Sermon preached by guest preacher, Jackie Cummings (RE)
The New Testament Lesson today comes from Matthew 8: 24-27 which reads:
A gale arose on the lake, so great that the boat was being swamped by the waves; but he was asleep. And they went and woke him up, saying, ‘Lord, save us! We are perishing!’ And he said to them, ‘Why are you afraid, you of little faith?’ Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a dead calm. They were amazed, saying, ‘What sort of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him?’
The word of the Lord……
Let’s have a general chat for a second. Thank you very much for inviting me back again… I find this hilarious that you all are punishing yourself this way. Please see the disclaimer from last month, I am not a minister of the Word and Sacrament and yada yada yada… but seriously, thank you for having me back again. I am glad to be here in worship with you again.
As I mentioned to you last month, I like to have themes or titles to give you some sort of summary. I am a music fan and the first thing that came to my mind was sit down you’re rockin’ the boat from Guys and Dolls but I thought better of it. So… I am sure you have read the scripture found in John 14:1-3 which states: Let not your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in me. Your theme for today is----- Let not your boat be rocked.
Before we jump into today’s lesson just a little biblical framework. As I am sure you know, the first four books of the New Testament Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John are referred to as the gospels. As you move through Matthew, Mark, and Luke you will find a lot of overlap, and a lot of similarities as you will see that their stories try to go for timeline and accuracy. In my personal opinion, it is possibly because you have Matthew- a tax collector, Luke- a physician, and Mark- a transcriber and interpreter as the defined writers of these books Each of these three gospels give an account of our lesson today.
Well… Let’s jump into today’s story. As a mom to a six, almost seven-year-old, here is how today’s story reads in mind:
It is the middle of the night….there is a loud clap of thunder as there is a huge storm outside. My bedroom door flies open, “””” Mom! Wake up, I’m scared. There is a storm. The lights are going to go out.”””” Me, getting out of my bed sleepily calming his fears taking him back to bed and tucking him back in. The problem is- I bet Jesus could fall right back asleep after something like that happened. As a mom, am I irritated. Of course. But I am that nurturer who is there for my child in their time of need.
We are going to look at today’s lesson from two lenses: the lens of the disciple- one of which I am sure we can all relate, and the one of Jesus.
So let’s look at it from the disciple's perspective. Here you are.. on a boat with Jesus. He just finished a day of teaching and you are leaving one place and headed to another. Jesus decides to take a nap and the storm rolls in. I imagine the storm started out pretty manageable and they continues to socialize but it reached a point where everyone on the boat went into panic mode.
One thing that I want to point out here is that if you read this story in each of the gospels, Matthew 8, Mark 4, and Luke 8- each used the exact same word to describe their situation when they went to wake up Jesus- perishing. This tells me the storm had to be pretty serious. As a south Louisianan think Category 5.
Let’s pause there on the disciples for a second. How many instances in life have we been through where we felt we were perishing? Where our situations and circumstances left us deflated and defeated to a point where our boat was being rocked and it felt like it was going to tip over.
In her book, A Better Life, Rebecca Smith writes:
The more I read the stories of people in the Bible going on big journeys and being asked to do really big things, the more I saw them move when God said move and wait when God said wait. But they weren’t always good at knowing the difference, and sometimes they moved when God said to wait and waited when God said move. But I could see that good thing happened when they listened to God. And bad things happened when they didn’t.
I absolutely love this from her because it is pretty much a summary of being human. We sometimes move at the wrong time, we rock our boat and we have to wake up Jesus….. We learn our lesson and things settle down… But then someone else may start to rock our boat (like our spouse, or our kids, or our job, or the person who cut me off on the Atchafalaya bridge) and we have to wake up Jesus…. There seems to be a never-ending cycle of our boats being rocked.
Have you been there too? The seas are raging, and your boat is rocking. This boat you built for yourself was supposed to take you to where you wanted to be — where your dreams lived. This sudden storm in the middle of the journey was not in the plan, and now your boat is rocking out of control.
