March 10, 2011

"Suddenly, a fierce storm struck the lake, with waves breaking into the boat." Matthew 8:24

Have you ever been so frightened that you physically shook?

I have and it is an awful feeling. It takes a powerful fear to bring that sort of reaction.

From what I see in this story, the disciples might have been shaking with fear.

Interestingly, the Greek word for "fierce" used here is "seismos". You might recognize it in conjunction with "seismology", the study of earthquakes or "seismograph", an instrument for measuring the intensity of earthquakes. So, this was a storm that literally shook the waters! And it got them shaking as well.

Another insightful fact about this word is that it is only used two other times by Matthew in his Gospel.

Once is in Matthew 27:51-54 in reference to Jesus' death on Calvary, "At that moment the curtain in the sanctuary of the Temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. The earth shook, rocks split apart, and tombs opened. The bodies of many godly men and women who had died were raised from the dead. They left the cemetery after Jesus’ resurrection, went into the holy city of Jerusalem, and appeared to many people. The Roman officer and the other soldiers at the crucifixion were terrified by the earthquake and all that had happened. They said, “This man truly was the Son of God!”

The other use occurs in Matthew 28:2 - "Suddenly there was a great earthquake! For an angel of the Lord came down from heaven, rolled aside the stone, and sat on it."

So, God knows how to shake things up! He shook the waters and He shook the earth! People noticed and people changed!

Has God ever shaken your world? Is He shaking it now? What is your response? Is it fear? Maybe He is trying to shake the fear out of you!

The message of the storm is, "Fear not when Jesus is in your boat"! He is stronger than the storm.

The message of Calvary is, "Fear not, Jesus has conquered your sin"! His holiness is stronger than your sin!

The message of the Resurrection is, "Fear not, Jesus has conquered death!" His life is more powerful than death!

God's earth-shaking message is, "Fear not! I have overcome the storm, the sin and the sentence of death!"

So, why should you be shaking? If there is a storm in your life right now, or if something has shaken your world, maybe it is God's "seismos" sent to shake the fear out of you and remind you that Jesus is in your boat! Fear not! Speak to Jesus and let Him speak His power to your fear!

The one who should be shaking is the devil!

March 9, 2011

"Jesus responded, “Why are you afraid? You have so little faith!” Then he got up and rebuked the wind and waves, and suddenly there was a great calm."   Matthew 8:26

Here's some good news: I have a lot of faith.

Here's the bad news: I have been through a lot of storms. I've known a lot of fear. I spent all my childhood and early adult years dealing with my own fears, and when I became a pastor I got to share everyone elses' fears. I spend most of my life in someone's storm, I'm sort of like the coast guard.  I would prefer to say I am the "Holy Ghost guard"! He is the rope of hope I toss to people in storms! He is the ULTIMATE Life Preserver!

I want to reflect on something I noticed in this story and you can see what you think.

The disciples where in the storm with great fear but came out of the storm with great faith. That is how it has worked for me as well. Once you survive a few storms they don't scare you as much. There seems to be a definite relationship between fear and faith. It appears that the more faith you have the less fear you have.

So, here's the thoughts I am pondering:

1) Storms can reveal your fear to faith ratio. How much fear do I have and how much faith do I need? Valuable information, right? Only a storm can bring that out.

2) Could it also be that your level of fear predicts your potential for faith? Doesn't it make sense that if you have had great fear you have created space in your heart for great faith? It makes sense to me because it is me. It seems to have fit for the disciples, too.

If those assumptions are true, and they seem to square with the truth of the story, then here is the application for you - Through the fears that life has built into you, God was creating space that He could replace your fears with His faith! The more fear you have known, the more faith is in your future!

Remember all those times when the waves were crashing and the water was splashing and the ship was tossing and you shook your foam covered fist at God and wondered where He was in the storm? He was allowing fear to create a bigger space for faith! Does that make sense?

