Storms of Life

This is the sermon that I preached the Sunday after the accident:

The Storms of Life

Matthew 14.22-33

Immediately he made the disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds.  And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, but the boat by this time was a long way from the land, beaten by the waves, for the wind was against them. And in the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea.  But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, “It is a ghost!” and they cried out in fear.  But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Take heart; it is I Do not be afraid.”

And Peter answered him, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me.”  Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”  And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased.  And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”

            Peter was a fisherman, there is no doubt that in his years he had faced storms before but in Matthew 14 he wasn’t ready.  As Peter walked out onto the water and looked at the storm raging around him, he sunk.  He took his eyes off Jesus for seconds and before he knew he was underwater.    

A little over two weeks ago I experienced a storm, much like Peter and the others the boat.  My life was tossed to and fro.  I laid in the boat helpless.  I felt that I had walked out on water like Peter and sunk like a rock.   I wondering when I would see the light of day again.  I wondered when Jesus would come to my rescue like He did with Peter.  I wondered when he would take my pain away.

            I wish I could tell you it was easier for me because I was a minister because I was close to God.  I wish I could tell that I was stronger and that all of the counseling classes that I have taken over the years helped.  But I can’t.  Because storms come.

            At some point we all ask these questions... "Can I trust God even when my life gets stormy? Can I trust Him even when things go unexpectedly wrong? Can I trust Him even when my situation is so discouraging that I see no way out? Will I trust Him even when things seem hopeless?"

This morning let us look at the storms of life...

1. Storms are inevitable. 

No on can escape such storms. Neither our goodness nor our faith can insulate us from the common experiences of life. Tragic events come into our lives regardless of who we are. And they sometimes strike so suddenly. Arthur John Gossip, a renowned Scottish minister of another generation, preached his famous sermon, "When Life Tumbles in, What Then?" the Sunday after the sudden death of his wife. That is always the question, "What Then?" How do we survive the crisis?

I wish I could tell you as a Christian that you’ll never have to experience heartache and pain in this life.  I wish I could tell you that if you obey the gospel or respond to the invitation today that never again will you lose someone you love, but I can’t.

Storms will come to everyone just the same.  The storm doesn’t see us and say “oh there’s a Christian let me pass over him/her”.  They don’t see a church and say “let me skip over you all and go on to someone else who isn’t here”. It is true that as we go through life there will be storms: hard times, tragedies, difficulties, trials, troubles, and loss. We will find ourselves in places and circumstances we never anticipated. We will experience pain and heartache we never believed would come our way.

We all have moments where we feel just as battered and beaten and discouraged as the people on that ship in Matthew 14. Perhaps there’s a storm brewing over your life right now. Maybe it’s a stormy marriage. Maybe you’re married to someone who argues and fights with you all the time. Or maybe YOU’RE the one who does the arguing and the fighting. Some days, you feel like nothing will ever change! That your marriage is shipwrecked! That there’s no hope at all.  Or maybe there’s another type of storm brewing in your house. Maybe it’s a stormy relationship with a child. Who rebels against your authority. Who says, "It’s my life! You can’t tell me what to do anymore! I’ll do what I want!" And after many days and nights of dealing with this, you’re not sure if there anything more you can say. You feel like throwing your hands up in frustration. You feel like giving up.

Or maybe you feel battered and storm tossed, and you have no idea why you feel that way. You can’t put a finger on it. All you know is that you feel despair and discouragement and hopelessness. And things seem so bleak that there’s no way out. 

But as most of you here this morning know storms will come.

2. Storms catch you off guard. 

The storm in Matthew 14 came to those on the boat quickly. Mark tells us that the storm came up suddenly. On the Sea of Galilee, cold air would come down from the hills that surround this huge body of water. The hot air rising would collide and immediately a storm would develop. Our storms can develop just as quickly, and could be a financial storm, a business storm, a relationship storm, a storm of illness. News of a sudden death can come in one phone call. Suddenly, your whole life is turned upside down.

Notice that this verse tells us something else.  It tells us that just because Jesus is in the ship, doesn’t mean a STORM won’t come. Many Christians wrongly think storms are only for unbelievers. That’s not true.  You can be in the very center of the will of God, and be going through a cyclone, or a hurricane of all kind of troubles. Disobedience can bring on a storm. Just look at Jonah. But so often storms are a way for God to make us stronger.

We as Christians so often come to a point of content, that we think we are somewhat invincible to this world and this when the storm does the most damage.  Hurricane Katrina happened just a little over three years ago and that area will never be the same.  Hurricane Gustav was different this time they told people to leave the area and there was no one to be found.  That’s because Katrina had caught them off guard. 

