Luke 8:22-25 - Where is Your Faith?
Notes
Transcript
Handout
Introduction:
A friend of mine named Marvin just jumped out of an airplane…twice. For those of you who are risk averse, this picture is probably the most terrifying thing in the world to you. Jumping out of an airplane and free-falling some 1300 feet does not seem to be your cup of tea.
However, I’m sure there a few of you here who are about as crazy as my friend Marvin. You are wondering when CrossPointe is having a skydiving event for the church.
You might be wondering what skydiving has to do with our Biblical account today.
Well, in order to jump out of an airplane and skydive, you must have great faith. You have to have faith in the pilot, in the plane, in the workers, and in the parachute. If either one of these fail, the event is… well it isn’t exactly going to be deemed a success.
Likewise, today we are going to see an adrenaline provoking event in the lives of the disciples. I’m sure they had just about as much adrenaline as Marvin had jumping out of an airplane with the terrible storm that threatened to capsize their boat.
Join me as we read today’s Scripture and answer the question - where is your faith.
Read Full Scripture:
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 a 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?”
Prayer
Today we will see three reasons that our faith should be in Jesus Christ alone. The first is…
I. Your Faith Should Rest Upon the Serving Lord (22-23)
I. Your Faith Should Rest Upon the Serving Lord (22-23)
Luke 8:22–23a (ESV)
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.
Luke starts this off with the phrase ‘one day.’ Mark lets us know in his parallel account that this is the day that Jesus taught the parable of the sower that we recently covered.
The boat likely contains only Jesus and His disciples at this point. After teaching so great of crowds, Jesus likely needed a break. You see, Jesus is a serving Lord. Jesus, showing that He is not only 100% God but also 100% man, falls asleep because of the incredible fatigue ministry is putting on His human body. And as we will see in a moment, He is out cold! He is sleeping soundly.
Needing that break, they started traversing the Sea of Galilee - also known as the Sea of Tiberias (John 6:1) and the Lake of Gennesaret (Luke 5:1). The Sea of Galilee is a large freshwater lake that spans around 13 miles wide and 7 miles long. It is fed primarily by the Jordan river to the north. Interestingly, the sea is around 680 feet below sea level and is the lowest freshwater lake on the planet.
This account goes from peaceful and relaxing sail across the sea into an intense storm by the end of the 23rd verse!
Luke 8:23b (ESV)
...And a windstorm came down on the lake, and they were filling with water and were in danger.
As Jesus is sleeping a windstorm comes down on the lake. The way that Matthew, Mark and Luke record this is that this storm came out of nowhere. The lake was peaceful and all of the sudden a terrible storm overtook them.
This obviously wasn’t just any typical storm. This was an incredible display of wind, lightening, thunder, and as we see here - torrential downpours. The rain is falling so fast that it is filling up the boat, and they note the impending danger of a sinking ship soon.
The Greek word for windstorm here means ‘fierce gale’ which describes what might be thought of as hurricane force winds.
This storm is said to have come down on the lake which is a great description because of this very low-lying lake that we discussed. Matthew records the following:
And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by the waves; but he was asleep.
The Greek word for storm used by Matthew is seismos (sees-mose) which means earthquake and is where we get the word ‘seismic’ in English. The storm is like an earthquake on the water. It is out of control.
Luke 8:23 (ESV)
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.
Luke closes verse 23 with saying that they were in danger. From what we have just heard described here, I think that is a very good diagnosis from Doctor Luke. These men were in grave danger at the time.
If the three parallel Gospel accounts haven’t given you a detailed enough picture for the situation the disciples are in currently, this might help you see just how bad this storm is.
Peter, James, John, and Andrew were all fishermen. They spent countless hours on the water. They knew what it was like to face storms at sea. One can imagine the countless times they had been stuck in storms and had to ride them out. But this time is different. This terrible storm must have been incredible to get them out of sorts.
This storm is so big that they are about to go and awake the Master…Which brings us to our second point…
Scripture References: John 6:1, Luke 5:1, Matthew 8:24
II. Your Faith Should Rest Upon the Saving Lord (24)
II. Your Faith Should Rest Upon the Saving Lord (24)
Luke 8:24a (ESV)
And they went and woke him, saying, “Master, Master, we are perishing!”
Before getting into the disciples here, I think we need to note an important and often overlooked fact. Jesus is so exhausted from serving that He is sleeping through the worst storm His disciples had ever seen. The boat is rocking back and forth. Water is filling the boat to the point of almost capsizing it and Jesus is out.
Commentator Kent Hughes called this a ‘divine sleep.’ He was not only totally exhausted, but He also was sleeping soundly by fully trusting in God the Father.
That brings up a good question for each of us.
How well do you sleep at night?
Do you sleep with that kind of soundness. I must admit that sometimes I struggle with resting in the Lord. My mind races at times about things I need to be getting done. I sometimes lose sleep by not resting peacefully in Christ. Other times, I have seasons of peaceful rest. Obviously, the problem is with me! Is my faith resting upon the Lord?
Can you relate to that friends?
