Jesus demonstrates through his life, death, resurrection, and
ascension that he has power to steal all storms and that He
has. Power to cease all winds, and
that he has. Power to calm every rocky wave.
Storms reveal his power. How y'all doing today?
Good. Y'all can talk back to me, It's
fine. Y'all like y'all know me.
My name is Carlos. I'm one of the pastors here.
I'm excited to to preach. Like Cole said.
I just came back from Florida, visited my mom.
I'm from Florida originally. It was hot down there.
Glad to be back in Iowa, though. Yeah.
We're going through the book of Mark, but.
Before I continue to go on, I I need.
Because yeah, I need Jesus. So once you guys bow your hands
with me and that's and that's pray Lord Jesus, I'm just
reminded of the song. Nothing in my hands I bring
simply to the cross. I cling as we talk about wind
and storms and rain and fear and.
All this stuff. Lord, I'm just reminded that you
are a. Firm Foundation.
That you are a. Firm foundation Lord in the
midst of storms and. Lord, I just pray that you would
just come and be. Present with us today, despite
my doubts, despite my fears, Up here, despite it all.
Lord, we need you. If you don't speak to us and
this. Is all in vain.
If you're not present here in the room, Lord, then what?
What are we doing? But I think that you are.
I feel that you are and I asked that you would come and help us
to. Experience more of who you are
this morning, so help me to. Preach the whole truth and
nothing but the truth. So help me God in Jesus name.
Amen. Amen.
Y'all good y'all seem a little. Sleepy this morning?
Good. Give me a.
Thumbs up if you're good. Good.
All right, here we go. All right.
So as we've looked at the book of Mark and ask the question
what? God is like in public.
What we've seen is that God has been, he's been so faithful to
respond to our questions. We've seen how God has shown us
that God doesn't. Fit into our religious boxes,
right? We've seen how God has shown.
Us, that he is all powerful over the powers of this world that
seem to terrorize us. And we have seen how he is
welcoming and he's a tender and. Good teacher, He's patient.
With us all. We have seen all this and more
not. Because God has chosen to stay
up in heaven and snap his fingers and and.
Do all this right? We have seen all this because in
the goodness of his character and the.
Glory of his will he has taken on flesh and the Person.
Of Jesus Christ, and he is coming.
He is dwelled among us so we can answer the question, what God?
Is like what is God like in public because God has.
Come to us. God has come to us.
And as we look at our text this morning, what we will see is the
culmination of all those lessons that I just mentioned so far.
We will see that we what we get to see this morning is a
personal zoomed. In lesson that Jesus gets to
teach to his disciples and his disciples only right we.
Know that there are many people if if you're new here.
And, and this is your first Sunday here, we know that Jesus
has been teaching a ton. There's been.
People all around him. There are people who are
following Jesus who are pulling for his attention, right?
We we know that there are people who are following him for good
reasons and there are people who are following him for bad
reasons. But what we get to see in this
scene this morning is we get to see Jesus leave those people
and. Talk and and be with His
disciples and teach them this. Lesson A A A lesson that's only
for his disciples. But this lesson, this core
teaching that Jesus wants to drive home deep into the hearts,
minds and souls. Of his disciples is probably.
Going to surprise you this morning.
It may surprise you. Because of the radical truth
that it conveys, What's more family is that this lesson that.
Jesus gives his disciples his innermost committed followers.
Is a lesson that. Still applies to us today, and I
want to warn you from the jump right from the start.
That is, may shake the very foundations of what you.
Think it means to follow Jesus, so put your seatbelts on.
And that's because the main. Instrument that Jesus uses to
teach his. Disciples does the the the main
instrument that Jesus is going to use to teach us this morning
is. A storm.
A deadly storm Jesus, God's Messiah, the Holy One of Israel,
come to save his people from their sins.
Uses a deadly storm to teach a vital.
Lesson to his disciples and and to us this morning.
So hold. On to your to your seats.
Well, actually, don't hold on to your seats.
I need you to stand. We're going to read.
