There's a Storm Coming

[RevZ62]

Don’t know why
Ain’t no clouds up in the sky
Stormy weather
Me and my man ain’t together
Just keep rainin’ all the time

I feel a storm a comin’
I feel a change in the air pressure
Ain’t no clouds up in the sky
Yet
It is stormy weather
Me and – my man – ain’t together

You ever feel separated
You ever feel dislocated
You ever just feel -------- alone
Where is Jesus?
There is a storm coming!

You know that sounds like a sermon title
Where is Jesus?
There is a storm coming!
Our scriptural reference this morning is found in the three synoptic Gospels
Matthew, Mark and Luke
These passages can be found in your bibles


Let us in three gospels in Matthew 8th chapter
23 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?"
Mark 4th chapter
35 On the same day, when evening had come, He said to them, "Let us cross over to the other side." 36 Now when they had left the multitude, they took Him along in the boat as He was. And other little boats were also with Him. 37 And a great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that it was already filling. 38 But He was in the stern, asleep on a pillow. And they awoke Him and said to Him, "Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?" 39 Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, "Peace, be still!" And the wind ceased and there was a great calm. 40 But He said to them, "Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?" 41 And they feared exceedingly, and said to one another, "Who can this be, that even the wind and the sea obey Him!"
Luke 8th chapter
22 Now it happened, on a certain day, that He got into a boat with His Disciples . And He said to them, "Let us cross over to the other side of the lake." And they launched out. 23 But as they sailed He fell asleep. And a windstorm came down on the lake, and they were filling with water, and were in jeopardy. 24 And they came to Him and awoke Him, saying, "Master, Master, we are perishing!" Then He arose and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water. And they ceased, and there was a calm. 25 But He said to them, "Where is your faith?" And they were afraid, and marveled, saying to one another, "Who can this be? For He commands even the winds and water, and they obey Him!"

The story contained in the gospels is familiar to us all.
Jesus is tired
Jesus has been about his father’s business
Jesus has made the blind to see
Jesus has made the deaf to hear
Jesus has made the lame to walk
Jesus has even raised the dead from the grave
Jesus has been teaching and preaching
Jesus has been surrounded by crowds
Jesus is tired

The flesh of Jesus is human
The Spirit of Jesus is God
So, Jesus gets on a boat with his Disciples
They push off to cross the sea of Galilee
This brings to mind a question for your consideration as I preach.
Is Jesus in your boat?
Is he?

I saw many heads nod affirmatively.
Yeah, Jesus is in my boat.
But how are you any different from the Disciples of Jesus?

The Disciples got on the boat with Jesus.
The Disciples knew Jesus was with them,
Jesus is in your life
The Disciples , like so many of us today
The Disciples got caught up in one of life’s storms
They lost focus
They lost assurance
They lost hope
And that was with! Jesus on their boat!
In the midst of the storm
The Disciples felt
No hope on the boat!
Fear entered, Faith was not to be found,
Master,
the tempest is raging!
The billows are tossing high!
The sky is o’ershadowed with blackness,
And No shelter is nigh;
Carest Thou not that we perish?
How! canst Thou lie asleep,
(Get up Jesus!)
When each moment
so madly is threatening
A grave in the angry deep?
{Refrain
The winds and the waves obey Thy will,
Peace, be still!
Whether the wrath of the storm tossed sea,
Or demons or men, or whatever it be
No waters can swallow the ship where lies
The Master of ocean, and earth, and skies;
They all shall sweetly obey Thy will,
Peace, be still! Peace, be still!
They all shall sweetly obey Thy will,
Peace, peace, be still!}
What about the storms in your life?
We have confessed Jesus with our mouths
We have accepted Jesus in our hearts
And yet
Jesus had three things to say to his Disciples
and to us today
One statement and two questions
Found in the gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke
In order they are
One(finger up)
O ye of little faith.
Two
Why is it you have no faith?
Three
Where is your faith?
Let spend a few minutes with these words of Jesus.

O ye of little faith.
Daily in the lives of many the lack of faith is
Puts on front street as words of failure before we start people say
I can’t
I won’t
Whenever you say them you are right and no one can prove you wrong

I can’t
Go back to school, I’m to old
Earn a promotion, I’m not qualified
I can’t learn that, it’s too hard
Stop
Stop eating
Stop sex
Stop spending
Stop drugs
Stop alcohol
Stop acting stupid
I can’t
And those same people will look you in the eye and quote
Philippians 4:13
I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.
Now look your neighbor in the eye
And say
O ye of little faith
Then there is the other group
The I won’t people
I won’t
I won’t be able to do that, This is followed by a “I can’t”
I won’t let no one tell me what to do
I won’t work for five dollars an hour
And I am not earning any dollars per hour