Jesus was the ultimate example of showing us how to trust the Father. He wasn’t worried about His safety as He slept. He trusted the Father to watch over Him hour by hour, minute by minute, and second by second. May we rest in the Lord with that kind of faith.
Getting back to verse 24…
Luke 8:24a (ESV)
And they went and woke him, saying, “Master, Master, we are perishing!”
They repeat the term Master twice. This shows us the terror in their voices which can be heard through the pages of Scripture - Master, Master - the doubling of this shows the passion in their voices. We are perishing!
They believed that it was only a matter of time before they all were dead at the bottom of the sea. They would be drown in moments by the torrential rain filling up their boat and the huge waves ravishing their ship.
Before continuing on - I love that they wake up the carpenter because of this big storm. Here are these men of the water - many of them tough, sea-tested fishermen - that are turning to the guy who works with wood and stone on land to help them with the ship! You can’t help but get a little kick out of that. Obviously we know that Jesus was and is much more than a carpenter. But we can see the humility that these men are experiencing in the presence of such a bad storm.
These men have gotten to a hopeless state. We are perishing.
In their eyes, this ministry had been a good time for a while - but it was all about to come to a tragic end while on a boat in the middle of the Sea of Galilee. Can you imagine their thoughts at this point? What are people going to remember about us? Were we fools to follow Christ? Wasn’t this His idea to get on the boat in the first place? What was He thinking? We have no way of knowing exactly what was going through their minds at the time. But my friends…
Imminent death or danger has a way of bringing all kinds of thoughts into your head.
2 years ago I experienced what seemed to be an imminent death situation in a car accident. The Lord had other plans by rebuking the oncoming traffic after my car was struck from behind and orchestrating a miraculous situation in which I escaped with my life. But when you are staring down death in the eye, it can make you take a really quick yet seemingly thorough look at your life.
God uses these times to grow His people.
Have any of you heard the dreaded ‘c’ word - meaning cancer? I know some of you have and some are going through it even now. Staring down possible death has a way of making it clear what the real priorities of life are.
All of the sudden, those small, petty things that used to matter don’t matter anymore. Those arguments about preferences seem juvenile and pointless.
You start to appreciate the little things. You start to become more intentional with the time you have left. You start being more focused on what is eternal and less with what is temporal.
You start to consider things above more than the things on earth (Colossians 3:2).
Sometimes these times of imminent danger from health problems or physical danger have a way of shaking us up a little. We start to see things more clearly. These difficult times are often a blessing in disguise and help us focus more on what really matters.
Luke 8:24b (ESV)
… And he awoke and rebuked the wind and the raging waves, and they ceased, and there was a calm.
Moving forward we see Jesus awakes and rebukes the wind and the raging waves. The Greek word for rebuke here is epitimaō (epi-tee-my-oh) which means to overcome with a powerful word. He speaks to the storm and the waves with absolute authority. Mark tells us exactly what He says to the storm in Mark 4:39:
And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.
Peace! Be Still. What amazing words from our saving Savior. He can speak peace in the midst of the worst of situations.
It is here that we see, yet again, that we have a saving Lord. Jesus Christ, by the power of His Word, calms this terrible storm. Listen to the writer of Hebrews explain the amazing Deity of Christ in Hebrews 1:3:
Hebrews 1:3 (ESV)
He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,
Focus in on the middle of that verse.
He upholds the universe by the word of His power.
His powerful Word calmed this storm. His powerful Word rose dead people to life. His powerful Word cast out demons, gave sight to the blind, healed the sick, and made the lame walk again. Our God is a a God of power - even in the midst of the storms. His powerful Word continues to uphold the universe as He sovereignly reigns over all.
My friends, storms will certainly come your way. We all have times where we feel hopeless and overcome by our situation. During those times it is easy to place our faith and trust in the things we can see. Many trust their finances to help them through. Some their health. Others their intellect or strength. All of those fail. Only Christ can help you overcome the storms of this life. He is faithful. Listen to the Psalmist urge us to trust the Lord:
Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.
The things of this world will pass away. But He is forever. He is all-powerful, all-knowing, and all-sustaining.
I don’t pretend to know what everyone here has been going through. I know some, but I’m sure there is much I do not know. But I do know where you can turn to for deliverance.
Our God is a saving God. Jesus Christ offers salvation - first and foremost - from our sin. We can be saved because of Christ’s atoning sacrificial death on the cross. He died on the cross, rose three days later, and now is at the right hand of the Father. If we place our faith and trust in Him and repent - or turn away from our sins - we can have eternal life.
But after Christ saves us eternally, He continues to deliver us time and time again from the storms of this life. He never fails us. He is faithful and always there for those who are His.
Our saving Lord is always there to speak peace over your soul. As you face the storms that come your way, He is always there to sustain you. Sometimes He completely removes the storm from the picture like we see in our account today. Sometimes, the storm continues to rage but He provides shelter for you in the midst of the storm.
God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
We don’t need to try to be strong in our own power. He is our strength. He is our refuge. In times of trouble He promises not only to be present - but He is very present - meaning that His faithfulness is sure and reliable.