We're going to going to read the scripture once you stand, if
you're able. And we're going to, we're going
to read God's. So we're going to be in March
after four. Verses 35 through 40. 1 You can
turn in your. You can scroll on your phone or
you can look at the screen behind me.
I'm reading from the CSB. Version on that day when evening
had come. So Jesus has teach all these
parables, and this. This is at the end of the day.
On that day when evening had come, he told them, Let's cross
over to. The other side of the sea.
So they left the crowd and took him along since he was in the.
Boat Jesus is teaching. These parables from a boat.
And there were other boats who were with him.
A great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking over the.
Boat so that the boat was already being swamped.
He was in the. Stern sleeping and not just
sleeping but sleeping on a cushion.
It's very comfortable, so they woke him up and said said to him
teacher. Do you care that we're going to
die? He got up.
Everybody said he got up. Oh, so good.
I want to jump to that part. So far but.
I've got to keep going. He got up.
He rebuked the wind. And said to the sea, silence, be
still. The wind ceased and there was a
great calm. And then he said to them.
Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?
And they were terrified and asked to one another.
Who then is this that even the wind and the?
Sea obey him man. We got a lot.
To get through this is the word of the Lord.
It is good. It is true.
You maybe see that? Who then is this?
Now you can disagree with me on this if you want.
OK. And I I I really do mean that.
But what I think is going on here?
Is that after Jesus is teaching a multitude of people.
Like I said, people who disagree with who he is and.
People who love who he is after teaching people who are
following him for good reasons, and teaching people who are.
Following him for bad reasons, Jesus.
Wants to take his disciples away to teach them something that he
only wants them to know. Jesus wants to reveal more of
himself to his disciples, and so.
Jesus tells his boys to hop in the boat because this lesson can
only be taught in the midst. Of a storm, right?
Jesus knows that there are some lessons that can be taught on
land. He's done that.
There are some lessons. That can be taught in the
synagogue. He's done that and but but there
are some lessons y'all that can only be taught in the midst.
Of a storm and so. Jesus being a good teacher,
being the good. Teacher that he is he.
Throws a storm. At his disciples.
And this storm Y'all is a storm. Because remember most of these.
Dudes are fishermen, right? Like.
It's not that they are afraid of of rain and rocky waters they
have seen. Storms before they have fists
and rocky boats, before they have honed in their skills in
windy conditions. But for some reason we learned
that this storm is different, and we know that because of
their response when this storm is thrown at them.
A couple things. Are revealed about them, right
We we we get to, we get to know a little bit.
More about who these disciples really are.
So let's talk about that. What is what?
What does this storm? Reveal about the Disciples I
have two things. The first thing is this.
Storms reveal that these disciples have preconceived
notions about what following. Jesus will be like right.
We see that they are utterly shocked that while following
Jesus's command to get in the boat and go.
To the other side, they are thrown in danger.
What Jesus like? We did what you told us to do.
We got in the. Boat we left everything to
follow you. We dropped our Nets.
We left lucrative jobs to follow you.
We left family members to follow you.
We got in this. Boat together and we set sail to
the other side of the sea like you told us to do.
We didn't ask questions. We didn't doubt you.
We simply obeyed. And what do we get in return?
For all of our following and obeying, we get thrown.
Into the worst storm of our lives.
This isn't what it's supposed to be like to follow Jesus.
Some of us know what? That's like, right?
I know what that's like. Right.
I grew up and I I and I know. This because it's just fresh on
my mind. Because I was just at my mom's
house in Florida and just all these memories of, you know,
good and bad came flooding back to me.
I grew up hearing about Jesus and.
All the benefits of. Following him.
I know this because I heard. That he was a good teacher.
I heard he was a miracle worker. I heard he had power.
And so at a young age, I decided, man, I think this news.
Legit like, I think I want to follow him.
So in the 7th grade, I prayed a prayer.
To accept Jesus in my heart, but even in even in my young mind.
I could sympathize with the disciples.
Because I thought that following Jesus meant that there would be
no more storms, I thought that following Jesus would lift us
out of poverty. But we still.
Live paycheck to paycheck. I thought that following Jesus
would stop my mom's husband from beating.
