Good morning, welcome everybody. It's great to be able to welcome you for another chance to share God's Word together, to worship together digitally.
Let me just say again, there's a chance to join with us again at half five this evening.
We'll be on YouTube and also you can connect on Zoom and you'll get the details for that on the email or check Galvanto or the website.
The one other really important thing for us as a church that's going on in this coming week is that we have five days of prayer.
We desperately need prayer, don't we? We need God, we need his mercy, we need his power, we need his wisdom,
we need his compassion and goodness for ourselves, for our communities, our families, our nation, our world.
So Monday to Friday of this week, eight o'clock in the morning, eight o'clock in the evening,
there'll be a chance to Zoom in if you want to join a larger group.
There's prayer resources that have gone out.
I also encourage you to use it in your family or by yourself as we call on God and seek his help.
Let's worship together.
Our call to worship comes from Isaiah chapter 43, words of comfort and hope and encouragement to the exiles
that I hope speak comfort to our hearts as well.
Isaiah 43 at the beginning.
But now, this is what the Lord says.
He who created you, Jacob, he who formed you, Israel, do not fear, for I have redeemed you.
I have summoned you by name.
You are mine.
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you.
And when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you.
When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned.
The flames will not set you ablaze, for I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Saviour.
And now let's sing together the hymn, How Firm a Foundation.
Now, let's read together.
Let's read some verses from Matthew chapter 8.
Matthew chapter 8, and we're going to read from verse 18.
When Jesus saw the crowd around him, he gave orders to cross to the other side of the lake.
Then a teacher of the law came to him and said, Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.
Jesus replied, Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.
Another disciple said to him, Lord, first let me go and bury my father.
But Jesus told him, follow me and let the dead bury their own dead.
Then he got into the boat and his disciples followed him.
Suddenly a furious storm came up on the lake so that the waves swept over the boat.
But Jesus was sleeping.
The disciples went and woke him, saying, Lord, save us.
We're going to drown.
He replied, You of little faith, why are you so afraid?
Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm.
The men were amazed and asked, What kind of man is this?
Even the winds and the waves obey him.
When he arrived at the other side in the region of the Gadarenes,
two demon-possessed men coming from the tombs met him.
They were so violent that no one could pass that way.
What do you want with us, Son of God?
They shouted, Have you come here to torture us before the appointed time?
Some distance from them, a large herd of pigs was feeding.
The demons begged Jesus, If you drive us out, send us into the herd of pigs.
He said to them, Go.
So they came out and went into the pigs,
and the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and died in the water.
Those tending the pigs ran off, went into the town and reported all this,
including what had happened to the demon-possessed men.
Then the whole town went out to meet Jesus,
and when they saw him, they pleaded with him to leave their region.
Amen.
We're going to focus our attention on those words that we find in verses 23 and 27.
As we think about what is faith, let's begin with a statement.
Here's our statement.
In the storms of life, faith cries out to the storm defeating Jesus.
That's what I hope we'll see as we look at this text.
So we begin as our story begins in the storms of life.
The setting for this story is the Lake of Galilee, sometimes known as the Sea of Galilee,
some 700 feet below sea level, with cliffs, steep cliffs all around,
so that winds would come down and would whistle around,
and storms would be swept up really quickly.
Doesn't that serve for us, in a sense, as a picture of life?
Things can be going along quite fine,
and then unexpected storms come,
and they threaten to overwhelm us.
Coronavirus seems like one of those storms,
with so many waves crashing in at once.
For some, it is family grief and trauma.
Trauma for families,
and trauma for those who are looking to care and help.
There is strain on families,
strain on our finances,
strain on our emotional well-being,
and on our faith.
There are the waves of uncertainty and fear
that keep crashing as we look to a future,
and we have no idea what the new normal is going to be.
A quick glance at some of the news reports from the BBC,
it tells us that 25% of Scottish doctors
are reporting some kind of mental health issue
as they cope with coronavirus.
25% of our nation's wages are being paid by the government.
80% of our visitor attractions are threatened with closure
because of prolonged lockdown.
The university sector is looking at losses
of somewhere in the region of £500 million.
And we are seeing care home tragedy after tragedy.
And this is not just true collectively.
These storms don't just come nationally.
We understand that this happens in our personal stories as well.
Some of you will have had that experience
of receiving a shocking cancer diagnosis, perhaps,
when you had no symptoms.
Relationships that seem to be going well
that suddenly come to an end.
Redundancies and lost opportunities
coming as a bolt out of the blue.
Maybe this sailing trip
could be a snapshot of our life right now.
