Sermon: When God Says Let Go

 

Truth Is a Person

 ²² Now it happened, on a certain day, that He got into a boat with His disciples. And He said to them, “Let us cross over to the other side of the lake.” And they launched out. ²³ But as they sailed, He fell asleep. And a windstorm came down on the lake, and they were filling with water, and were in jeopardy. ²⁴ And they came to Him and awoke Him, saying, “Master, Master, we are perishing!”

Then He arose and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water.
And they ceased, and there was a calm. ²⁵ But He said to them, “Where is your faith?”

And they were afraid, and marveled, saying to one another, “Who can this be?
For He commands even the winds and water, and they obey Him!”
Luke 8:22-25

Truth is a Person, not a concept. Jesus said He was the Truth (John 14:6). That means that you can never know the truth of your circumstances unless you have first heard from Jesus. The disciples thought they were perishing in the storm. They were fishermen who knew the sea and knew what their condition was. They had allowed their circumstances to convince them that the “truth” was their imminent death. But they were wrong. Truth was asleep in the back of their boat!

Since some of the disciples were fishermen, they trusted in their own expertise and wisdom rather than recognizing that only Jesus knew the truth of their situation. At times, our human knowledge in certain areas of life can blind us to our desperate need to hear a word from Truth.

When Jesus spoke, the disciples saw the real truth of their situation. There was absolute calm. The disciples had seen Jesus perform other miracles, but they had not yet witnessed His power over nature in such a dimension. Often we are like the disciples. God may have recently demonstrated His power to us in a mighty way; we may have experienced many spiritual victories in the past. Yet, when a new and frightening situation comes upon us, we too, panic and say, “Lord save me. I'm perishing!” God will remind us of His provision, saying, “I can handle this situation, too, and you will know more of Me because of it.”

When caught in the storms of life, it is easy to think that God has lost control and that we're at the mercy of the winds of fate. In reality, God is sovereign. He controls the history of the world as well as our personal destiny. Just as Jesus calmed the waves, he can calm whatever storms you may face.

- Excerpt from “Experiencing God Day-By-Day” by Henry and Richard Blackaby

Application of God's Word: John 15:16

 

Verse: John 15:16
¹⁶ You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you
that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain,
that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you.

Application:
Jesus reminded the disciples that contrary to the common practice of disciples picking a teacher, Jesus had chosen them. The purpose of His choosing was so that they would produce lasting fruit. He chose them for a mission, and His Father would answer their requests in order to accomplish that.

Jesus made the first choice - to love and to die for us, to invite us to live with him forever. We make the next choice - to accept or reject his offer. Without his choice, we would have no choice to make.

Meme: No Room For Satan's Lies

 

Jesus Wants You To Know...

"I am teaching you the secret of being content in any and every situation. This secret is all about Me - who I am and what I offer you. I am your Creator and King, your Savior and Shepherd. I offer you Myself in all My Power and Glory. I am the only One who can empower you to find contentment in all circumstances. I have promised to supply all your need according to My riches in Glory. The greater your need, the more I invite you into the mysterious depths of My Being. Intimacy with Me gives you strength; it also fills you with transcendent Joy." "I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength." - Philippians 4:12–13 - "Jesus Lives" by Sarah Young