On her but the abuse. Still happened.
I thought that following Jesus would mean that the loneliness
and isolation would stop. But I still walked around my
middle school. Feeling like I was the only dude
in the in the in the room in the building.
But I know I'm not the only one in here.
That's experienced this, am I? I think there are some.
Of you who know what. This is like too, don't you?
You decided to follow Jesus. And get in the boat.
The job loss still happens. And yet the miscarry still.
The cancer diagnosis still reads.
The marriage still seems to be on the.
The chronic pain still seems to linger.
The anxiety and the depression still looms.
Over your head, life with Jesus seems to.
Still be filled with with winds and waves as you have said, yes.
To a boat ride with Jesus that seemed to offer comfort and
control it has in. Fact turned into danger.
Peril and discomfort. Or a text.
Says the waves are breaking over the boat and the boat is getting
swamped and in the midst. Of it all you see.
Jesus, the man who has. Called you into the.
Boat in the first place, mouth open, drooling down the side of
his. Beard to sleep on the cushion
that you think to. Does he care?
Right.
That's what the text says disciples did.
And if you've. Tried to follow Jesus?
You've probably been tempted to. Ask that same question too.
I asked that question. Oh my gosh, I am like okay
sorry. Y'all.
There's this vacation fog still falling over me.
I thought I skipped earlier. My bad.
You've probably been. Tempted to ask that question?
Too God? Do you care?
And again. That's what that's what storms
do. They reveal that and again I
asked this question like I I just.
Came home from my. My mom's house and she like, I
love my mom and she's going to hear this and I'm.
Sorry she has this like. Weird shrine of me like of all
like the medals and the the football pictures and stuff
that's up. And like, it's it's really dope,
but it also reminds me of. This moment in my life.
I had to ask the. Question God, Do you care?
It was minutes. After the first play of my first
game of my. Senior year of high school,
right after surviving the loneliness of school and after
surviving the struggles. Of living, check to check and
after surviving. Domestic abuse.
I found myself in the middle of a storm when I dislocated my
knee. 10 seconds until my senior year of high school, 10 seconds
into my senior. Year of high.
School all the hopes and dreams of playing Division One
football. Just went out the window.
Just. Out the window in 10 seconds and
as I lay on my back. Knee throbbing with pain in my
eyes excuse me with pain and and my eyes filled to the brim with
tears the only. The only thing I could get out
was God. Do you care?
Do you? And this question leads me to
the second thing that Storms reveal about the Disciples and
I. I would say it reveals.
About us too. And it's that storms.
Reveal our true hot, Excuse me, our true heart posture before
God. What those storms revealed in in
in my. Heart was that I I really.
I really. I really didn't love God.
I didn't. Trust him.
I believe that the calm sea would be my salvation.
I believe that the wind of suffering ceasing to.
Blow that, that, that would be my deliverance, what the storm
revealed about my heart. Was that I didn't trust God for
God. I trusted God for what he could.
Do for me what he could give, what he could give me, when the
things that I hoped for in the future that.
I worked so hard for when it was snatched from my hands.
What? Was left was the truth that I
trusted God for what he could offer me.
And that's the. Heart behind the Disciples
question. Do you?
Care that we're going to die. They equate.
The love of God with his ability to keep.
Them from suffering. They believe that because Jesus
has handpicked them, it means that the.
Sea of their life will be won without winds and without
raging. They believe that if winds and
raging waves do come. Their life won't be threatened.
They misinterpret the peace of Jesus.
In the midst of their suffering as him not caring and and
misinterpret his piece. In the midst of the.
Storm as if he doesn't care. This Storm has.
Revealed that while they have been chosen to follow.
Jesus, there are still pockets in their hearts that.
Still, don't fully trust him and Jesus being a good.
Teacher says. I got to get this out of you
because I'm going to ask you guys to do a lot of things that
are going to be dangerous and that are going to be hard and
that are going to be threatening to your life, and I need you to.
Know that I do care. For you.
That I am with you and this is. What hard times do y'all?
And. This is what hard times do.
This is what trials do. Trials act like it.