More than that,
we can understand this sailing trip
as a picture of discipleship,
as a picture of life following Jesus.
I just want you to notice
as we read verse 23 and 24 again,
Jesus got into the boat
and his disciples followed him.
That's a discipleship word,
a following word.
Suddenly,
a furious storm came up on the lakes
that the waves swept over the boat.
Following Jesus
does not make us immune
from suffering.
Following Jesus
does not mean life will be
plain sailing.
Rather,
following Jesus
presents us with two realities.
One,
we will know suffering
and trouble
because we live in a broken world
and we see pain all around us.
And that comes to us too.
But we also
know peace
when we know Jesus.
Jesus,
the one who said,
I am with you always.
Jesus who said,
I have overcome
the world.
One other thing
to recognize
about these storms
that come into our lives
is that they can function for us
as a mirror.
They can reveal to us
where our trust
lies.
If we can cast
our minds back,
and it seems hard to do
in some ways,
take our minds back
to before
the virus,
perhaps we were
quite content
in trusting
to our resources
and natural abilities
to get us through life.
and it's maybe
only now
we're beginning
to discover our limits.
Maybe like many,
we were trusting
in our wealth
and our technology
to be a shelter
for us.
and now we feel
dangerously exposed.
Perhaps we were trusting
in what we knew
about God
when the only thing
that matters
is trusting in the God
that we know.
Here's what I want
for us today.
I want it
that you and I
would see
that when all is said
and done,
we should trust
Jesus.
In the storms of life,
faith
cries out.
As people,
we are born
with an instinct.
We have
a new
baby
that's due
to my brother
and his wife
coming any time
in the next
couple of weeks.
And when that baby
is born,
as we pray
it will be healthy,
we know what babies do.
When they need help,
when they need
attention,
when they need food,
they will instinctively
cry out.
That's true
when we are children.
If you need help,
if you're in trouble,
if you're afraid,
it's natural,
it's instinctive
to cry,
help me
to parents.
But that instinct,
it never leaves us.
There is a reminder
to us constantly
of our
dependence.
There will be
different times
in our lives
where we are
asking someone,
save me,
help me.
Today and in the
last few weeks,
we have become
as a nation
increasingly grateful
to our NHS,
to our frontline
workers,
to our key workers,
because we recognise,
wow,
we desperately
need their help.
We desperately
need the service
that they so lovingly
and helpfully
provide for us.
We have found
ourselves,
maybe for the first
time,
looking to our
government leaders
for help
in how to
navigate
through
these
circumstances.
But the question
we ask
when storms
hit
by instinct
is,
who or what
do I believe
will get me
through this
trouble?
Where should I
place my
trust?
Who or what
will I
ask,
help me,
save me?
And the Gospel
of Matthew
and indeed
all the Gospels
and the whole
Bible
would have us
to see
ultimately
at the end
of the day
Jesus is
the only
proper object
for your
faith.
He is the
only one,
the only
thing that
will not
disappoint,
that will
not leave
you.
He would
have us
to grow
in our
trust
of Jesus
and to
act out
of
that trust
in
Jesus.
this kind
of faith,
this faith
that cries
out,
it requires
us to
know
certain
things
about
our
God.
So
hopefully
if you're
in our
church you
know that
we're
learning
a new
song.
Boys and
girls,
I hope
it's a
song that
you'll
be able
to really
enjoy
from
Colin
Buchanan
along with
City of
Light.
It's
called
Jesus
Strong
and Kind.
And for
our boys
and girls
this is
a truth
that we
would love
for you
to learn
early in
your life,
to go
through all
your life
knowing that
whether life
is easier,
whether life
is hard,
you would
know you
could trust
in Jesus,
you can
always run
to Jesus,
you can
pray to
him because
he is
strong and
he is
kind.
God,
Jesus is
the son of
God,
he is
God,
God is
your creator,
God is
the sustainer
of life and
God in
Jesus is
your only
saviour and
Jesus is
compassionate and
good and
kind as we
see all
through the
gospels.
So the
disciples in
the boat,
in the storm,
they come to
Jesus with
urgency.
Verse 25,
the disciples
went and
woke him
saying,
Lord,
save us,
we're going
to drown.
This is no
carefully rehearsed
speech,
this is coming
at a point
of desperation
and urgency
and honesty.
Here are
some of
them seasoned
fishermen,
they know
they're in
a storm
that's beyond
their capacity
to cope
with and
it's outside
of their
control and
so they
ask Jesus
to rescue.
They say,
Jesus,
help me.