Maybe that explains why Jesus was asleep in the boat. He was waiting for fear to stretch more space in their hearts to hold His faith. Where we cry out in fear reveals the limit of our faith, so Jesus was waiting for their cry. If God seems to be sleeping on you, maybe He is just stretching your capacity for faith!

That's probably enough to meditate on for one day. But think on it and let the Spirit sort out the truth and show you how it fits where you are. But don't fear your fear because it can show you your potential for faith!

And, if you are in a storm, I hope I tossed you a life line today!

March 8, 2011

"Then Jesus got into the boat and started across the lake with his disciples. Suddenly, a fierce storm struck the lake, with waves breaking into the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. The disciples went and woke him up, shouting, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown! Jesus responded, “Why are you afraid? You have so little faith!” Then he got up and rebuked the wind and waves, and suddenly there was a great calm. The disciples were amazed. “Who is this man?” they asked. “Even the winds and waves obey him!” Matthew 8:23-27

I have been in a small boat in the middle of a little lake when a big storm blew through. When the wind is blowing and the waves are tossing and the thunder is rolling and the lightening is flashing - it is frightening! I love to fish with a bobber but I don't want to be the bobber!

I didn't have Jesus in my boat but I certainly was having a conversation with Him! So, I can identify with the angst of the apostles in this storm. I have never felt so helpless and vulnerable. Rowing got me nowhere and I was totally at the whim of the waves. It was not a ride I would care to repeat.

Remember that several of these guys had been professional fisherman who were comfortable on the water and familiar with storms, but even they were scared by this one!

Why were they so freaked out this time? Was the size of their fear in direction proportion to the size of the storm? Fear arises when we sense we are out of control and in danger and they were both.

That is when someone remembered that Jesus was in the boat! That was a game changer! They discovered what you and I can only discover in the midst of a storm, life is bigger than us and more powerful than us and it can threaten us - BUT, Jesus is bigger than the storm! We don't need to be in control when Jesus is in the boat. We just need to be under His control!

Are there storm clouds on your horizon? Are the winds kicking up? Are the waves tossing around you? Are you leaning on the oars just to stay afloat? Here's the deal, take what you learned from the last storm and let it help you deal with the next one. Storms are bigger than you, but Jesus is bigger than storms! Speak to Jesus until He speaks to the storm.

                                                                                                                                       

March 7, 2011

"Then Jesus got into the boat and started across the lake with his disciples.  Suddenly, a fierce storm struck the lake, with waves breaking into the boat. But Jesus was sleeping."  Matthew 8:23-24 

It is good to be in the same boat with Jesus. You would like to think that if you are in the boat with Jesus you would have smooth sailing. But this story proves that having Jesus in the boat does not exempt you from storms, contrary to what some might claim.

Why would anyone think that being in the boat with Jesus should exempt you from the storms? Is He a lucky charm? Is He a season pass from suffering? Do we get pulled out of the real world? What are your expectations when you share the boat with Jesus? What should they be?

Let's talk about the expectation thing this morning. I think it is crucial and I also think it is one of the central truths of this story. We try to fit Jesus into our expectations. A few storms can knock that out of us.

We should expect Jesus to be exactly Who He is - the Son of God! It is up to us to discover all that means.

Jesus had spent the day trying to reveal to the disciples Who He is and what they should expect from Him. Go back and start at the beginning of Matthew 8 to set the context for this story.

He healed a leper, and then He was pleasantly surprised by the faith demonstrated by a Roman officer - so much so that He made a point of it to His disciples in case they had missed it. And, to honor that Roman's faith, He did a long-distance healing. Later, He healed Peter's mother-in-law and spent the evening casting out demons.

Not bad for one day in the life of Jesus!

Based on that brief glimpse, what should we expect when He gets in our boat?

Expect Him to be powerful! He had power over disease and over demons!

Expect Him to be Scriptural! He used His power to fulfill the prophecies and promises of Scripture! If you want to know Him, know them!

