SEASONS OF STORMS!
Ecclesiastes 3:1-11
INTRODUCTION: In Michigan we experience all four seasons of the year. We experience the beauty of winter, spring, summer and fall. In the midst of each of these four seasons we experience seasons of storms. We experience thunder storms, tornadoes and even floods in spring and summer. In the winter we have ice and snow storms. We also experience seasons of storms in each of our lives: Ecclesiastes 3:1. Our Lord Jesus was no stranger to storms during His life on this earth: Matthew 14:22-32. The lesson here is that in the midst of any storm our Lord Jesus can cause us to be victorious: Matthew 14:22-24. Remember “Great sailors do not learn their trade on sunny seas!”
- THE PROBLEM OF THE STORM!
Everything was fine when the disciples first got into the boat. Storms can come suddenly into our otherwise tranquil lives. The disciples in our story had a three-fold problem. The first problem was their distance from the shore: Matthew 14:24. Their second problem was the darkness of the night: Matthew 14:25. The third problem was the direction of the wind: Matthew 14:24. The strong wind against them had taken the steering of the boat out of their control. When our storms are out of our control it is mighty discouraging.
2. THE PRESENCE OF THE SAVIOR!
Matthew 14:26. Often we mistake our Lord’s presence in our storms as a very scary thing, but Jesus tells us and His disciples back then: Matthew 14:27. In the original language Jesus said literally “Take courage! I am. Don’t be afraid.” Jesus said “Ergo Eimi!” That is the covenant name used with Moses in the book of Exodus. Exodus 3:13-14. When Jesus comes into our storms He does three things: First He lets us know that we are not alone. Jesus is God and He is always with us. John 1:1-3. Jesus lets us know when we think our storm is too big for us to control it is never out of His control: Jeremiah 32:27. Second: Jesus always proclaims His presence in our storms: Jesus was praying for His disciples on the mountain side and now He is praying for us in our times of storm at the right side of His Father in heaven: Hebrews 7:24-25; Hebrews 13:5-6. Jesus is our comfort: John 10:10-11. Jesus will help you when you are weary: Matthew 11:28-30. Do you need forgiveness for some sin? 1 John 1:9. Jesus not only will bless you in the midst of your storm, He has already blessed you: Ephesians 1:3.
3. THE LESSONS FROM OUR STORMS!
We have seen the storm, but what was the lesson? Matthew 14:28-29. Often it is in our times of storm that we also see Jesus in a way we never have before. The disciples saw Jesus now as a mighty Savior, a great Conqueror. We are in Christ: Ephesians 1:18-23 so we are more than conquerors through Jesus Christ: Romans 8:35-39. Sometimes we need the storm in order to listen for His voice: Peter walked on the water through faith in God’s promises: we also can stand up to any storm through our faith in God’s Word: Proverbs 3:5-6; Isaiah 55:8-9; Isaiah 26:3-4; Isaiah 40:31; Isaiah 33:6. Remember it is a lot safer with Jesus out on the water than it is with the disciples in the boat. It is in our times of storms that we learn our value in Jesus Christ: We need to learn to keep our eyes on our Lord Jesus in our storms: Psalm 46:1-3; Jerimiah 17:5-7. As he began to sink into the waters of the Sea of Galilee Peter learned his value: Matthew 14:30-31. 2 Chronicles 16:9. In the midst of your storms, when others see you walking by faith and that you are not deterred by your storms but instead are keeping your eyes on Christ and gaining the victory and learn your value in Jesus Christ.