Brand New Life, Part 5 - A New View of Storms, @imagechurch Dumfries, VA

We will ALL go through storms in this life. It is a fact and a part of the fallen world that we live in. Be it personal, physical, relational, or any other aspect that we can think of. But these are also moments that we can learn to rely more deeply on God.

There are things that we need to remember and know now while we are in the storms:

  1. Keep following and resting in Jesus.

More often than not, we all focus on the negative. Even the disciples who HAD Jesus were freaking out. But they still followed Jesus. They knew that syorms were part of the sea of Galilee and yet they still followed, no matter what.

The disciples followed Jesus RIGHT into a storm, but then they did not rest as Jesus did. Jesus rested knowing that there was a safe outcome. It is funny how the things that we worry about are the things that we cannot control.

The disciples let their fear direct their actions rather than letting their faith. When we get caught up in a storm and focus only on self, what we are really saying is that "Jesus does not have our best interest at heart."

For those who have a hard time believing that Jonah could be swallowed by a fish and live, will have a hard time believing that Jesus walked out of a tomb. Jonah got on a boat to avoid the responsibility that God had called him to. These sailors, who did not know God, realized that God was after Jonah and called him out. Jonah agreed with them and said I will jump over and die, so that you can live. Jonah disobeyed God and the storm came, the disciples followed Jesus and the storm came.

Those who rest in Jesus can continue to follow Him even when the storms of life come. Storms are bad, but when we follow and rest/trust in Jesus, we know the storm is not the end.
  1. We are to stay faithful when all else seems chaotic

Jesus first rebuked the disciples before rebuking the storm. How often do we lose sight of Jesus because of the storm. The only anchor in the midst of our storms is Christ.

Interesting contrast of Jesus talking of faith. Shortly before this passage, Jesus spoke of the great faith of the Roman Centurion, and then the small faith of the disciples who were with Him EVERYDAY.

When the storms of life come our way, we have Jesus. The one capable of calming ANY storm outside or inside our hearts.

When the storms hit our lives, Jesus could be giving us an opportunity to rely on Him. Who better to run to, during our storms, than the creator of the universe, Jesus. Following and resting in Christ during our storms, will teach us to follow and rest in Him during our good times. When Jesus calmed the storm it was the same and though He was calming a child throwing a tantrum.

On the Cross, Jesus calmed the biggest storm of sin, separating us from God.

Just as Jonah said "I will jump into this storm so that you can live," Christ said "I will die on the cross, to calm your greatest storm, so that you can live."

In ancient cultures, the people believed that the gods could control many things but not the weather. The Gentiles and the Jews alike watched Jesus calm the otherwise uncontrollable. -Tim Keller

When life is chaotic and storm filled, if you are a follower of Jesus you get to watch Him do the miraculous! To calm the storm, and magnify Himself.
  1. We need to grow in our knowledge of and relatuonship with Jesus.

The disciples who had seen Jesus heal, feed, and raise the dead, stood and marveled when He calmed the storm.

Are there moments when we feel that God is asleep on us? Jesus slept while the storm was raging. It is in storms that we can grow in our knowledge of God and our relationship with Jesus. Our sufferings should not make us bitter to Jesus, but better towards Him.

Because Jesus loves us deeply, sometimes He puts us in storms so that we can grow deeper in our reliance on us. Allows us to be overwhelmed in this life so that He can move powerfully when we stop focusing on ourselves.

Sometimes what we consider "suffering" is nothing more than pure "selfishness." A real storm is before we realize our need for Jesus, the only storm that can only be calmed outside ourselves. The storm of sin is our greatest enemy and Christ is the only rest. His death on the cross and ressurection from death, calms THAT storm.

The ungodly sailors recognized the One True God when the storm came, and so did Jonah. Jesus conquered our sin, the most painful storm, on the cross.

Imagine this... viewing our storms in life as a way for Jesus to reveal Himself to us

Created over 1 year ago