Bolivia Trip Sermon #2- The Two Most Important Questions To Consider That Will Get Us To The Other Side
What a privilege it is for us to come to the Scriptures this morning and to consider our text in Luke 8:22-24. We read, “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.”
My friends, we just opened our bibles and we began to read in Luke 8. And since we did not read anything before or after this text we probably have some questions that we would like to have answers too. For example,
Who is this man who gets into the boat?
Who are these men who are following him?
How did this group of guys come together and what are they doing?
Why does this man want to go to the other side of this lake?
Why do his disciples do whatever he says?
Why is this man able to sleep during this storm?
Why do these men go to him when they are afraid?
Why do they call him ‘Master’?
These questions are what makes the end of this particular story so exciting. The disciples thought they knew all of the answers to these questions but listen to what they say after this storm, “And the men marveled, saying, “What sort of man is this, that even winds and sea obey him?”
This man’s disciples did not seem to have any nagging questions that day when they got in the boat. When they stepped foot into that boat and shoved off from shore they were confident, secure and optimistic about their future with this man.
If we went back and began reading from the beginning of this book we would discover why this man’s disciples were so quick to obey, so trusting, and so confident to get in with this man. We would discover that this man’s name is Jesus which means ‘Jehovah is Salvation’. Even His name inspires confidence and courage. We would also discover that Jesus had hand picked each of these men and called them apostles. These men followed Jesus from town to town so they saw Him do so many amazing miracles and signs and wonders.
This man could predict where to cast a net to catch fish (5:1-11)
Jesus can heal leprosy, sickness and every infirmity! (5:12-16)
Jesus can even forgiving sins (5:17-26; 7:36-50)
Jesus preaches authoritative sermons that were to be obeyed (6:20-49)
Jesus could speak a word and sickness is cured (7:1-10)
Jesus could even raise dead people! (7:11-17)
Demons feared Jesus and he could cast them out with a word (8:2)
If you were one of these men would you be afraid to get into the boat and go across a lake with this man? No, what could possibly happen that Jesus could not handle. It would seem like this boat would be the safest place to be. Everything seemed comfortable, secure and peaceful in the presence of this man until a storm came across the water and the boat began to sink. In that moment they all expected that they were going to drowned. They all believed that they were going to perish in that lake because of this powerful storm.
If you were there would you have believed any differently?
When I was younger my dad had an old fishing boat. I remember three things about this boat: it was green, ugly and it leaked water. I hated that boat and I was embarrassed to be seen in it. When we were out fishing we had to constantly bail out the water while we fished. If we got distracted and forgot to bail the water out we would be in danger of sinking.
In our story there were 13 guys in the boat when this storm came upon them. The 12 apostles probably all began to bail water out of the boat during the storm. That’s 24 hands frantically trying to get the water out of the boat so they would not sink. As hard as they tried they were loosing ground and the boat filled with 13 men began to sink. If each of these men weighed 200 pounds there would be 2600 pounds of weight pushing this boat lower into the water and then the worst thing happened- a storm with high winds and waves came upon them.
They bailed as fast as they could but they could not keep this up forever. Eventually all hope seemed lost and when there was nothing left for them to do they thought it best to wake Jesus up and share with him the bad news. They went to Jesus and all twelve disciples yelled in panic, “Master, Master, we are perishing!”
When they woke Jesus up His response was amazing. Unlike His disciples Jesus had a strong and stable temperament. When they woke Him up from a deep sleep with these alarming words He does not panic. He said to them, “Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?” This is the most important question that God would ever confront us with, “Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?”
Then Jesus does something unbelievable. “Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm.” When Jesus did this the disciples were safe from danger, the boat would not take on anymore water and sink, no one would perish, and they all would make it safely to the other side.
But now in the quietness of this moment the disciples were terrified. They were not terrified because of what was outside the boat anymore but because of Who was inside the boat. We read these words, “And the men marveled, saying, “What sort of man is this, that even winds and sea obey him?”
In the aftermath of this storm everyone had questions that needed to be answered. This storm revealed two of the most important questions that can ever be considered. Jesus asks the first question, “Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?”
This is the most important question that can be asked of any person. Jesus, who is the Son of God, who speaks with all the fullness of the wisdom of God, says to them, “Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?” This is the most important question that we can ever be confronted with. All of us can find ourselves scared and afraid, but we are to respond with faith in God when this happens. In Exodus after God carries out the tenth plague Egypt was afraid for their lives but they did not turn to the LORD and trust in Him. These disciples were acting like these unbelieving Egyptians during this storm and not like people of faith who look to God and are saved!
In Jesus’ ministry this question has been behind every interaction, every conversation, every sermon, every miracle, every sign and wonder that Jesus did among the people. Above all other things Jesus is most concerned with a persons faith in Him. It is not as though Jesus was asking his disciples,
Where was your faith that you thought this boat would sink?
Where was your faith that you did not think you were capable to get yourself to the other side.
Where was your faith that you thought we couldn’t have tread water till the storm passed?
Where was your faith that you did not think 26 hands could bail out this boat?
My friends, it is of the utmost importance that we realize that God is most concerned about our faith in Him and His Word. The The righteous are saved by faith and not works.
When you leave here today I want you to know that the most important question that God would ask of you today is, “Where is your faith?” Or “Where is your faith in Me?” Or “Where is your trust and your confidence in me?”, “Why are you so afraid?” When we are asked these questions our best response might simply be to say, “Lord, Help my unbelief!”
After Jesus asks His question His disciples ask each other their most important question. This is a question that all of us should ask ourselves, “Who then is this, that he commands even winds and water, and they obey him?”
Or we should ask ourselves, “Who is Jesus and do I trust Him?” or “Who is Jesus and is He my savior?” or “Why am I so afraid? If God is for me who can be against me.”
Every one of these disciples got in the boat that day because they thought they knew all there was to know about Jesus. They knew Jesus could do amazing things and that He was not like anyone else they had ever known. They knew before they got into the boat and Jesus…
could control nature (5:1-11)
heal leprosy, sickness, diseases and every infirmity! (5:12-16)
can forgiving sins (5:17-26; 7:36-50)
could preach authoritative sermons that were to be obeyed (6:20-49)
could speak a word and amazing things would happen (7:1-10)
could raise dead people! (7:11-17)
could cast out demons (8:2)
and now they could calm raging storms
It is hard to imagine just how many adventures Jesus’ disciples must have experienced as they followed Jesus. Not all of Jesus exploits could be contained in all the books in all the world. Every day Jesus would show them something new. Every time he taught them He would be explaining to them things that they had never heard before. These things would blow their minds and exceed anything they had previously experienced. And yet, the most important thing for them to remember would be that every moment they experienced with Him was to increase their faith in Him.
There was a day coming when Jesus would be killed and put in a tomb. All of His disciples fled that day and were depressed and discouraged and their faith was under attack. But then Jesus rose from the dead and showed Himself to them. He had defeated the grave and death and the disciples faith was never stronger. It is exciting to come to the scriptures and see Jesus control nature, heal sicknesses, cast out demons, and even raise dead people. However our faith ultimately rests upon Christ’s death, burial and resurrection. If our faith is grounded in these things we will never be shaken. If our faith is grounded there we will know our sins are forgiven and we have ever lasting life even when we find ourselves in the middle of one of life’s raging storms.
Have we heard the LORD say to us, “Where is your faith?” Has our heart that asked the most important question, “Who is this man?” Is your faith in Him for salvation and is it in Him every other day of your life?