Just because you know so body is sick or you have mentally prepared yourself for something often times doesn’t make it any easier, storms can still catch you off guard.

3. Storms test our faith.

Peter sank when his faith was tested.  We have to be kidding ourselves if say we leave the storms of life unscathed. We can’t expect to stand there and face the storm and walk out like nothing ever happened to us... we are going to get knocked down by these storms in our lives, but we must get back up.  That’s the important part- that we get back up when our faith is tested. We must rise above these troubles of our earthly lives and realize that life goes on.

Two weeks ago someone told me that after tragedy occurs, all one can do is find a new norm.  My life will never be the same, yet I know that my family and I, with the help of God, will return to a new normal.  We all have experienced these storms, whether it be the loss of a loved one or a financial crisis, and we all have come through them.  We are not promised a perfect, pain free existence on this earth.  Even though there are times we think that nothing worse could be happening to us than the storm we are going through. 

Our faith will be tested.  You will walk onto the water to see Jesus and sink like a stone.  But it’s ok.  It doesn’t mean you’re a bad Christian.  It just means your human.

4. Storms make you stronger.

As Peter crawled back into the boat and worshipped Jesus, I think its safe to say that his faith was somewhat stronger than before he walked onto the water with weak knees.  If there is one thing that I have learned the older I have gotten is that is I’m weak.  Every time I start to believe myself to be strong I have been brought to my knees. But, going through storms in my life are what have given me the strength to continue.  Each experience that God has granted me has brought me closer to Him and made me a stronger Christian through the pain.

2 Cor. 12.9-10 - But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.  For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

Human weakness provides the perfect opportunity for God to display his divine power.

5. Storms are beyond our comprehension.

We so often try to make since of storms following tragic events.  Its almost comforting to hear David in Psalm 13... 

How Long, O Lord?

Psalm 13:1-2 How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever?  How long will you hide your face from me?  How long must I take counsel in my soul and have sorrow in my heart all the day?  How long shall my enemy be exalted over me?

David says this in Psalm 13, a man after God’s own heart...

Isaiah 55:8-9 - 8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. 9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. 

Deuteronomy 29.29 - “The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.

            There will be plenty of times in our life when we ask God why, that we look at Him with questioning eyes.  Many times we like David ask “How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever?  How long will you hide your face from me?”  But we have to realize that His ways are far higher than our ever could be, and though we may not understand why at the moment, God is all knowing and has a plan for us all.

6. Storms pass.

So many times in this life we feel like Peter, underwater asking ourselves why we got out of the boat. We feel that life will never be the same, or that we cant go on after what has happened to us.

Lifehouse - "Storm"

"How long have I been in this storm so overwhelmed by the ocean's shapeless form water's getting harder to tread with these waves crashing over my head..."

Storms never last forever.  There are times when the skies are dark and gloomy but two days later the sun is a shining and the birds are a chirping. Whatever we are going through, it is not going to last.  We are going to get through it.  It most often takes time to get through a storm, but eventually we all come through storms.  We may be a little battered and bruised, but we come out stronger than before due to the experience.

Some of you may be wondering how we can survive the pressures of everyday life? How can we survive in a stormy marriage? How can we survive criticism? How can we survive the bad news we will get this year? If YOU ARE hoping to go through life without pressure, without criticism, without temptations, without bad news, without tragedy, then you are living on FANTASY ISLAND.

7. God’s there for you.

o   (even if it feels sometimes like He isn’t)

o   Job (I couldn’t go through my sermon without mentioning good ol’ Job)

o   It seems to me that Job got the worst end of every deal possible, but in Job 13.15 he says, “Though he slay me, I will hope in him; yet I will argue my ways to his face.”

o   No matter what (even if you are arguing to his face) we need to hope in God

o   Isaiah 41.10 fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

o   God has prepared for us a place to live for all eternity, where there will be no sadness, no struggles, no storms. When we think about how glorious life will be in Heaven it makes this world and its struggles easier to bear. 

o   2 cor. 4.17-18 For this slight momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.

o   As Peter sank under the water that day I bet Jesus couldn’t have felt any further away.  But if we look to vs 31 we see where Jesus was.  Outstreched hand reaching deep into the waters to pull Peter out.

o   As the storm clears and you lay there in the boat dripping wet.  You need to know that God is there for you... Your hard times and troubles aren’t things that you have to go through alone.  He is there.

o   What is the first thing that Peter did when he got back into the boat?  He worshipped God.  I know that it won’t always be easy but the storms will pass and you’ll realize that Jesus was there all along.