One thing I want to point out here… that really resonated with me as I studied in preparation for today. In each of the three accounts of this story, they mentioned the heavy wind and the boat starting to fill with water. Not one account mentioned that they started to try to fix it themselves. Jackie Cummings was not on this boat. I will give that kudos to the disciples…. They went straight to the source as they knew they were in over their heads. How many times have you tried to fix your own problems rather than going to the source? It's like trying to fix the hole in your boat with duct tape. Sometimes it works out…. Others not so much.
The last thing to mention about the disciple's side of the story is the marvel when Jesus calmed the storm. They were in shock, awe, and disbelief. This is akin to the look of peace in Mason’s eyes when he is tucked back in and assured that everything is going to be fine.
So we explored this passage looking through the lens of the disciples so let’s look at this through the lens of Jesus for a second. Jesus had to have been exhausted after giving it his all preaching to the masses. One thing I would love to point out here is that Jesus was that epitome of the work-life balance that we all strive for, right. He worked and he unplugged. He unplugged to the point where the storm raging around him to the point the disciples thought they would be meeting their doom did not wake him. He slept through it all. Oh, how I wish it was really that easy to turn it all off.
When Jesus was awakened from his slumber, he rebukes the disciples, first and foremost for their fear…. He asks- why are you afraid? Let’s sit here for a second…
When I think of the word fear- one famous quote comes to mind- There is nothing to FEAR but FEAR itself. Here are some instances in the Bible that mention fear…..
1) 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
2) Psalm 23:4-Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will FEAR No evil
3) I John 4:18- There is no FEAR in love, but perfect love casts out FEAR; for FEAR has to do with punishment, and whoever FEARs has not reached perfection in love.
There are 519 instances of the word fear in the New Revised Standard Version of the bible. While a great number of the scriptures have to do with fearing the Lord, especially those in the Old Testament, most advise us to NOT be fearful. To NOT live in fear of our situations or our circumstances.
So, do you recall Rebecca’s words earlier about moving when God tells us to move. The disciples moved at the right time, they were on the boat. That should have been enough right? The emotion of fear stopped them in their tracks from the plan that God had for them. It was the fear that led to the lack of faith in the disciples… we all have those trigger points right…. Something happens that causes our boat to rock. That triggers a response in our brain or our hearts- be it fear or anger…. And that when it appears that our faith has been rattled. That is what upset or hurt Jesus more than anything.
Hebrew 11:1 gives the definition of Faith (Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.) The disciples knew Jesus was there the whole time- they could see him. They knew his works. So imagine how strong our faith needs to be today. When we find ourselves in storms we can’t control, how do we respond with faith? Youversion, one of my bible study apps had 3 key takeaways related to this scripture that I wanted to share with you today that actually answered this question perfectly:
1) Remember God has power over every storm: If the wind and waves don’t concern Him, then they shouldn’t frighten us. You might not be able to change your situation, but you can choose to faithfully trust God in the middle of it.
2) Remember Fixing your eyes on Jesus leads to peace: Are you looking at the size of the storm, or turning towards the One who can calm it? It’s only by focusing on God, who knows every outcome, that you can navigate any situation with His wisdom and peace.
3) Remember Jesus is always in your boat: It’s easy to focus on your fears when you can’t control your future. But thankfully, Jesus knows your future, and He’s always by your side. And He calls you to live by faith, not by sight.
In closing, I want to leave you with one additional scripture about the fear that was very popular in the Barnett household. It was one my mom engrained in us and ensured we knew from memory….
1) Psalm 27:1- The Lord is my light and my salvation whom shall I FEAR
Whenever you find yourself overwhelmed by life, you always have two choices: you can rock your boat, or you can fix your focus on Jesus. If you choose to look to Jesus above everything else and allow your faith your shine through, you will begin to see that the storms you face are not nearly as powerful as the Savior sitting in the boat with you.
