June 6, 2021
Morning Service

Last week we “Hit the road with Jesus” after He finished the Sermon on the Mount.  We experienced Him willingly healing a hopeless leper who came seeking to be made clean.  We saw Jesus “marvel” at the faith of a Roman centurion who humbly asked Him to heal his servant by simply “speaking a word.”  He healed Simon Peter’s mother in law of a fever and she arose to serve them.  We saw crowds come and Jesus cast out demons with His word and heal ALL the sick who came seeking.  As the disciples (us) see these things happening, what do you think is going through their minds?  They have heard Jesus speak with great authority and encouraged them to live a life that is radically different than anyone else.  To follow up with that now He is healing all sick and showing His authority over the demonic forces by casting them out by His word.  They had to be in awe, amazement, excited, and even a little afraid.  By His words and His actions, it has become obvious that this is more than just a man; He is the long awaited Messiah.  Every day they had to awake and wonder what they would see on this day!  They had accepted His invitation to follow and been exposed to things that have never been seen before and this was just the beginning.  Jesus was molding these men to share the Good News of His message with the entire world upon His soon departure.  He is molding each of us to do the same.  Let these words we read build our faith and not return to Him void, but change us into the kingdom workers we should be.  Let’s be excited about the time that we are living in great anticipation of what God is doing right now in our lives.  Jesus now shows us that there is a cost involved in accepting the invitation to follow.

Mat 8:18-22 And when Jesus saw great multitudes about Him, He gave a command to depart to the other side.  (19)  Then a certain scribe came and said to Him, "Teacher, I will follow You wherever You go."  (20)  And Jesus said to him, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head."  (21)  Then another of His disciples said to Him, "Lord, let me first go and bury my father."  (22)  But Jesus said to him, "Follow Me, and let the dead bury their own dead."

            Jesus has asked these who are following Him to give up everything; as He had done as well.  He states that He has “nowhere to lay His head.”  He had no place that He called home, but sought only to do the will of His Father.  With His commitment, He did not hesitate to demand the same sacrifice of those who had chosen to follow Him.  He demanded loyalty, to come first, even over family.  Was it wrong for the man to ask to bury his father? No, but the issue is how he put it; “let me first.”  He was placing self to have precedence over the call of Christ.  Jesus did not say “Seek first the kingdom of God when it is convenient for you.”  The cost of following is often a self-sacrifice of being inconvenienced and pulled out of your comfort zone to be obedient to the call.  We are losing sight that this world we are living in now is the proving ground for our eternal home; this is not heaven.  The culture today is teaching us to enjoy all the pleasures of this world as our first priority and move God to the back burner.  He must come first and sometimes that means yielding your will to His.  The Lord has a work for each of us and we should do it with the first of our strength and not what is left over.  Giving is a good example of this; do we give first to the Lord and His work or does He get what is left over after we buy everything else?  Do we practice our song, do our devotion, or study our Sunday school lesson at the last minute or make it a priority?  Is our assembly on Sunday morning anticipated, prepared, and prayed for or are we lucky just to show up at all?  Give Jesus your best, He demands it and deserves it.  As we see and believe that He is who He says He is, it should motivate us to follow closer and give even more.  It is a necessary part of price we must pay to grow into a faithful follower.  Jesus now show us another force He is Master of.

 

Mat 8:23-27 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.

            The Sea of Galilee is noted for its sudden and even violent storms.  The wind sweeps down from the valley of Jordan and pick up speed through the narrow gorge that leads into the Sea.  This is exactly what happened to them.  Many of these men were experienced fishermen, so for them to be this fearful it had to be extreme as they cried out to Jesus to save them!  I find it odd that in the midst of this storm, Jesus slept in the boat.  He had the ability to be at peace and rest no matter the circumstance.  Can we get to that point as well?  We all are like the disciples and allow our circumstances to dictate our peace of mind, not our relationship and security in Christ.  We too fear the storm that surrounds us rather than trust fully the One who created it and has a purpose for it.  That is one of the beams that I know is in my eye and I must deal with it with the Lord’s help.

            Jesus first rebukes them for their lack of faith, and then rebukes the wind and waves to become instantly calm.  The force of nature is very powerful, and no man has any control what so ever over it; but our Savior does and we witness that here.  Imagine what it was like as the wind was whipping the waves to move the boat violently up and down and with a word they become calm.  How quiet it must have been in that instant for the disciples.  Even the winds and the sea obey Him!   There is nothing above His control as the Creator of all.  That is the God we have chosen to serve.  He has no limits nor power above Him to answer to.  He alone is in control of the storms that brew up quickly in our lives and simply asks us to trust Him through them.  Paul, through the Holy Spirit, assures us of that in his letter to the Corinthian church.

 

1Co 10:13 No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.

            The promise is not that trials and temptations won’t come, but that they will be much like everyone else faces and He will make a way for you to overcome it.  We will not be tested “beyond what you are able to bear.”  Stand firmly on this promise when you find yourself in a sudden storm.  Trust the One who is able to calm the wind and the sea by His word alone. 

David from the OT knew what it was like to be in a storm.  King Saul sought to kill him and his own family conspired to over throw him as king to name only a few of his storms.  David however had a heart that belonged to God and it can be seen in his writings.  I want to close today with the perspective he took when sudden storms arose in his life and encourage you to do the same.

 

Psalms 46:1-11 God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble.  (2)  Therefore we will not fear, even though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; (3) Though its waters roar and be troubled, Though the mountains shake with its swelling. Selah (4) There is a river whose streams shall make glad the city of God, The holy place of the tabernacle of the Most High.  (5)  God is in the midst of her, she shall not be moved; God shall help her, just at the break of dawn.  (6)  The nations raged, the kingdoms were moved; He uttered His voice, the earth melted.  (7)  The LORD of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah (8) Come, behold the works of the LORD, Who has made desolations in the earth.  (9)  He makes wars cease to the end of the earth; He breaks the bow and cuts the spear in two; He burns the chariot in the fire.  (10)  Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!  (11)  The LORD of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah

            “Be still and know I am God.”  Trust Him to be your “refuge, strength and help in the time of trouble.”  We face some very difficult times in this life.  We lose loved ones or have to care for them and that changes life as we know it.  We have a loved one who makes bad choices and we must help to pick up the pieces.  The scenarios could go on and on.  Life is tough and storms will come none of us are exempt from them.  David encourages us to “be still and know I am God.”  Trust the One who is able to calm the storm with a word.  If He chooses to not stop the wind, then trust Him to be your refuge and strength through it. You will not be tested with more than you can bear.

 

Heavenly Father thank You for being a God that is close and near to us in the good times and through the storms.  Please help us to fully trust You always.

 

Today Jesus revealed to us that there is a price of self-sacrifice that comes with our accepting the invitation to follow.  He must come first and when He does, He promises that everything else will fall into the proper perspective.  Do things seem to be in turmoil and confusion in your life?  The answer is to truly and honestly place God first in your life and trust Him to be your refuge and strength.  Be still and know the He is God.