Who Then Is This?

Scott I am so grateful to be over here. This is the campus my wife and I first came to when we moved here from Atlanta over 10 years ago we got rowdy writer here in the second row Garrett back there can attest to.

It was fantastic. We loved it. On this the campus God ordained me as a minister of the gospel is the campus I was gone my first pastoral job and so it's just such a gift in such a blessing to be back over here, I hope you know this, but I hope you realize how blessed you are with the pastoral staff you have over here from your campus pastor Jonathan Linker to Matt Baker discipleship and Matt Johnson all the way down to those that work behind the scenes Rachel Florez and Alex often kids of course Colin came me up here Joey Fowler Crystal filling their teams back there in production on can we just give honor where honor is due and just thank The staff this morning, for your Bible.

Hope you do pull it out to be in Luke chapter 8 were to continue in our series in the book of Luke this weekend looking at a pretty familiar passage which is the disciples didn't caught in the storm. In Jesus phone a ship.

Her phone asleep on a ship and now don't use that is education for phone sleep in my sermon this morning on those times and Sunday but I don't say what Jesus did it, I will. He's a little different regressive that is morning. Okay so Luke chapter 8 what what in the sea is leading up to this Jesus has been even busy going around is been casting out demons. He's been calling disciples to himself. He has been curing sicknesses and were to pick up in Luke chapter 8 beginning in verse 21 we do that Sunday just sat down know you need to stay awake.

This was let's stand up while we stand all across this room. Let's stand in honor of the reading of the word of God's Luke chapter 8 beginning in verse 22 says one day Jesus got into a boat with his disciples and said to them let us go across to the other side of the lake.

Now this lake. If the Sea of Galilee.

It's about 13 x 7 miles wide. It's big, it's a big ole kite. So they set out and as they sailed he fell asleep in a wind storm came down on the lake and they were filling with water and were in danger. The windstorm here.

This is a story that is told in all three synoptic Gospels, the Synoptics or Matthew Mark and Luke. So here we are in Luke Luke calls it a windstorm. Matthew described as a hurricane or if you transited that word mark the way the word translated as he calls it a seismic mega storm and so that sounds, like a sci-fi movie to me like seismic mega Crocker source storm, but nonetheless we need to knows the Biddle storms is the equivalent to a hurricane that's coming just come upon them when storm came down like there filling water were in danger. Verse 24 and they went and woke him saying master master. We are perishing, and he woke and rebuked the wind and the raging waves and they ceased, and there was a calm he said to them, where is your faith and they were afraid and they marveled, saying to one another, who then is this, that he commands even winds and water and they obey him some family. This is the word of God. Thanks be to God you can be seated. The question I want us to consider. Today is the same question that's presented here at the end of the story who then is this that is this not all three gospel accounts. And with that question, and all leave that question unanswered.

I believe they leave it unanswered because the point is that you and I must answer that question for ourselves, who then is this who is this Jesus who supposedly columns the storms in my life that I want to be dramatic here, but I am to be honest that that question who is Jesus is the most important question you will ever answer in your entire life who you believe Jesus to be is the most important question you should ever wrestle with. And so what I want to show you today from Luke chapter 8 is that every storm in your life is an opportunity to answer that question again every single storm in your life is an opportunity to answer the question, who is Jesus again, we tend to think about belief in Jesus is kind of this one time event and and that's true in so far as it concerns salvation. Anyone who believes on him shall be saved.

But the reality is, who we believe Jesus to be actually are shown more in the day-to-day situations in life that when something arises that when a storm arises how we respond to that is usually based off who we really believe Jesus to be there for what I see here is that each storm you and I encounter in life is the new opportunity to examine who we believe Jesus to be Jesus really did have faith when everything's going our way right when things are going well.

When the bills are paid and that the kids are behaving in and the grades are good when that stimulus check at the bank account. Amen. Right can admit it's easy for me to believe that Jesus is loving and kind.