They act like a. Sifter That filters out all of
our Christian lingo and all of our church attendance and all of
our tithing and all of our motivational quotes and what?
It does is it raises to the surface what's really.
Going on in our hearts. What's really going on in our?
Hearts and a lot of. Times when we get through the
When we go through the trials, what we find is that there are
pockets of unbelief. Lurking underneath the surface.
But like I said, because Jesus is a good and faithful teacher,
he wants the ultimate. Good for his disciples, he.
Sends the storm to sift. This stuff out to to reveal to
them and to reveal to us. Our unbelief.
Yeah, I know it's tough. He wants to.
Do that to show that he is worthy of all our affection and
that he is. Worthy of all of our trust.
Even then, and probably especially in the midst of
storms. So while the storms reveal
something about us, right? The real revelation that we get
from this storm is about. Jesus and family.
That's the whole point of our text this morning.
That's the whole point that I that's that's really the the.
The one point that I have and they have many sub.
Points below that, but this is the main point is that storms
reveal who. Jesus is, excuse me, the point
of this text is not to show you how Jesus can get.
You through storms, he can do that.
He can do that. For sure.
But the point of our text is to reveal to our hearts the glory
of Jesus even. In the midst of the craziest.
Storms. To reveal the glory of Jesus.
And so let's talk about that. What do storms reveal about
Jesus? What do What do storms reveal
about our God? Well, the first thing is this.
We learned that Jesus. From this storm.
We learned that Jesus is at. Peace In the midst of storms,
everybody say peace. Notice how the text only tells
us that Jesus. Notice how the text not only
tells. Excuse me that Jesus is asleep.
During the storm. But that he was asleep.
On the cushion during the. Storm, This dude is comfortable.
His feet is probably up. He's probably in REM.
Sleep right now. The dude is at peace.
Is that Yes, Jesus Okay, Jesus may have been.
What this tells? I I think he was.
The dude has been working. Day and night, right?
The whole day he's exhausted. And he's probably collapsed out
from exhaustion. But what I think.
It tells us more. Is that Jesus?
Was comfortable during the storm.
But the question is comfortable and what right not on the on the
cushion? Well, yes, but no.
Right, what we see. Here is that Jesus isn't just
comfortable because there's a cushion, but Jesus has complete
trust. In the protection of his.
Father, it's not that Jesus doesn't.
Think that storms are scary. It's not that he doesn't think
that they are terrified, it's. Not that he doesn't think that
they can end his life, it's just that he has.
Hope that it's secure in his father.
He has a mission, and the father will not let him leave without
completing that mission. His hope is in the word of his
father because. And because of this hope, excuse
me, because he has this trust that has.
Extended back into eternity past.
And that reaches forward into the present.
He can sleep confident knowing hey.
God got me. Unless he says so.
God has me. I'm straight.
There's nothing that can touch. So that's one reason he has
peace. But Jesus has peace also because
he is. Sovereign over the storm now.
Last week, Cole talked about. Sovereignty and what that means.
So I'm not going to expel. That you can go back next week
or excuse me, last. Week and look at and.
Listen to that, that sermon. But Jesus is at peace because
he's sovereign. Notice that the word he uses to
steal the storm is the same word he uses to drive out demons.
It's the same word he says that he rebuked.
The storm. Jesus has peace because the wind
and the waves that terrify and frighten his disciples.
Have their genesis in the one who sleeps.
Peacefully in the stern of the boat they have their.
Beginning in him, the winds bow down to him.
The the waves, they lift their. Hands to him the current moves
when he says move. He is the Word, the second
Person of the Trinity, that all. Creation has their beginning and
end in. Jesus is at peace.
But the second thing that we learn, that this, that this
storm reveals to us, is that Jesus is powerful.
Everybody say powerful. I like that.
That's what's. Up.
Notice how at the drop of a word.
The storm ceases. Notice that at the speech of
three words, we have no. More wind and no more raging
water. So what's what's?
Going on here is. Jesus, a magician, right?
Is it? Is this?
Just a coincidence that as he got up, the storm just decided
to stop IS. This a natural phenomenon?