Gripped
by fear,
faith cries
out,
Lord,
you are
my only
hope in
life and
death.
Will you
save me?
Will you
help me?
Will you
be for
me?
Here is
the disciples
in their
cry of
faith.
Yes,
Jesus says
they have
little
faith.
Their faith
is weak
and it
needs to
grow,
but still
it is
faith.
And these
fearful men
who are
also men
of faith,
what is it
that they
discover?
And by
the end
they're
amazed at
Jesus.
As Don
Carson
puts it,
they discover
Jesus is
far more
wonderful than
even these
closest followers
suspect.
So they
cry out,
not even
fully confident
of what kind
of answer
they're going
to get,
but they
get this
wonderful
answer.
But faith
cries out.
Last week
I was
listening to
an interview
of a
Christian
minister
with
terminal
cancer.
And he
was talking
about having
received that
diagnosis and
going through
the treatment
process as
being a time
where his
faith became,
and his
praying rather,
became real.
Where there
was a new
honesty.
Gone was
any sort of
pretense or
show,
now was
raw,
honest,
before God,
his Father.
Psalm 62
in verse
8 encourages
us to
pour out
your hearts
to him,
for God
is your
refuge.
God knows
everything
about us.
There is no
point in us
putting on a
mask.
God knows
how you
feel today.
He knows
your fears
today.
So be
honest with
him.
Pray to
him out of
that place of
honesty and
desperation if
that's where
you are.
Again,
Colin
Buchanan,
the children's
songwriters,
they stop
what you're
doing and
pray to
Jesus.
That's
wisdom,
not just
for children,
that's
wisdom for
all of
us.
Stop and
recognise who
is on the
throne,
recognise his
goodness and
love that
is for
you.
Lean on
that,
cry out to
him in
faith.
Notice in
verse 26
that Jesus
doesn't object
to their
cries.
He replied,
you have
little faith,
why are
you so
afraid?
He wants
their little
faith to
become
stronger.
Ultimately,
Jesus would
have faith
in him to
drive out
paralysing
fear.
Matthew and
all the other
gospel writers,
they are
honest about
the disciples.
These followers
of Jesus,
just like us,
they're on a
journey,
they're on a
journey of
faith and
that faith
would grow
and that
faith would
grow as
they would
come to
see more
and more
of the
identity of
Jesus.
As they
would understand
more and
more of
Jesus as
the son of
God who
would come
to be the
saviour.
So here
they're about
to see Jesus
has power and
authority over
nature.
He has power
and authority
to save.
He can deal
with the
forces that
come against
his people
and threaten
to overwhelm
and later
later they
will see
how Jesus
has come
to rescue
from sin
and judgment.
Jesus is
sitting with
them in a
storm so
that in the
fullness of
time he
would go to
the cross
and he would
defeat their
greatest enemies,
your greatest
enemy.
Sin that leads
to death,
that leads to
eternal separation
from God.
Jesus will
rescue and
the disciples
will come to
discover as
they see
Jesus three
days later
risen from
the dead that
there is life
and there is
victory in
the death and
resurrection of
Jesus.
Faith cries
out and the
more that we
know of our
God and the
more we can
trust him and
cry out to
him.
So just
before we
leave this
remember that
there's that
week of
prayer coming
up and I
hope we all
see that we
need prayer
don't we?
Our family and
our friends
they need our
prayers, they
need the
prayers of the
church, our
nation needs
for the people
of faith to
cry out for
God's help,
God's mercy
and God's
compassion.
So will you
join with
us in the
storms of
life?
Faith cries
out to the
storm defeating
Jesus.
Boys and
girls, I
know that
some of you
are enjoying
different aspects
of homeschool
and some
aspects not so
much but maybe
you're all
enjoying bits
of science.
Well here's a
little bath time
experiment for
you and let
me just
apologise to
parents for
the suggestion
but fill a
bath and make
that bath a
stormy sea and
I know that
you know how
to make a
stormy sea in
a bathtub.
And then after
a point when
it's all really
churned up,
stop splashing
and see how
long it takes
for the water
to grow calm.
You see even
in a little
bathtub it will
take a while
for those waves
to halt.
But here in
our Bible we
have this amazing
demonstration of
the authority
of Jesus.
Listen to
verse 26
again.
So having said
to his disciples
you of little
faith why
are you so
afraid?
Then he
got up and
rebuked the
winds and the
waves and it
was completely
calm.
Here is first
of all a
simple rebuke
as if Jesus
was a parent
talking to
the storm as
a child.
You need to
stop that.
And this whirlwind
storm ceases and
there's instant
flat calm.