But all of a sudden the wind and the waves come in life and things begin falling apart around me and it's much harder then to believe and live out that Jesus is loving and kind.

See the true test of faith.

The true strength of our faith doesn't happen when the sunshine of God's grace is shining upon our lives and we feel like you smiling on us. The true test of where we are placing our faith in who we believe Jesus to be happens when the dark clouds are over our lives when God seems nowhere to be found.

The true test of faith happens when the diagnosis comes when the bills are piling up when the marriage of the relationship falls apart when someone betrays you. In other words, the true test of faith happens in storms not in comfort. So, who then is this how you answer that question will determine your perspective in the midst of storms because it reveals you truly placing your faith pressure just brings out what's inside of you think about like this one of my favorite things to do in my free time I say freeze on my four kids age 6 and under cyclic 40 minutes a day of free time, but things I love to do is working out the stress reliever's is one of things I really enjoy anybody that that is really to work out knows there's a single testing week. The testing week is kind of the week you decide, okay, I've been worked and slept soundly get stronger like my back squat or something. Then I'll go on like a 810 12 we cut a training thing and at the end of the 12 weeks I do testing week and what that testing shows his hate has all has all the work I've been putting in paying off have become stronger because of the work that I'm putting it in some ways my strength has to be tested before it can be trusted.

I've heard it said the same way about our faith that faith must be tested before it can be trusted in Luke chapter 8 is one of the many places in the Bible that teach us how storms serve to test our faith. They serve to help us examine our faith in Jesus, not to destroy it. Let Sargon twisted so viewed correctly. My hope is by the end of the sermon you will understand and you will see storms how they are actually for our discipleship and for our development as disciples, not for our destruction before we get too far into this unless you think we will wait I came to church this morning to get some hope to get some peace. I was told that Jesus can calm the storms of my life. Not that they're going to keep raging in my life and a problem with that with that type of belief is. I think a lot of you been sold this bad bill of goods, and so I just need to lay some groundwork by making something very clear as followers of Jesus we should not be surprised by storms in our lives. In fact, following Jesus is a promise that you will have storms and trials. In some ways we should expect storms to be our norm.

As believers John chapter 16 Jesus says upset these things you disciples, that in me you may have peace because in the world you will have tribulation first Peter chapter 4, beloved Summit Church Summit family guess this morning, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you as though something strange were happening to you. Listen, you may be surprised when storms come, you may be surprised how they come you maybe even surprised where they come from, but you should not be surprised that they come and you certainly should not be surprised when they come suddenly like the storm did that's usually how they come right storm in your life that they will give you a warning they'll give you an update. No ETA, no phone notification they'll shoot you tax a night next week is a good week for storm I'll be there right they just come.

Storms are promised, so don't let them surprise you but here's the good news, even storms. This is a really strange part of the Christian life. But it's the fact that in rough waters. That's usually what lead us to a deeper relationship with Jesus because it's in the storms that we get to know him in ways that we never would've known before Similac NASA right down here little over 10 years ago we moved here the first two years we moved to North Carolina from Landover to the hardest years of our entire lives went through some stuff in our life, went through some stuff in our marriage that I would never wish upon any of you that I would never wish we would go through again. But in this really weird strange twisted out whatever you want to call it way, I don't know how to explain. I'm so glad we did go through those things because I learned things about Jesus during those hard times that we only had knowledge before I learned about his presence and his promises and his provision and his protection in God's love for me that I never would've known if we didn't go through those things.