No, no, that's not what's going on here, What this storm has
revealed to the Disciples and what it reveals.
To us this morning is that Jesus is all powerful.
Jesus is God. You and I need to understand
that this storm is no surprise to Jesus, He.
Is the author and the ruler over the?
Seas and the wind in the beginning.
This is what we learned in Genesis, right?
That in the beginning we learned that the waters covered the
earth, and that the waters covered the earth, and that the
Spirit of the Lord hovered. Over it, traditionally,
throughout the Scriptures, the waters.
The the raging waters they were known.
To represent chaos and. And So what?
What we learned in Genesis from the jump is that God has always
had evil and chaos subdued. Under his foot.
God is in control of the chaos. And from the beginning of
creation we know that the Word of God is present with the
Father and the Spirit all unified in their.
Rule and reign over the chaos. So then, with this framework in
mind, it makes a little more sense why Jesus could be dead
asleep in the stern. Of a boat with his head on the
cushion in the middle of a raging windstorm.
He is God. Jesus is God, and as God he has
always. Been in control.
So for him, this is cake. This is cake.
Jesus is like, man, I I've been about that life.
Like I I've been about that. Jesus is the God of Exodus,
right? Like if.
If. If Jesus is.
Has been about this life then all all the miraculous works of
of miracles in. Like he has, he has.
Been there in the old. Testament, right?
Jesus is the God of the. Exodus.
He has moved waters before. He has brought people to dry
land before the. Waters in the hands of this man
has been used to destroy the. Enemies of God, you know we.
Jesus is gentle. He's lowly.
He's unique. But don't.
Don't mistake him. Jesus is a lion.
He's powerful, all powerful, with the same power, like I said
that was. Demonstrated to his people.
In the Old Testament, Jesus is powerful the.
Storm reveals that Jesus is powerful.
And suffering and trials. I'm getting ahead of myself, but
I'm just going to go there. Suffering and trials they they
exist to to help us show that he is powerful if you don't.
Believe me. Let me just name a couple
instances, right? Like I said, the exodus, right?
He is the same. God that showed up for the
people of God. At the Red Sea.
When Pharaoh and his army came to destroy the Israelites, he
parts the waters God, parts the waters.
He's got Jesus. Is also the same God who's he
was the 4th man in the fernery in the fiery furnace, right when
me shatter at me shat can. Have been to go so a lot of
There's a mouthful right there when those dudes failed to.
Bow down to to the king. The King's idol, and they are
thrown into suffering because of their allegiance to God.
We learned that there's this 4th.
Man in the fire that keeps them from storm, from from from the
fire. And so they're they're suffering
it. It brings up to the power of God
we know it's about. Danny on the Lions there there's
there's tons kinds of story where suffering has revealed the
power of God. And what we get to see in this
instance with Jesus taking his dudes out to the sea.
And this storm coming is, he's able to reveal.
To them that yo. I'm that I'm that God.
That's that's me. I am him.
Storms and dangers aren't a threat to Jesus.
What I'm trying to comfort you with is that like.
Suffering and hardship are is real.
Man, it's But it's not a threat to Jesus.
There are opportunities for his power to be displayed to us.
When Jesus looks at this storm, he says, silence, Be still.
And what? And.
And and what? He's demonstrating to his
disciples and to us is that man, I'm him, I'm that dude.
But don't forget, family that Jesus uses a storm to teach this
lesson. He uses a.
Storm to show this revelation. My Third Point is this.
Storms not only reveal the peace of God.
Right. Storms not only reveal the power
of God, but what we. See from this storm is it
reveals the presence of God. I don't miss this small yet
crucial point. Jesus.
Is with them in the boat while they're in the storm.
And even if the waves are 100 feet tall.
And the winds blow 100 miles an hour.
They are safe because the God of the.
Storm is with them in the boat. Now notice in our tax we learned
that there are other boats there too, right?
First 36 says. So they left the crowd and.
Took him along also since he was in the boat.
And what? Other boats were with him.
Those boats, they face danger. Too they too face the same.
