The Storm
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The Bible is...
The Bible is...
Take a moment to think about this beginning of a statement.
The Bible is a philosophy book.
The Bible is a philosophy book.
Like the philosophers of old: Aristotle, Plato, Immanuel Kant, etc.
The Bible is a “how to” book.
The Bible is a “how to” book.
Like Chitlon’s manual for working on cars, a recipe, or the like. It is a manual to follow
The Bible is like a dictionary/encyclopedia.
The Bible is like a dictionary/encyclopedia.
Here we come to just seeking information that we need.
The Bible is just a story.
The Bible is just a story.
Here is it compared to any other piece of literature, even the greats like Homer’s Illiad, Shakespears works, and so on and so on.
The Bible is a religious book.
The Bible is a religious book.
It is just a book to teach a certain religion and may be similar to any other “Holy” book. Or so some believe.
The Bible is a history book.
The Bible is a history book.
It tells the history of a certain group of people as ‘facts” and not much more than that.
The Bible is all of the above and more.
The Bible is all of the above and more.
The Bible is meant for transformation.
The Bible is meant for transformation.
It is not just good enough to read and gain knowledge about Jesus and others. It is not good enough to believe it is authoritative (though it is). If Scriptures do not transform and change us we are missing the power of the Word of God.
This is why on Wednesday mornings online we will go through the study by NT Wright and Michael Bird: The New Testament You Never Knew - Exploring the Context, Purpose, and Meaning of the Story of God
Luke wrote for specific reasons: encouragement to believe.
Luke wrote for specific reasons: encouragement to believe.
He was not just giving us “the facts”. He was writing for a purpose. The way his Gospel is arranged helps to develop that purpose and when we are unaware of this we can miss the beauty and power of the stories we find in it. The next 3 weeks we will primarily be in Luke as we engage in some stories of Jesus which I hope will have a similar goal as Lukes. To encourage you to believe and continue to believe.
Some of the disciples were experienced fishermen.
Some of the disciples were experienced fishermen.
They knew this lake. They knew how to sail a boat. They knew what to expect out of life. Others were not fishermen but collectively this group of 70-100 disciples, thought not all in this boat, had a vast knowledge of many areas of life.
Jesus being asleep is not the issue.
Jesus being asleep is not the issue.
We can see this story and think, how dare Jesus be asleep. Yes in Matthew and Mark there is a sense where the disciples may have been a little frustrated with Jesus sleeping. It is also not just a case where He was physically exhausted.
The storm is too great.
The storm is too great.
The experienced fishermen knew of storms on this sea/lake. This was not a new experience. They exhausted all their know how and were left afraid and exhausted.
In desperation they turn to Jesus.
In desperation they turn to Jesus.
Is this not my case and your case at times. We should not be surprised, we should in fact expect, that people will not come to Jesus when life is going well but instead when life is falling apart. Are we reaching and interacting with people who are in desperate situations?
Where is your faith?
Where is your faith?
This is the question Jesus asks them. It is the question Jesus asks us today. Not in a condemning way and manner. Yes it is a rebuke. But it is one made out of love. One spurring them on to go deeper than they thought possible. Luke is setting up the stage for the great pronouncement of Peter in the next chapter. But to get there, they must grow.
Faith in Jesus alone.
Faith in Jesus alone.
This faith is an absolute faith. Jesus and no one else. This story is not about being rescued by the storms of life. Jesus never promises safety and security. This is a story of faith, and where our faith is placed. Yes Jesus calmed the storm by just speaking. Yes, the waves obeyed. But this is not just a story about what Jesus did. It is a story meant to help us believe in the person behind the miracle.
The Point: Who is Jesus?
The Point: Who is Jesus?
Luke leaves us with this question. It is one the disciples would ponder again and again. They would learn and then forget. They would marvel and worship, and then get in Jesus’ way. It is where we must begin and end.
The Point: Grow in your answer.
The Point: Grow in your answer.
They already knew some things about Jesus. They already seen him do other miracles. They have heard his teaching. Yet, they had to grow in what this meant.
Luke 1. Faith Rocked by Storms
Allied troops found the following written on a basement wall when they entered Cologne, Germany, in World War II. It captures the kind of faith that Jesus is talking about: “I believe in the sun even when it is not shining. I believe in love even when feeling it not. I believe in God even when God is silent.”