There's power.
In ancient
cultures and we
see this in the
Psalms as well,
the sea was
regarded as an
uncontrollable
force except
by God.
God alone could
control the
storms.
Psalm 107 is
really helpful
here.
In verse 23
onwards we
discover God
spoke and
stirred up a
tempest and
God stilled the
storm to a
whisper.
What's happening
here?
What's the point
that the
disciples are
beginning to
discover and
are amazed
by?
Jesus has
power over a
storm.
Therefore
Jesus is
God.
Notice he
doesn't appeal
to a higher
authority because
Jesus is
ultimate
authority.
So these
disciples who
are amazed and
terrified by the
power of the
storm,
verse 27,
they're amazed
and ask,
what kind of
man is this?
Even the wind
and the waves
obey him.
they're more
amazed by the
greater power of
Jesus over the
storm.
There is this
profound contrast.
There's the
powerful and
majestic Jesus
and there's
powerless
disciples.
And what they
need is to be
connected to the
power of Jesus,
their Lord.
And do you know
that's true for us
in every situation?
Our faith is to
live daily in
humble dependence.
Sometimes we can
sort of get into
that state where
life is just sort
of trundling along
and we think we've
got it covered.
And then there's a
bump in the road
or a storm comes
and we cry out.
We are not just
to call Jesus
in a storm.
Jesus, I need
your help.
But in everyday
life, we are
to acknowledge
that in
everything we do
as we seek to
live for God,
we need Jesus
and his power
and his love
and his grace
for us.
So the
disciples see
and we see
an all-powerful
Jesus and that's
who they cry out
to.
That's good news.
But remember
too, in verse
24, a detail
that's perhaps a
bit surprising.
So we discover
the furious storm
comes and the
waves are sweeping
over the boat
but what's Jesus
doing?
Jesus was
sleeping.
We see
resting Jesus.
Now what's
significant about
this detail?
Well, on the one
hand, it reminds
us that Jesus,
the Son of God,
became one of us.
and he gets
tired, he gets
exhausted from
his work of
teaching and
healing.
And also,
it reminds us
that Jesus
knows suffering
by experience.
He is able
to sympathise.
He's not
distant,
remote,
disconnected.
our God
knows
because Jesus
experienced
suffering.
But this
rest also
reminds us
that Jesus
is in
control.
John's
Gospel has
Jesus saying
a lot,
talking a lot
about his
hour,
his hour
which had
not come
and then his
hour which
had come.
That hour
that Jesus
talked about
was the
time of
his suffering
and death
before his
resurrection
and return
to the glory
of heaven.
That was
all his
hour.
Jesus
knows this
is not
his time
to die.
No storm
is going
to get
in the
way of
God's
eternal
plan to
save
sinners
through the
death of
his own
son on
the cross.
So there
is comfort
for us
here.
The
saviour
that we
cry to
is a
saviour
that has
been through
storms.
And a
saviour
that has
power and
love to
keep you
in yours.
And even
more
remarkable
than that,
Jesus,
as we read
on in the
gospel,
will face
another storm,
this time not
with his
disciples,
but for
his
disciples.
There is
one storm
that Jesus
goes through
for his
followers.
and that
is the
storm that
we see
at the
cross,
the storm
of God's
eternal
justice
against
sin,
falling on
Jesus.
Jesus is
thrown into
that storm.
He throws
himself into
that storm,
that one
storm that
could overwhelm
us all.
Jesus takes
our sin,
takes the
just anger
of God
against that
sin,
and he
comes through
the other
side.
So that
if your
faith is
in Jesus,
that is the
one storm
that will
never come
your way.
there,
when you
look at
the cross,
you can
know
God loves
me.
God will
not abandon
me.
God is
extending to
me security
for now
and for
eternity
because
Jesus
defeated
that storm.
Jesus
entered
that storm
for you
and for
me
to bring
us
peace.
So in
the storms
of your
life,
cry out
in faith
to the
storm
defeating
Jesus.
Tim Keller,
the New
York
minister,
puts it
this way,
if Jesus
is Lord
of the
storm,
then no
matter what
shape our
world is
in,
or your
life is
in,
you will
find Jesus
provides all
the rest,
all the
power you
could possibly
want.
So when it
comes to
this virus,
when it
comes to
any other
storm in
our lives,
we won't
always know
what he
is doing.
We won't
always know
why.
We won't
always understand
his timing,
but we do
not need to
be overwhelmed
by fear.
we can
trust in
Jesus.
We can
cry out
to him.
We can
know that
he will
not
abandon
us.
I
hy