Peril but the thing that the boat with the disciples had,
that these other boats. Didn't have.
Was they had the author of The Storm in it?
Jesus is present with them, but what we also have to.
Realize is that not only is Jesus.
Present, but he is responsive to their cry for help.
He is responsive to their plea for help.
When even, and especially when that cry for help is dripping
with the. Sauce of unbelief verse 39,
dude. Verse 39 says that at the sound
of at the sound of the. Accusations as they scream and
fear and terror as they because their fear.
Becomes realer than their faith. We read that what he got up,
rebuked. The wind and said to the sea,
silence, be still the wind cease.
And there was a great calm. What this shows us.
Is that even? What this shows?
When our accusations of God are filled with unbelief, even when
we doubt. His goodness to us in.
The midst of difficult circumstances, even when we
forget that he is in. And our fear makes us cry out.
God do you? Care that we're going to die.
Even when our fear makes us cry out.
Do you? Care that I want.
A baby? Even when your fear cries out,
do you care that my marriage? Is dying.
Even when our fear makes us cry out, man, the pain won't stop.
Do you care? Do.
You even care that the sadness won't go away.
Whatever your fear calls out, what this shows us is that even.
In our fear and our unbelief. If it's misguided in the
character of God, God still answers and He's still
responsive. He is still responsive.
Maybe right. Maybe it comes in the form of a?
Hug on Sunday morning, man. Jesus, I I just needed that.
God thank you. I needed that hug this morning.
Maybe it. Comes in the form of an
unexpected check in the mail. Oh my gosh, God, you hear me?
I said that. I I I.
Said that I didn't think you were going to provide my knees
and Oh my gosh, look, you have provided for me.
Maybe it comes in the form of a care package to ease the pain
of. Child laws.
Oh my gosh, somebody cares. And I'm going through this.
Jesus, you are present. You are.
Here with me in this storm or? Maybe it comes in the form of a
note with the words that you desperately needed to hear, to
shake. You from your cynicism and
unbelief. At least that's what happens to
me. It happens to me a lot.
You guys are freaking. Awesome.
But there's there's this one. Note that I have penned in my
Bible that came to me around this time last year and I yeah,
I was going through some stuff. I was in a.
I was like, Lord, I don't know if I can do this much longer.
Like Ministry is hard. Like this is freaking Labor I
like. I maybe I just need to go get
another job. I'm just being honest with you
guys. Up here and this note came to
me. Literally as I was bringing this
to God, and I'm going to keep them private because yeah, but
this. This note came to me.
And it was just it just ushered in the presence.
Of God to me. And so I just want to read this
to you guys. Carlos, my brother.
I've I've never occurred. It had never.
Occurred to me the pressure that a.
Teacher's last preacher might have as they prepare to teach a
large group of diverse people. Even more so, it especially
never. Crossed my.
Mind the battle of teaching, having lash back, and
complaints. And then going again to teach
the same. I imagine it would feel a
person. With increased trepidation and
hesitation whether this is close.
To being accurate or not, please.
I'm about to freaking cry. Lord at mercy, whether this is
geez, I practice this. Whether this is?
Accurate or not, please hear me when I say.
Don't stop preaching. Please continue your honesty at
the pulpit, the pulpit, and your life overall.
If you ever need to hear it, please hear.
Never stop preaching. Keep teaching with courage for
you help those who here to have. Courage in life when you do.
Do you guys see how the? Presence of God just freaking
manifests itself there. I mean, I'm sitting there just
like bawling over my phone as I get this message and I'm like,
Oh my gosh, God, you were here. I still feel all the feels like
the stuff is still there. I still have the doubts, but
it's like, whoa, the. Storm isn't as bad as I thought
it was, but you're here. You're in the boat I was the
disciples faced with. Fear and discouragement?
I really. I really.
Believe that God did not care about what I was.
Going through that was the storm sifted this up in my heart, and
as I read that note, I just hear the the word of the Lord
whisper. Carlos, why are you afraid?
Do you still? Have no faith, do you?
Still not believe that I have called you to myself.
Do you still not believe that I won't let?