A gale arose on the lake, so great that the boat was being swamped by the waves; but he was asleep. And they went and woke him up, saying, ‘Lord, save us! We are perishing!’ And he said to them, ‘Why are you afraid, you of little faith?’ Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a dead calm. They were amazed, saying, ‘What sort of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him?’
The word of the Lord……
Let’s have a general chat for a second. Thank you very much for inviting me back again… I find this hilarious that you all are punishing yourself this way. Please see the disclaimer from last month, I am not a minister of the Word and Sacrament and yada yada yada… but seriously, thank you for having me back again. I am glad to be here in worship with you again.
As I mentioned to you last month, I like to have themes or titles to give you some sort of summary. I am a music fan and the first thing that came to my mind was sit down you’re rockin’ the boat from Guys and Dolls but I thought better of it. So… I am sure you have read the scripture found in John 14:1-3 which states: Let not your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in me. Your theme for today is----- Let not your boat be rocked.
Before we jump into today’s lesson just a little biblical framework. As I am sure you know, the first four books of the New Testament Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John are referred to as the gospels. As you move through Matthew, Mark, and Luke you will find a lot of overlap, and a lot of similarities as you will see that their stories try to go for timeline and accuracy. In my personal opinion, it is possibly because you have Matthew- a tax collector, Luke- a physician, and Mark- a transcriber and interpreter as the defined writers of these books Each of these three gospels give an account of our lesson today.
Well… Let’s jump into today’s story. As a mom to a six, almost seven-year-old, here is how today’s story reads in mind:
It is the middle of the night….there is a loud clap of thunder as there is a huge storm outside. My bedroom door flies open, “””” Mom! Wake up, I’m scared. There is a storm. The lights are going to go out.”””” Me, getting out of my bed sleepily calming his fears taking him back to bed and tucking him back in. The problem is- I bet Jesus could fall right back asleep after something like that happened. As a mom, am I irritated. Of course. But I am that nurturer who is there for my child in their time of need.
We are going to look at today’s lesson from two lenses: the lens of the disciple- one of which I am sure we can all relate, and the one of Jesus.
So let’s look at it from the disciple's perspective. Here you are.. on a boat with Jesus. He just finished a day of teaching and you are leaving one place and headed to another. Jesus decides to take a nap and the storm rolls in. I imagine the storm started out pretty manageable and they continues to socialize but it reached a point where everyone on the boat went into panic mode.
One thing that I want to point out here is that if you read this story in each of the gospels, Matthew 8, Mark 4, and Luke 8- each used the exact same word to describe their situation when they went to wake up Jesus- perishing. This tells me the storm had to be pretty serious. As a south Louisianan think Category 5.
Let’s pause there on the disciples for a second. How many instances in life have we been through where we felt we were perishing? Where our situations and circumstances left us deflated and defeated to a point where our boat was being rocked and it felt like it was going to tip over.
In her book, A Better Life, Rebecca Smith writes:
The more I read the stories of people in the Bible going on big journeys and being asked to do really big things, the more I saw them move when God said move and wait when God said wait. But they weren’t always good at knowing the difference, and sometimes they moved when God said to wait and waited when God said move. But I could see that good thing happened when they listened to God. And bad things happened when they didn’t.
I absolutely love this from her because it is pretty much a summary of being human. We sometimes move at the wrong time, we rock our boat and we have to wake up Jesus….. We learn our lesson and things settle down… But then someone else may start to rock our boat (like our spouse, or our kids, or our job, or the person who cut me off on the Atchafalaya bridge) and we have to wake up Jesus…. There seems to be a never-ending cycle of our boats being rocked.
Have you been there too? The seas are raging, and your boat is rocking. This boat you built for yourself was supposed to take you to where you wanted to be — where your dreams lived. This sudden storm in the middle of the journey was not in the plan, and now your boat is rocking out of control.