In some ways, the only thing worse than going to those things would've been not going to those things. This is only true for the believer, because we get to know things about God we get to cling to his word, we get to cling to his promises and realize that his presence is always with us, even in the store. So who is this Jesus, I'm imploring you to have faith in. According to Luke eight here serious. I'm just going to give you the answer and organ on packet. I Jesus is our sympathetic and sovereign Savior, worthy of our praise Jesus as our sympathetic and sovereign Savior, who is worthy of our praise. Let's unpack these three qualities of Jesus to cling to in the storm right number one Jesus is the God who sympathizes with your suffering is the God who sympathizes with your suffering look down to verse 22, March through this just one day he got into a boat with his disciples and he said to them let us go across to the other side of the lake noticed two things that are really obvious here, but often overlooked number one is this Jesus sends them into the storm, the God of University sovereign. He knows everything he knows what's about to happen. He knows where they're going. So Jesus sends them into a storm Show that for a second and recognize number two thing that seems kind of weird. It was the disciples obedience that led them into the storm.

So often we think that when we find ourselves in storms. It's because of maybe some type of disobedience, or sin or wrong decision on our part. But what if what if the very storm you find yourself is, in fact, because you were old deviant to Jesus, not disobedience. One pastor said of this well loved as he said, faith is not believing in spite of evidence it's obeying. In spite of consequence faith is not believing in spite of evidence, just as I can see exactly what God is doing in front of me, faith is obeying in spite of consequence it saying hey I know I could do this deal in my business and it's going to double my business size, but the word of God says that would be in unethically unethical way to go about that and so on that obey him and have faith in Jesus believing whatever repercussions whatever consequences come because I believe that Jesus is better than any business he can give me. It's living my life according the standard of God's work and again I cannot stress this enough. I'm in a hammer this over and over because often what people are promised when they follow Jesus is a life full of happiness and blessing and carefree and peace and no suffering, no persecution and no tribulation. And so what happens why that's so dangerous is to get the second something bad happens in your life. You feel like a kid you've been sold this bad bill of goods.

Your entire belief system is flipped upside down and this could God that you came to know at church all of a sudden don't seem so good anymore and it just doesn't make sense and then you end up leaving the faith that is not biblical Christianity that is not what Jesus offers.

When we follow him. Yes he offers an internal sense of peace, a peace that surpasses all understanding. He does not promise a life of comfort. In fact, Jesus tells us to deny ourselves deny everything that you desire. Except for me because it's all less than me. Take up your cross, your instrument of torture and execution and follow me. I don't know how you hear that my ears don't hear that as a your best life now for the blessing and abundance.promise. I need you to hear this following Jesus does not exempt us from pain and as a pastor. What is really tempted was really tempting for me is to stand up for the way the Bible puts it is I want to tickle your ears.

What I want to do was stand up here and give you come to this religious Ted talk and say okay what would you see if Jesus got them through the storm you to get you through your storm wherever you're in today. Just keep going. You may be in the Valley got to put you on the mountaintop to be amazing. Just hold on, just keep marching stand about the incredible and those things might very well be true that might happen. You should pray, and you should ask God to deliver you out of your storm. But the thing is I cannot promise you that any of that. I can't promise you that the storm of this pandemic is going to pass anytime soon.

Even with the vaccine. I can't promise you that the storm of your diagnosis or your disease or your cancer is going to pass anytime soon.

I can't promise you that your storm at your score in relationships or at work or in your family or finances are going to pass. I simply cannot promise you that I have so much greater of a promise for you because what I can promise you.

Based on the authority of God's word alone is that no matter what, when, or what waves this world may throw at you that the God of creation, who has power alone to calm the wind and the waves. His name is Jesus is right there with you in the boat. I can promise you that Jesus will never leave you nor forsake you. I can promise you that he will see you through the storm because he will be standing right next to you that yay though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, not I will get to the mountaintop, I will fear no evil in that valley because he is with me.