Anything separate you from the love of God that is in Christ
Jesus? Do you?
Still not believe that even in the rockiest of.
Storms, I am with you, and I am present.
Family. I don't.
Know what storm you bring into
this building this morning. If you're listening, I don't
know what storm you're going through, but I'm here to remind
you that Jesus is in the boat. Jesus is in the boat if you have
placed your faith in Jesus if he is the yes.
And the Amen of your. Soul, I want to remind you that
Jesus is in. The boat, the God of the.
Cosmos the Author and the the Author Creation he is.
With you in the boat, okay Carlos, how can you be sure of
that, right? You don't know what I'm going
through. You don't know the hurt that
I've been through. You don't understand the storm
that I find myself in. Pastor Carlos.
How can you say that? And to that objection I say
you're right, I have no idea. I have no idea.
My job is in the Santa Fe and give you those answers.
My job is to point you to Jesus. Who's in the boat?
My job is to show you that there is a God.
Who's present? Who's at peace?
Who's powerful? And that's my one objection this
morning is to help you get your eyes.
Off the storm and put them on your.
Savor So the most important revelation that there is about
storms is the revelation of who? Jesus.
Is not this knowledge of like that we?
Learn from books and seminaries, which are all good but the but
the the Revelation, the true revelation of who Jesus is
cosmically. You see, whether or not you
believe it, humanity was caught has.
Has been caught in the storm since Genesis 3.
The storm of God's. It's been the storm of God's.
Wrath because of the sins that we commit the.
Storm of God's Just wrath because we don't love God with
all our hearts. We don't love God with all our.
Minds and our soul and we don't love our.
Neighbors as ourselves, and because of this, the scriptures
say that we are. All children of wrath.
Our winds of disbelief in the raging waters of looking to
things outside of God to find life purpose and fulfillment,
they have generated this storm that has threatened all of our
lives. In here and because of our
sinful nature, because of our. Propensity to look at the things
that God has created for life. To look for life outside of God.
We have conjured up God's just wrath.
His God's eternal. Storm, but old family, I'm here
to tell you this morning. That's just one half of the
story. That's just one half of the
story. Family what?
Our text has shown us right is that storms reveal who God is.
And if you forgotten, or if you spaced out, Let me remind you
we've The first thing we learned that storms reveal is that Jesus
is peace. And on the cross he steps into
our place and. Takes on the raft reserved for
us, and exchange he gives us his peace.
Not a peace that says that bad things won't happen to you if
you follow. Jesus, No, that's the prosperity
gospel. That's not the real gospel.
The peace that Jesus gives us is that peace that says that the.
Beef between you and. God has been handled.
And so you can relax your shoulders.
Jesus gives a peace that says. Even in the rockiest of seas you
have a firm foundation because the relationship that Jesus had
with the Father from eternity. Pass is now yours.
Meaning is solid. The peace that Jesus gives is
that peace that says even. If the storm takes me out, even
if the storm. Takes my body, my soul is secure
with. God and I will be with God until
he gives me a new resurrected, glorious body.
That. That.
That Satan and his minions and the.
Suffering of this world cannot touch.
He says that. He's going to give us.
He's going to wipe away every tear.
From our eyes, we. Storms.
The storm of of the cross reveals that we have peace.
But let me keep going on, because storms also reveal the
power of Jesus. On the cross, we see the power
of Jesus. We see that.
What? Jesus accomplished in three
hours with three nails and one empty tomb.
Couldn't be achieved by a millennia of penance.
An eternity of hell, marries or or work.
Or or an infinite amount of sacrifices.
And the person of himself, Jesus demonstrates through his life,
death, resurrection, and ascension that he has power to
steal all. Storms, and that he has power to
cease. All winds and that he has power
to calm every rocky wave. Storms reveal his power and
lastly lastly storms reveal. Not just his peace.
Right. Not just, not just his power,
right? It reveals the presence of
Jesus. But storms are.
This is the gospel we. Learned that when humanity is
faced with the storm of God's eternal wrath.
When the seas of destruction came tumbling our way, God takes
on flesh and He dwells with his people.