Friends, be sure that your faith is resting on our saving Lord.
Scripture References: Colossians 3:2, Mark 4:39, Hebrews 1:3, Psalm 20:7, Psalm 46:1
III. Your Faith Should Rest Upon the Sovereign Lord (25)
III. Your Faith Should Rest Upon the Sovereign Lord (25)
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?”
All of those fears and doubts that they just had during the storm are called out by Jesus. He asks a simple yet pointed question - Where is your faith?
This is a rhetorical question and somewhat of a stinging rebuke for His disciples. Their faith proved inadequate when the time of testing came. Although they turned in the right direction - meaning that they went to the saving Savior - they did not have faith in His sovereignty at the time. In this moment of distress, they quickly forgot about the countless times that Jesus had displayed His power over death, demons, and sickness. They placed a limit on God. They placed a limit on the Son of God. They assumed that this was certainly a hopeless situation - even for Jesus. How could He deliver them from such a great tribulation?
Jesus proves, yet again, His sovereign power over everything. There is not one area of creation that He cannot exert His control and will. His divine authority stretches over everything. How amazing is it to worship a God that is so powerful!
But these disciples had failed the testing of their faith by this storm. They had been hopeless and did not trust Jesus the way they should have.
Brothers and sisters. If I may probe a little in your own hearts. Maybe that is what He is asking you today as you struggle though the storms of your life.
Where is your faith?
I pray that we always turn to Christ in times of distress - and I pray that times of distress are not the only times that we do so.
Sadly, so many today see Jesus as an insurance policy.
He isn’t a part of their life until trials come. If that is you, there is a good chance you might not be saved after all. True believers love and obey Christ continually - not just when it is convenient. Yes, they fail. But His loving discipline continues to put them back on the narrow path.
My friends, is your faith in Christ alone?
Know that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8). The same Jesus that calmed the storm some 2000 years ago is the same Jesus that can work in your life today. He is constant and unchanging. He is faithful and mighty to save.
Your situation might not be taken care of the way you want. The cancer may or may not be cured. The relationship may or may not be reconciled. But the same Jesus that calmed the storm can calm the storm in your soul. He can speak peace to your mind, soul, and body. He can give you peace that surpasses all understanding (Phil 4:7).
Where is your faith? I pray that it is in Christ. I pray that it is not in doctors like me. Yes, we can help - but Christ is the Great Physician. I pray that it is not in modern psychology or psychiatry - they may have some helpful things at times - but Christ is our Wonderful Counselor. I pray that it is not in your money or in power - as our Lord holds everything in His hands. Christ can certainly use people and resources in the world to meet our needs. But our faith must not rest in people or resources. Our faith must be in the all-powerful and never-failing Person of Jesus Christ.
After rebuking the disciples, they express fear and wonder. The dreadful fear of the storm now transforms into a reverent fear and awe and wonder of the Sovereign Savior. They are overwhelmed by His sheer Presence.
Many of them knew their Old Testament Scriptures well. And this amazing act of Jesus might have started clicking in their minds. Listen to the following passages. Psalm 65:7 says…
who stills the roaring of the seas, the roaring of their waves, the tumult of the peoples,
Speaking of God - the Psalmist mentions the power of God in stilling the roaring seas and waves. Christ has just done this and showed His Deity. But the most pressing of these parallels is found in Psalm 107:24-30. Take a moment to really listen well to the words of this Psalm:
they saw the deeds of the Lord, his wondrous works in the deep. For he commanded and raised the stormy wind, which lifted up the waves of the sea. They mounted up to heaven; they went down to the depths; their courage melted away in their evil plight; they reeled and staggered like drunken men and were at their wits’ end.
Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress. He made the storm be still, and the waves of the sea were hushed. Then they were glad that the waters were quiet, and he brought them to their desired haven.
Can this parallel get any more accurate? The Psalmist wrote this centuries before Christ’s birth and describes what sure sounds like the account we just studied today in amazing detail. Talk about a Sovereign God who knows everything and controls everything.
Their response is the response that we all should have when Christ moves - reverent fear, marveling, awe, and adoration. Who is this that even the winds and water obey? Who is this who gives us peace in the midst of heartache, loss, persecution, death, suffering… It is Jesus Christ and only Jesus Christ.
Scripture References: Hebrews 13:8, Philippians 4:7, Psalm 65:7, Psalm 107:24-30
Conclusion:
As we come to a close, I want to end with a quote I stumbled onto.
An old preacher once said, “Faith that cannot withstand testing, cannot be trusted.”
As you consider the storms in your life right now, take a moment to ask yourself the question posed in our sermon title that comes directly from Christ:
Where is Your Faith?
As we mentioned before, for true believers, testing and trials actually serve to strengthen their faith. How are you responding to the storms of your life? Is it pushing you further into the arms of your Savior? I pray that it is. If not, I pray that you take some time to seriously consider your relationship with Christ. He is strong and dependable. He is mighty to save.
Your faith should rest upon...
The Serving Lord
The Saving Lord
The Sovereign Lord
Prayer