His rod and the staff they comfort me. Listen family. We are not promised a life absent of suffering, we are promised him in the suffering every single storm you go through Jesus is with you in your suffering. He is with you in your weariness. He is with you in your weakness is with you in your situations is with you is with your summary say when he is with me said again he is with me one more time. He is with me. But not only is he with you sympathizes with you in your storm see, we tend to think of sympathy, like pity, but but but that's not right to the root word of sympathy actually comes from the Greek meaning feeling with so to sympathize with somebody is to experience what they are experiencing. So when you hear me telling you that Jesus sympathizes with your pain on telling you Jesus has experienced pain like you were experiencing when I tell you that Jesus sympathizes with you and your betrayal on telling you that Jesus has experienced betrayal in the same way you have experienced betrayal Jesus can sympathize with the wayward child because every single day. To this day, Jesus experiences wayward children Summit family. We do not serve.

We do not have. We do not worship we do not put our faith in a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses in our weariness, the truth, you need to know today is that when Christ sends you. He stands by you, even in the storm and he sympathizes with you. He fuels with you in your weaknesses and storms.

So yes is God. He knew the storm was coming, but as man.

This is one of the reasons I love that Jesus and his manner sympathizes with me. Just tired. Jesus been traveling. He's been preach and he's been feeling. He just need some time away from the crowds against 1 More Way sympathizes with us plus pick up at the end of verse 22 or so they set out verse 23 and as they sailed he fell asleep in a windstorm came down on the lake so Jesus is sleeping peacefully in the middle the storm which we just have to admit there has to be some good sleep you and they were filling with water and were in danger. Now I read this I got to competing emotions going out to competing emotions. On one hand I'm incredibly encouraged by the story because it's just 1 More Way.

As I said that Jesus sympathizes with me. It's another way that Jesus now is exactly how I feel I am a father of four, six years old four years old two years old newborn. I'm tired you'll like I'm worn out at some your worn out like I got I got work. I got a sermon to preach.

I got a small group to go to. I got chores to do. I got ears run. I got bills to pay. I got friends and hang out with I got small group. I got blood now now now now now that I got thing after thing after thing I go go go go go.

And that's also me off your list goes on and on. Jesus knows how you feel he's been tired and exhausted. He's been hungry and thirsty sympathizes with numb encouraged by this many knows what it's like to be tired, but on the other hand, pastoral confession, I'm incredibly disappointed in Jesus here, at least at first glance, I mean. Of all the times he could've slept why now in the middle of a storm, quite literally, this is the only time in the entire Bible talks about Jesus sleeping, so why now. I mean, not just would like I could maybe swallow this a little bit easier if like you told them what was going to happen and he perhaps prepare them for it and let them know so like it if it's worth it if it was like no, Jesus told him, was in the book of your site and things like hey guys can huddle up as I was about to happen were to go to goes on a promise working to get there. Now what can happen is a storms coming out on Ellen something I know everything storm to come to be roasted so here's what I need you to do and assigned several sets of Peter you stay on the helm.

John you you make sure to secure the sale.

James you you tile the gear down Thomas about the extent of my sale now. Don't know about you doing about blood now. I got a piece assigning roles disabled on the other side I'm go take a nap but I promise you really get there might still be scary, but I feel like there's some security in that promise right that now that would feel a lot better. That is not what happens. Jesus said, let's all of us combined. As a group did in the other side nap time. This is how I feel sometimes I feel like one of the disciples, I feel like sometimes when I need God. The most he is nowhere to be found. I feel like he is asleep on the job sometimes and so you hear me talking about the sympathetic Savior in your life and all you are experiencing is an unsympathetic non-Savior because wave after wave after wave keeps coming in here in the story Jesus sleeping to me is a picture of his humanity. But if we keep reading what were about to see that this is actually evidence of his divinity that an in actuality, his sleep is a sleepless fearlessness. It's a sleep of sovereignty. It's asleep at divinity because he could wake up in common at any moment. This is what is so beautiful about Jesus and these seemingly contradictory and competing thoughts that I have is the fact that he is human enough to sleep in the storm, but he is God enough to speak to the store he's human enough to feel my pain, but he is God enough to fix my pain. He is human enough to take upon himself the debt that we owe because of our sin pay that price and is God enough to pay that debt of sin. So when the storms we must remember that Jesus is the God who sympathizes with our weariness, sympathizes number two. Jesus is the God who is sovereign over your storms looked out of verse 23 is a windstorm came down on the lake. There were filling with water and were in danger for 24 and I went and woke him saying master master.