I can’t
I won’t
Defeated without trying
Lacking faith in self
Having no faith in Jesus
These people have ended the race before they started running
Losers, all
Stopped,
Faithless
Just like the Disciples on the sea of Galilee
People with can’t and won’t lives
Look at your neighbor and tell them
Don’t live a can’t life
Now tell them
Don’t live a won’t life
Don’t live a life that stops you before you start
Don’t fail with out even trying
People live in Storms of their own making
Filled with black sky’s Shutting out the light of hope
High waves drowning all chance at achievement
Water washing over the ships they sail in
sinking lives before they start
Lives pitching and rolling in a sea of self defeat
Terrified making an attempt,
Terrified of failing,
Just plain scared
O ye of little faith
I can’t because I am afraid Where is Jesus?
I won’ because I will fail Where is Jesus?

Fear grips you.
A storm of fear.
Where is Jesus?
Some of those people may be here now.
They come to bible study on Tuesdays
They tithe money
They pray
They tithe time and talent
And ask
Isn’t that enough?
Romans 9:32
Wherefore?
Because they sought it not by faith,
but as it were by the works of the law.

The Holy Spirit does not dwell within because of what you do
Only because of what you believe
Not just what you believe but Who you believe in

Works ain’t enough
O ye of little faith?
Faith can overcome Can’t
Faith can conquer Won’t

Faith is confidence
The confidence that Jesus is your Lord
The confidence that Jesus is the way
Follow Jesus
Live the Word of God
Watch Faith grow
Follow Jesus
Christians are to receive the power of the
Holy Ghost, the power to witness for Christ
That is what Jesus said, read Acts 1:8
For only the supremely confident can stand against the storms in this sin sick world
Only the faithful can look doubt, fear, and discouragement in the eye
And say I’m for Jesus
The cant’s and wont’s
I can’t do that I might be unpopular
I won’t do that I might get fired
But the Holy Ghost sent by Jesus
Jesus Gives you power!
The power to witness for Christ.
That power is empowering!
Power that will conquer Won’t
Power that defeats Can’t
Power to let the world see Jesus in you!!
Holy Ghost power!!!
Next:
Jesus asked the Disciples. . .
Why is it you have no faith?
So you got Storms in your life.
Why is it you have no faith?
Your money funny.
For seven months I did not work.
9 – 11 had killed my business of computer training.
On top of that I had two months of disability on my back.
Why is it you have no faith?
For seven months my bills got paid.
Money came from some where!
A little behind
A little late
But paid.
From one month to the next
I had no idea
Where my next dollar was coming from
Why is it you have no faith?
I know that on the sea of my life
Jesus is in the boat with me!!!
Jesus guides my ship
Jesus controls the storm
Storms
There are always storms
And you are either
Going through one
Coming out of one
Or going into one
That’s life
Going through a storm
Of money, health, or relationship
Coming out of a storm
Of money, health, or relationship
Going into a storm
Of money, health, or relationship
Somebody here today is in one of those storms!
One of those,
some combination of those issues,
or all of the above.
O ye of little faith
Where is your faith
Where is it
Where
Those Disciples
After all they had witnessed
After all they had been apart of
Jesus in their life
After all you’ve been through
Jesus in your life
How could faith be so ….. missing?
Jesus was asleep, they thought.
The Disciples were afraid
On a boat with no hope.
When will you learn
When will you accept
Where is your faith, Jesus asks!
Lip service will not do
Where is your faith!
Two things Jesus has said to us . . . .
O ye of little faith.
Why is it you have no faith?

The last point
Why is it you have no faith.
There are three words in English that are translated from one word
in the Greek language the bible was translated in.
The Greek word is pistis
From that we get faith, assurance and belief.
Where is your faith?
Why are you not assured that what you believe in is faithful to you.
What must Jesus do in your life
for your faith to be assured
That the Jesus you say you believe in
The Jesus which is in your boat.
What must Jesus do in your life
for your faith to be assured
Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine
Say it in your mind
Jesus is mine
We walk by faith not by sight
When you walk through a storm
Hold your head up high
And don't be afraid of the dark
At the end of a storm is a golden sky
And the sweet silver song of a lark
Walk on through the wind
Walk on through the rain
Tho' your dreams
Be tossed and blown
Walk on..
Walk on..
With hope in your heart
And you'll never walk alone
You'll never walk alone
Walk on..
Walk on..
With hope in your heart
And you'll never walk alone
You'll never walk alone

Jesus is in your boat
Always on guard as you walk through life
O Ye Of Little Faith
Where Is Your Faith
Why Is It You Have No Faith