Expect Him to be purposeful! After Jesus had healed and delivered and ministered, He called those who would follow Him to put Him first. A Christ-follower must be willing to forsake all to come after Him.

Expect Him to be personal! Jesus spoke to large crowds and was followed by multitudes and ultimately died for everyone, but He deals with people individually - personally. He knows your name! He knows your need!

As you meditate on these thoughts, let me ask you two more questions, "How many of your fears are rooted in wrong expectations of Jesus?" And, "What would happen to your level of fear if you came to a better understanding of what to expect from Him?"

Could we be onto something here?

March 6, 2011

So far you have learned to principles that can help you grow in the grind:

Know the "how" of the harvest. Whatever you sow you will reap. So, in the midst of your daily grind make sure you sow spiritual seeds that will produce a profitable harvest. Know what kind of harvest you want and be sure you sow those seeds each day. Act - don't react. To grow in the grind - sow in the grind.

Second, know the hope of the harvest. There WILL be a harvest. It always comes - so live like it. Don't live for immediate gratification, be patient and work toward the harvest every day. Keep doing the right things. Obey everyday. Serve every day. Surrender every day. Pray every day. Read the Word every day. Fellowship with believers every day. Even in the grind of your daily routine show up and make preparation for the harvest. To grow in the grind - show up in the grind.

The third principle is based on verse 10:

“Therefore, whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone—especially to those in the family of faith.” V. 6:10

To grow in the grind - glow in the grind.

What did the Apostle Paul know about growing weary in well-doing?

“Are they servants of Christ? (I am out of my mind to talk like this.) I am more. I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again. Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was pelted with stones, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my fellow Jews, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false believers. I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone With out food; I have been cold and naked. Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches.” II Corinthians 11:23-28

Let me ask you this, “Where would we be today if Paul would have grown weary in well-doing and given up?”

You don’t know how many people are depending on you to not give up! There are people who can only be reached by you and if you give up they may not be reached!

You don’t know how many people are watching your life to see if your faith is real of if you will give up when life gets too tough. They believe in you and they want to believe in your God – if you don’t give up!

God is planning a great harvest for you! It is closer than you think! It is yours unless you quit!

You won’t find any books on Amazon with the title – great people who gave up and quit!

How many of you have ever heard of Dr. Samuel Langley? He was competing with Wright Brothers to invent a mechanical flying machine. Although he was funded with a government grant and had a larger crew assisting him, he eventually quit and the Wright Brothers kept experimenting. They believed a harvest was coming – and it did!

How many of you have heard of George Westinghouse. He was competing with Thomas Edison to perfect the incandescent light bulb, he couldn't find the right filament material and quit. Edison experimented with thousands of materials until he found a long-lasting one. Edison believed a harvest was coming – and it did!

Noah worked every day for 120 years before he got the benefit of his work. He believed the day of delivery was coming – and it did!

Moses wandered 40 years in the desert before the Promised Land, and he didn’t even get into enter in. But he believed the harvest was coming!

Abraham waited over a quarter of a century for God’s promise to be fulfilled. He believed God’s promise and knew a son was coming!

Joseph spent several years in prison after being falsely accused before he was promoted to Pharoah’s main man. A day of harvest literally came for him and he saved his family and his nation!

HERE’S THE TRUTH – MOST OF LIFE IS LIVED IN THE GRIND – SO, THE GRIND WILL EITHER GET YOU OR IT WILL GROW YOU!

IF YOU KNOW THE "HOW "OF THE HARVEST YOU WILL GROW!

IF YOU SOW IN THE GRIND YOU WILL GROW!

IF YOU GLOW IN THE GRIND YOU WILL GROW!

