You

 

Jesus is in the boat. If you remember nothing else from this message this morning, remember that Jesus is in the boat. He’s in the boat with you. He’ll never leave you nor forsake you. He’s in the boat.

 

He says to the disciples in verse 22, “Let us cross over to the other side of the lake.” He already told them where they were going. He says, “We’re going to cross over to the other side of the lake. We will get there. We will get there no matter what should happen between here and there.”

 

And Jesus says to you and me, “I am with you always. I will never leave you. I will get you from here to there.” God says to His people through the prophet Jeremiah, “I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future (Jeremiah 29:11).” You will cross over with me to the other side. I will get you from here to there. I’m with you in the boat. I’m with you in the storm. It’s going to be okay.

 

Our Thailand/Laos mission team was greatly encouraged by the faith of men and women we met who had been through numerous storms. While our team was involved in much ministry, I believe the most encouraging moments came in the mornings when we were blessed to meet and pray with pastors and leaders who had undergone persecution for their faith. It was literally like hearing from the Book of Acts.

 

One man shared that he had been arrested four different times simply for being a Christian. Imprisonment was not something new to this man as he had spent 13 years in a concentration camp. His last imprisonment for his faith occurred during his wife’s pregnancy. Because he was not allowed food in prison, his pregnant wife sold her jewelry to buy him food. He remained faithful to the Lord and the Lord granted the salvation of many others during his imprisonment.

 

Another man shared that he had been imprisoned for 3 years and 1 day. And also during his imprisonment, many people had come to know Jesus Christ as Savior.

 

One of the most stirring testimonies came from a woman whose husband was murdered for his faith in Christ. We listened as she tearfully recounted the story of his death and how she is now carrying on the work of ministry and how many more have come to faith in Jesus Christ.

 

Where is your faith? What are you worried about? And why are you worried about it? Don’t you know that Jesus is in the boat with you? He’s in the storm with you and He is going to guide you safely from here to there.

 

  • Stand for prayer.

 

Saviour, He can move the mountains,

My God is Mighty to save,

He is Mighty to save.

 

Forever, Author of salvation,

He rose and conquered the grave,

Jesus conquered the grave.

COPYRIGHT DISCLAIMER: The text contained in this sermon is solely owned by its author. The reproduction, or distribution of this message, or any portion of it, should include the author’s name. The author intends to provide free resources in order to inspire believers and to assist preachers and teachers in Kingdom work.