Water in the Wilderness - Part 4

[00:00:00] The theme of our Lyndon sermon series has been water in the wilderness. [00:00:08] And while the element of water is in all the lessons, the water conveys various images as one looks at the various stories. [00:00:18] The water is a kind of savior. When it drowns Pharaoh's army in the Red Sea, it is combating evil head on. When it drowns the demon possessed hogs as they plunge into the Sea of Galilee, it turns into celebratory wine at the marriage feast in Canaan. [00:00:44] And it even comes out of a rock when Moses strikes it with his staff to allay the thirst of the people. [00:00:55] One thing though that's true is not all of these instances take place in the wilderness. [00:01:02] Certainly Moses passing through the Red Sea and striking of the rock take place in a wilderness. [00:01:10] But the wedding takes place in a town. [00:01:13] The healing of the demon possessed man took place in a cemetery. [00:01:19] And in our text the whole thing takes place on water. [00:01:24] The Sea of Galilee. [00:01:27] In our text we are looking at the water as representing a problem, a major one. [00:01:36] The sea has been hit by a strong wind that causes the waves to rise and begin flooding. Jesus boat I know I looked at some background of this and at that Red Sea. There's kind of one of those things where there's high places on both sides and if the wind runs right, it just runs through that place between those two high places. [00:02:03] And that was probably the case in this one. [00:02:07] There's a strong wind, the sea has been hit by it and causes the waves to rise and to begin to flood. Jesus bomb boat the disciples with him, many of who were fishers, were experienced boaters. [00:02:25] For them to feel that things were out of control and to waken Jesus from his snooze after a long day of preaching indicates how afraid they were they couldn't handle it. [00:02:41] They wake this Jesus who had just recently fed 5,000 with a few loaves and fish. [00:02:49] They asked him, teacher, does it not concern you that we are being destroyed? [00:02:58] Their ship was taking in water. [00:03:03] This story is here not just to tell us about how Jesus rescued his disciples from a story severe storm, but to help each and every one of us to deal with the storms in our lives. [00:03:20] As St. Peter writes in his second letter, chapter three, verses 16 and 17, Every scripture is divinely inspired and useful for instruction, conviction, correction and training in living innocently so that the godly person may be complete, having been equipped for every good work. [00:03:48] So let's look at these verses and see how we can apply them to our lives. [00:03:54] Have you ever been in a situation where you wanted to say to God, does it not concern you that we are being destroyed? [00:04:05] Are there any veterans here? Raise your hand. [00:04:09] Were any of you involved in a battle where there was a great deal of fear as a result? [00:04:15] Anybody raise their hand. Some of you were. [00:04:19] That happens. [00:04:25] Have any of you ever been in a bad car accident? Raise your hand. [00:04:31] Did you wonder whether you might end up as badly mangled as your vehicle? Raise your hand. [00:04:42] So we've encountered situations like that, but we aren't only talking about physical damage. [00:04:51] There are the storms in life that we encounter that may make us wonder whether we'll be able to survive them. [00:04:59] Have any of you ever lost a job and wondered what in the world you were ever going to do? [00:05:05] Raise your hand. [00:05:09] Have any of you ever lost a loved one and felt that there was no reason to go on living? [00:05:16] Raise your hand. [00:05:20] Due to the problems you encounter in life, have any of you ever considered suicide? [00:05:28] I have. [00:05:31] Perhaps you felt you had the answer to the question the disciples had when they wake Jesus up and ask, does it not concern you that we are being destroyed? [00:05:45] Perhaps you felt at that time that the answer to the question was no. [00:05:51] God does not care that we are being destroyed. [00:05:56] Because where was he? [00:06:00] Jesus felt that way on the cross. [00:06:03] He addresses God from the cross and asks, my God, my God, why have you forsaken me? [00:06:11] Where are you? [00:06:13] The pains Jesus felt on the cross were greater than the pains any of us have ever borne. [00:06:21] In fact, the pains he felt were the pains required for him to bear in order to take the punishment the world deserved for all the wrongs that had ever taken place. [00:06:36] Jesus suffered those pains not because he wanted to, but because it was necessary. [00:06:45] He prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane. My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me yet not what I will, but what you will. [00:07:01] And it was the will of God that Jesus suffer for every wrong we have ever experienced and every wrong we have inflicted on others. [00:07:15] Why? [00:07:17] Because God is love. [00:07:21] God did not want us to bear the punishment we deserved. [00:07:26] Nor did he want the one who had caused you such suffering to bear that punishment either. [00:07:36] Rather, as our Creator, he wanted things to go back to the way they were at the beginning, before humankind had been tempted to become like God and had ceased to be his servants, wanting to serve themselves as their own gods. Instead. [00:07:55] It meant that only one strong enough to bear all the sins and evils of the world would have to pay the punishment. [00:08:04] It meant that one who was pure enough to live a human life without sin could give that perfect righteousness he had earned to us. [00:08:17] And that is what happened on that storm of a day called Good Friday. [00:08:24] Yes, Jesus was