One thing I want to point out here… that really resonated with me as I studied in preparation for today. In each of the three accounts of this story, they mentioned the heavy wind and the boat starting to fill with water. Not one account mentioned that they started to try to fix it themselves. Jackie Cummings was not on this boat. I will give that kudos to the disciples…. They went straight to the source as they knew they were in over their heads. How many times have you tried to fix your own problems rather than going to the source? It's like trying to fix the hole in your boat with duct tape. Sometimes it works out…. Others not so much.
The last thing to mention about the disciple's side of the story is the marvel when Jesus calmed the storm. They were in shock, awe, and disbelief. This is akin to the look of peace in Mason’s eyes when he is tucked back in and assured that everything is going to be fine.
So we explored this passage looking through the lens of the disciples so let’s look at this through the lens of Jesus for a second. Jesus had to have been exhausted after giving it his all preaching to the masses. One thing I would love to point out here is that Jesus was that epitome of the work-life balance that we all strive for, right. He worked and he unplugged. He unplugged to the point where the storm raging around him to the point the disciples thought they would be meeting their doom did not wake him. He slept through it all. Oh, how I wish it was really that easy to turn it all off.
When Jesus was awakened from his slumber, he rebukes the disciples, first and foremost for their fear…. He asks- why are you afraid? Let’s sit here for a second…
When I think of the word fear- one famous quote comes to mind- There is nothing to FEAR but FEAR itself. Here are some instances in the Bible that mention fear…..
1) 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
2) Psalm 23:4-Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will FEAR No evil
3) I John 4:18- There is no FEAR in love, but perfect love casts out FEAR; for FEAR has to do with punishment, and whoever FEARs has not reached perfection in love.
There are 519 instances of the word fear in the New Revised Standard Version of the bible. While a great number of the scriptures have to do with fearing the Lord, especially those in the Old Testament, most advise us to NOT be fearful. To NOT live in fear of our situations or our circumstances.
So, do you recall Rebecca’s words earlier about moving when God tells us to move. The disciples moved at the right time, they were on the boat. That should have been enough right? The emotion of fear stopped them in their tracks from the plan that God had for them. It was the fear that led to the lack of faith in the disciples… we all have those trigger points right…. Something happens that causes our boat to rock. That triggers a response in our brain or our hearts- be it fear or anger…. And that when it appears that our faith has been rattled. That is what upset or hurt Jesus more than anything.
Hebrew 11:1 gives the definition of Faith (Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.) The disciples knew Jesus was there the whole time- they could see him. They knew his works. So imagine how strong our faith needs to be today. When we find ourselves in storms we can’t control, how do we respond with faith? Youversion, one of my bible study apps had 3 key takeaways related to this scripture that I wanted to share with you today that actually answered this question perfectly:
1) Remember God has power over every storm: If the wind and waves don’t concern Him, then they shouldn’t frighten us. You might not be able to change your situation, but you can choose to faithfully trust God in the middle of it.
2) Remember Fixing your eyes on Jesus leads to peace: Are you looking at the size of the storm, or turning towards the One who can calm it? It’s only by focusing on God, who knows every outcome, that you can navigate any situation with His wisdom and peace.
3) Remember Jesus is always in your boat: It’s easy to focus on your fears when you can’t control your future. But thankfully, Jesus knows your future, and He’s always by your side. And He calls you to live by faith, not by sight.
In closing, I want to leave you with one additional scripture about the fear that was very popular in the Barnett household. It was one my mom engrained in us and ensured we knew from memory….
1) Psalm 27:1- The Lord is my light and my salvation whom shall I FEAR
Whenever you find yourself overwhelmed by life, you always have two choices: you can rock your boat, or you can fix your focus on Jesus. If you choose to look to Jesus above everything else and allow your faith your shine through, you will begin to see that the storms you face are not nearly as powerful as the Savior sitting in the boat with you.
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