March 5, 2011

"So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up." Galatians 6:9

If you want to grow through the grind you need to put together a daily routine that is based on the "how" of the harvest. The "how of the harvest is the simple truth that you will reap what you sow. You can't plant apple seeds and get an orange tree. Likewise, you can't sow to the flesh and reap spiritual results. So if your daily routine is driven by selfish desires and you sow seeds of instant gratification you will reap heartache and trouble. Heartache and trouble will wear you out! They will complicate your life!

The first principle of growing in the grind is this - sow in the grind! As you live out your daily routine make sure you sow spiritual seeds!

Our text today bluntly admits that doing good is harder than doing evil because you are working against your nature. So, choosing to do the right thing - the obedient thing every day can wear you out because you usually do not see immediate results.  Working hard and seeing no benefit can wear you down.

So, how do you keep from growing weary in the daily grind of sowing spiritual seeds?

That brings us to the second principle of growing in the grind - show up in the grind!

What does that mean? It means you have hope! It means that you understand the seasons of life and you have hope in the cerainty of the seasons. Ecclesiastes reminds us that everything has a season and a time. "There is a time to sow and a time to reap". This principle understands that if you have the hope of the harvest will show up every day to sow seeds of righteousness in the power of God's love. You understand that if you do the hard work now, it will be more than worth it at the time of the harvest.

Don't let the grind of daily doing good cause you to lose hope in the harvest. The harvest WILL come and when it comes it will bring the results of what you have sown! In that hope - no, in that certainty - develop a daily routine where you show up and sow spiritual seeds.

Without the hope of the harvest you will wear out and stop showing up so when the harvest comes it will reveal the results of your neglect.

Are you growing weary in your routine? Remember the hope of the harvest! Show up today and sow spiritual seeds - seeds of obedience, seeds of grace, seeds of truth, seeds of faith, and seeds of love in the power of God's Spirit. When the day of harvest shows up, you will be glad you did, too!

March 4, 2011

"Don’t be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant. Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit."  Galatians 6:7-8

Life is measured in years but it is lived out in seconds and minutes and hours and days. In those seconds and minutes and hours and days you face choices regarding good and evil. Each choice carries consequences. The legacy you leave at the end of your years will be the result of those choices made in the seconds and minutes. You will reap then what you are sowing today. There are no "throw away" decisions. Every choice matters!

That fact adds weight to the importance of the dreaded "r" word - "routine". Everyone has one, whether they mean to or not. It is how you order your day and the choices you make in daily living. Routines are like dental appointments, you may not like them but it is hard to live without them. Doing the same routine day after day after day can become a grind and that grind can get you!

In Galatians 6:7-10, Paul deals with the significance of our daily choices. He frames it in the analogy of planting and harvesting. Understanding these truths can help you not only get through the grind BUT to grow through the grind.

So, the first thing I want to call your attention to is the "hows" of the harvest. If you can understand how sowing and reaping (or planting and harvesting) work, you can understand what goes into establishing a good routine.

The "how" of the harvest is this - you will reap what you sow. If you plant beans today you will not reap potatoes in the harvest. You will harvest what you planted - beans. And if you planted lima beans you will harvest lima beans not green beans.

Likewise, if in the seconds and minutes of your daily routine you make selfish decisions based on feelings or on what is easiest, you will suffer the consequences of those selfish decisions. Bad choices come back to bite you! Unfortunately, they will also bite those who love you and are touched by your routine.

When you plant your garden in a few weeks you will ask yourself this question, "What vegetables do I want to have by the end of the Summer. If you want corn and beans and tomatoes and carrots, those are the seeds you will plant. Your planting routine will be decided by what you want to harvest.

In exactly the same way, you should make your daily decisions and build your daily routine around your desired results. If you want a good harvest, you must make spiritual decisions based on what pleases God, not what makes you feel good.

Our "Living on Purpose" study showed us that it is our purpose to "overcome evil with good". That is the outcome God expects. So, every decision every day must be made to overcome evil with good. And the next day should be the same. And the next.....

That is a routine you can live with! When your routine is determined by the "how" of the harvest you will grow through your grind!