We are perishing. Here's what happens. Disciples look around and all they see is danger right wind waves. They look within. They see fear now fear is an emotion is not a bad thing. Emotions are God-given abilities. Fear is an emotion is not a bad thing here this very clearly fear as a devolution reveals when we have misplaced our faith. See the occasion of fear gives us a choice. Are we going to allow our fear to be the setting for unbelief or will our fear become the setting for faith in a sovereign and good got the problem wasn't simply the storm around them. It was also the unbelief within these are the guys who have been following Jesus around watching him do miracles. Watching him heal people watching him raise people from the dead. Yet, in this moment their faith has become fragile. In other words, as Tony Evans says he says they follow Jesus around they heard his sermons. They took notes. They said amen but then they close their notebooks went out into the world and made no difference in their lives while Satan does not care how much Bible knowledge. You and I have, as long as we don't live it out and in some ways that's what's happening here in verse 24 look back on the wording here so careful master master.

We are perishing the way Matthew records in his gospel save us Lord, for we are perishing now again kind of dual concepts going on when I read this. It's fascinating because in one hand, this declares Jesus's Lordship. It's a good thing master master Lord, but another hand declares their unbelief.

Perishing are you to do anything about this God is good all the time, right brother faith walk around and be miserable in life, unbelief.

Yep, I believe God sovereign he's in control. Everything happens for a reason. Faith silently drown in doubt and despair and anxiety unbelief. Hopefully you can relate. By now the disciples come to Jesus in a mix of terror and faith of panic and trust.

They've seen him do miracles before, but now the question can can he stop the storm can raise somebody from the dead can he stop a storm, though. Keep in mind these guys are professional fishermen that big bit in their fair share of storms want to see before, but here they're terrified they think they're going to dock and about you, but if I'm in an environment alongside somebody who was considered an expert in that environment and they become frazzled stomach a little bit worried. Okay, I got been skydiving twice before my skydiving instructor on track to also gets worried. I'm a little worried that's what happened. These guys what is happened is they have reached the end of their know-how and that's when they decide to wake Jesus up yelling it funny how it often takes for us to get to the end of our know-how before we go crying out to Jesus. She we think that Christian maturity is needing less and less help from God could not be more wrong. Maturity is realizing how dependent we are on Jesus more and more every single day. So they go to him terrified to go to wake him up from his nap which I hope in here we can all agree waking somebody up from a nap is a very bad idea.

Anybody here Hagan woke up from a nap, and what makes even worse.

What makes it even worse is when you get woken up from a nap.

The perpetrator always follows the crime with a very stupid question right was the question over you sleeping like I'm I'm I'm laying horizontally with my eyes closed, heavily breathing not speaking for an extended amount of time and you choose to shake me and asked me was I sleeping that idea okay this is again for kids.

Maybe this is like some catharsis coming out right now. I did no-confidence okay digress. Verse 24 to Jesus awoke in a much better mood than I would've and rebuked the wind and the raging waves and they ceased, and there was a call.

Don't miss this. This is this is so encouraging and so good noticed how it was not the storm that woke Jesus up. It was the cry of his saints that did the raging storm doesn't seem to bother him one bit.

But the cries of his disciples even even this week, and these faithless these these unbelieving cries doesn't matter. The cries of his friends. These are the cries of the needy. Jesus was asleep. Up until the very moment that they shouted to him in their week and faithless voices whom he's awake to see in a minute.