strong enough to rebuked the wind for creating the waves that threatened the boat. [00:08:32] He could say to the waves, be quiet and be muzzled like a dog who's had his mouth tied around tightly. [00:08:42] And he is strong enough to take care of any storm in life that can come our way. [00:08:51] Let me give you an example from my own life of how God saved me from a storm in life and then used me afterwards in that same place to do what was a very great work, something I would have never expected. [00:09:10] When I was around 30 years old, I accepted a call to be the librarian and professor of religion and philosophy at St. John's College in Winfield, Kansas, which was an institution of our church body, the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod. [00:09:27] I inherited the woman who was the full time assistant from the previous librarian to work under me. [00:09:35] She was a gregarious kind of person and she often would go visit people in other departments. [00:09:43] Unfortunately, as she was doing that, she was badmouthing me. [00:09:50] So in the spring semester, I was informed by the acting president that due to what he was hearing, he was removing me from being the head librarian come the end of the semester and would have me serve the next year under the former librarian who was still living in Winfield. [00:10:09] That next year would likely be my last as I had a two year contract that caused me all kinds of anxiety being so early in my career. [00:10:22] However, in looking at my contract, which I said was a two year contract, it also said that I was to serve as the library director during that time. [00:10:35] I went to see a lawyer who affirmed my reading. [00:10:40] We called the president who was meeting with some of his other staff at that time. [00:10:45] What resulted was that not only did I remain the sole librarian, but I was able to have the lady who had bad mouthed me move to a different department and I chose another woman to be my assistant that year. [00:11:01] Everything went fine after that. [00:11:04] In fact, I was elected faculty secretary by the faculty of St. John's however, the future of St. John's was in jeopardy. [00:11:15] It was closed in May of 1986. [00:11:20] I, however, being informed by a retired former president of our Senior College in Fort Wayne that St. John's would likely close, had taken the position of library director of the Winfield Public Library in December of 1984. [00:11:40] God used me mightily. Then the board of directors of the public library decided to try to raise the funds to buy the St. John's College library building. [00:11:53] Over the course of the next few years, we began working with the city's recreation department and the senior citizens center to acquire even more of the buildings and grounds of the campus. [00:12:07] Not only was God using me to help the city of Winfield with meeting some of its needs, I was connected to a group of Lutherans in Grant County, Oklahoma, who wanted to start a church in Pond Creek. [00:12:23] It ended up that in the summer of 1988, I led a bond issue campaign that resulted in the voters of Winfield directing the city council to issue $600,000 in bonds for the purchase of these buildings on the St. John's College campus. [00:12:43] The church in Pond Creek had issued a call to me to serve as pastor. [00:12:49] However, I also had a call to serve as a librarian at our seminary in Fort Wayne with the plan that if everything worked out, I would become the library director there. [00:13:04] So God guided me through the storm of having to worry about losing my job with St. John's College and then using me to oversee the beginning of the process whereby the entire campus of St. John's would be acquired by the city of Winfield and also using me to start a church that at that time regularly had 30 people meeting on Sunday. [00:13:32] Likewise, God had plans for his disciples that were beyond that time of the storm. [00:13:42] It was there to teach them a lesson. [00:13:46] They were scared that they were about to be destroyed. [00:13:50] Jesus says to them, after rebuking the wind and calming and restraining the waves, why are you so afraid? [00:14:00] Do you still lack faith? [00:14:04] They did, but I think by Pentecost, filled with the Holy Spirit, they were willing to risk everything because they realized that that Jesus would be there for them no matter what storms might arrive into their lives. [00:14:24] And Jesus asks us, when we are worried by the storms we encounter in life, why are you so afraid? [00:14:34] Do you still lack faith? [00:14:38] The answer may be the same one that the disciples had. [00:14:42] They did not answer Jesus that question. [00:14:45] Rather, they said to one another, so who is this one that even the wind and the sea obey him? [00:14:56] They learned to look to Jesus. [00:15:00] And when they saw that not only did he have power over the wind and sea, but also over death, hell and evil, then had the power to send the Holy Spirit upon them. [00:15:13] They did have the faith to conquer their fears, and like the wind and the waves, to obey the Creator of all. [00:15:23] We all encounter the storms of life at some point. [00:15:28] They may be physical in nature. [00:15:31] They may be economically hazardous. [00:15:36] My hope is that having heard this story and seeing how God has likewise been with you through earlier storms you have encountered that when Jesus asks, do you still lack faith? [00:15:54] You will look at him and say, you are the one that even the wind and the sea obey. [00:16:02] I lack nothing because of you. [00:16:06] Amen. [00:16:08] And now may the peace that surpasses all human understanding stand guard of your hearts and minds through faith in Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen. Please rise for prayer.