He. Lives among them.
He heals their diseases. He cleanses their infirmities.
He does this in a real and personal way.
I think that's the reason why in Revelation we read that he will
wipe. Every tear from your eye.
Not that your tears will go away, but God will go.
Up to you. And literally wipe every tear
from your eye. He goes to the cross for you and
I. He absorbs the wrath of God on
our behalf, and he dies the death that we all deserve
because of our disobedience toward the holy.
And just God and then. Just like our text says, three
days later he got up. Hey man, he got up.
He rebuked the wind. And the sea of death.
And he silenced the accusations of the enemy that said guilty
and ushered in a great calm. For all who would place their
hope? In Jesus he ushers.
In a great calm He is present. And before he leaves to go back
to the Father. He gives us a promise that he
will never leave us. In fact, he sends the Holy
Spirit. Into our hearts to remind.
Us that though the. Seas Will Rock, though the winds
will blow, though the people of God will suffer.
Jesus is still in the boat. You are the boat.
He dwells within you, and He will never.
Leave it is secure. And when you get scared.
And when you get afraid. And when you, like me, often ask
the question, God, do you even care that we're going to die?
You can cling to him and find his peace.
You can find his power and you can rest in his presence.
Jesus is the Lord of the storm. Amen.
He's the Lord of the storm and the storms reveal.
The glory of who he is. Now.
What does this mean for us? Right.
Well, one, I just hope that it's it's comforting to know that
evil is not just and and and hurt and suffering is not just
happening to you. But there.
And it's not that God is powerful over that and he's with
you and president with that. I I hope that that's comforting.
But I think that there's also some practical applications that
we can take away from this and this is, this will be the last
thing for our close one, right? These are this is for you.
Consider how the presence of Jesus is manifested through the
people of Jesus. Just like the letter I received
a year ago, I want you to know that sometime.
God uses you to remind people that he is present, that he is
not. That, that the God is real, and
that. He's he's with us.
And so my challenge. To you, this week is.
Just to manifest the presence of God in somebody's life.
Right. Maybe that's right in them and
encouraging, no? Maybe that's cooking them a
meal. Maybe that's bringing them a
coffee. Or maybe that's just simply
looking, sitting down with somebody, looking them in the
eye as they. Share with you the storm that
they're going through. To make a list of all the areas
in your life where you see storms and confess your unbelief
to God in those. Confess your fear of the waves,
and I mean really, like, give the waves.
Names so for me this. This week I'll probably.
Name one of my waves the fear and approval of man.
Yeah. And it's probably going to be a
lot more in there. But name your wave and then call
out to God in prayer and trust him.
Even when that wave comes crashing in down on you and in.
Fighter groups this week, name your waves and pray over one
another. And then lastly, this is my
last. Call to the people in here who
don't believe in. Jesus to the people who are
listening to the sound of my voice for those.
Of you who wouldn't call yourself a Christian, my call to
you was simple. Get in the boat.
Jesus, Jesus, he wants you. And if and if suffering has kept
you from coming to God, I just want to let you know that
there's no boat safer. You're going to suffer.
And I guess my call is to is to come to Jesus, is to come to
Jesus this morning. He wants to.
Give you his peace. He wants to give you his power
and he wants to demonstrate his presence to you.
So I'm going to pray. Lord Jesus, storms are real I I
I. If you had, if, if, if, if
someone under my sound of my voice hasn't suffered yet, Lord,
it is on the way and it's just real God.
And so I just pray, Lord, that you would prove yourself
faithful, that you would prove yourself to be the the the Lord
of the storm. And that you would demonstrate
your power, your presence and your peace in it.
Lord, there's no, there's no other.
There's no firmer foundation for us, Lord, than than, than to.
Be with you, Lord. I pray that we would be a
community Lord that manifests the presence of Jesus.
To each other, and also to our city and our neighbors.
That we would manifest the presence of you to people who
are different than us. Who vote different than us?
Who raised our kids different than us?
Who look different than us. I just.
Pray that we would be a people, that we will be a church that
reflects heaven in Jesus name. Amen.