Jesus doesn't command the content of their plea, but he does honor the direction of their plea here. Here's why this should be so encouraging because it means you don't have to have a filter when you pray towards God. So if you're feeling lost your feeling like God isn't good if you're experiencing doubt. If you are frustrated with your lot in life. If you feel like God is sleeping on the job, take it to him be messy with him. Tell him how you're feeling sick God. Do you even care what you even aware of what's going on are you asleep in the back of my boat, a promise or not to hurt his feelings. He's a big boy didn't take it okay because the lie of the enemy the lie of the enemy and it works so beautifully is that when you're in a storm he tries to tell you this because God doesn't love you because you've done something wrong and he tries to tell you that no amount of prayer, crying out to God is going make any difference at all. That is a lie from the pit of hell. I bet you don't let a storm get between you and your Savior who cares for you and who hears you and who listens. Even when you shelter him in a week and faithless plea for help. Cry out to him and the moment Satan begins raising more storms in your life you call upon the name of the Lord Jesus Christ was sovereign over all storms over all creation over every inch of your life lays those storm.

This storm which had suddenly arisen is about to be silenced by the Savior with a single word, the one who rules supremely. The disciples cry out for him. He wakes up he stands up my picture like a Middle Eastern handoff and he says you shall not pass, and it's like glass.

This is like the wind stopped, but the waves were still kind of choppy until it died down.

This was like get out on the lake at 6 AM to go wake boarding glass in an instant that this goddess he controls even the elements we are told over and over and over in this book that Jesus is the one by whom the universe was made that Jesus is the creator of heaven and earth that all of the forces of nature or underneath his authority in here in the middle of a raging storm. We see complete and abrupt submission to the authority of this Jesus who was sovereign over those storms and over your storms in a single moment prophecy and power are coming together in the form of this Jesus whom we should praise Psalm 89 O Lord God of hosts was mighty as you are because it is you who rule the raging of the sea when it's waves rise, you still them.

Psalm 65 you silenced the roar of the seas. The roar of their waves and the tumble of the nation's Psalm 93 mightier than the funders of many waters mightier than the waves of the sea, the Lord on high is all my Psalm 107, he made the storm.

Be still in the waves of the sea were hushed for Tim Keller says Jesus doesn't have to call on a higher power, because Jesus is the higher power and I believe that firepower is in the boat with me that his presence is a promise that will never forsake me. I can declare along with the psalmist and the prophet Isaiah, saying when I am afraid even in my storm in God. I put my trust in you, whose word I praise I shall not be afraid, for God is the strength of my song and my selfish church. This is our sympathetic and sovereign Savior's my last point is working of our price is worthy of our price.

Now I would think here is if this were like a made for TV story made for TV movie. I think the hallmark version would end by Jesus rebuking the sea goes calm and like your guys Mary huddles him up like his mug is so scary, but you guys okay and then he's like a silk also decide to have a meal. Everything is good right now lacks, Jesus rebukes the wind and the waves and then immediately turns and rebukes the disciples look at verse 25 to final verse he said to them full-circle where is your faith and they were afraid of the way Sally Lord Jones and Jesus tore the Bible since the storm outside may have stopped, but now inside the disciples were filled with a different, storm, and they marveled, saying to one another, who then is this, he commands even winds and water and they obey Jesus as guys where's your faith is it in me because of the tenant if it send me him I'm right here.

I haven't gone anywhere right there with you. Where's your faith see another overlooked detail in the store occurs all the way back. Our first verse, verse 22.

When Jesus said what he said. He said let us go across to the other side of Lake what's just as important as what he did not set didn't say let's hope in this book and see if we can make it to the other side. He says let's go to the other side for them in this time.

In this context. This was a promise. What happened is the disciples allowed the storm to come between them and their assurance of Jesus's love and care for them. No assurance comes from remembering both Jesus's promises and and how he has worked in history.

Don't forget your history with Jesus. Just because a storm is coming your life. Don't lay aside his word were his promises are found to so often what happens is the time that we need to lay hold of the promises found in this book, often the times we are most tempted to step away from them. The times we need to turn to his word for strength and help are often the times we are tempted to give up reading our Bibles to step away from prayer step away from community and stop coming to church, brother, sisters, don't let your storm come between you and your assurance of Jesus's love and care and promises for you.

Don't forget your history with him and how his presence has never left you let his word and his track record speaks for itself and as you remember, let it fill your heart with faith, knowing that even in the worst of storms. Jesus is with you.

Faith is not believing in spite of evidence God making your situation turn out perfectly. It's obeying in spite of consequence believing that even if your storm never passes even if your boat sinks that my God is still worth the price. That's the kind of faith we lay hold of, not from the story alone, but only if we know the end of the story to God sending Jesus to earth was him saying let's go to the other side and in Jesus in obedience to the father was sent into an oncoming storm, Jesus would then sail into the waters of our sin into the waters of our rebellion and be met with the storm of God's wrath that was kept for us and then on the cross, the storm raging around him that day was the storm of crucifixion was the storm of death. It was the storm of abandonment. The storm of 9 inch nails being driven through his wrists why he did that out of love for you out of sympathy for you out of a desire to save you wrap your head around this, Jesus was sovereign, one who could of spoken word and instant come down from the cross and seen his storm ceased in an instant, allowed himself willingly allowed himself to be plunged into the depths of the sea of death and hell for you and what it looked like on Good Friday is at the storm and one Jesus went down and he perished while it seemed like at best. God was asleep in the back of the book. It seemed like death had worn it seem like the storm had overtaken the sovereign. It seemed like Satan and sin were too much for the salvation plan of the Almighty, and I know this is where so many of you are today still stuck in Good Friday you've been waiting on God to get you through the storm. But when you look up to him, all you see is Jesus lying dead in a tomb in your life seems like nothing but darkness, hopelessness, wind and waves but did not let the state appear promise you just hold on to get through it, but I know what you need way more than that. You don't need a Sunday school lesson right tell you Jesus fixed the storm fixtures to know you. You need to hear that John the Baptist wasn't delivered from prison. He was beheaded. The apostle Peter didn't become a mega-church pastor is crucified upside down that every single one of almost his disciples that walked with Jesus were killed because of their faith and obedience to Jesus. What you need today is not a religious peptalk to make you feel better for the next 12 hours until life hits you in the face again.

What you need is to be shown that Jesus is with you and to have your heart and your eyes and your mind fixed on the sympathetic sovereign loving Savior Jesus Christ was plunged into the sea for you in order that he may live what you need is a reminder that even when the path is smooth, even in your problems even in your pain that Jesus is present is a promise you can stand wherever and whenever Christ sends you he started gone before you.

And he stands then and only he decides to intervene and cure the cancer or not, whether the breakout results in a manner in which you had hoped or not. Whatever it is the very storm itself is just another opportunity to make this discovery about Jesus that Jesus Christ is Lord of all that he loves you but he cares for you that he sympathizes with you here with you to the end of age suffering with Jesus is better than any life of comfort without his story is your story did not end on Good Friday's three days later came resurrection Sunday and even if you have experience your Sunday yet. Let me tell you with Christ.

Your story ends in resurrection. Maybe not the side of heaven. The ship may go down. Jesus is going to be there to meet you in the depths of the sea and you will rise with him again any attorney that assurance that the peace that surpasses all understanding whether Jesus calms your storm or whether your sinks that you will have peace and joy assurance can't know the peace that comes from trusting in Jesus the God who sympathizes with your suffering, one who sovereign over all of life's savior is worthy of praise, to pray with me got I thank you for your word today thinking that it's a reminder that we can come to you. We are weary and burdened God that you give us rest.I do pray for deliverance from storms today.

Got even more than that, I pray for the assurance for someone to know that even if you don't deliver them from the storm that you were with they know you personally like that, pray and ask in Jesus name, amen