The Profound Calm AFTER The Storm S31e109 Mt8:23

Creation is subject to having storms and thistles and difficulties. In our story today, Jesus REBUKES the wind and the waves.  He corrects it.  It is a little out of whack.

It pictures the brokenness of relationship that we too have with God.  He's made a way for the storm to be calmed.  He also makes a way for us to be restored.

Join me for 7 minutes to look for the calm AFTER the storm.

https://youtu.be/6kluEyKdGxY

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Good morning, my brothers and sisters. Today we're going to look at the profound calm after the storm. This is going to be from Matthew chapter 8, 23, in a section where Jesus calms the storm. Let me read it for you. And when he got into the boat, his disciples followed him. And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by the waves, but he was asleep. And they went and woke him, saying, Save us, Lord, we are perishing. And he said to them, Why are you afraid, you of little faith? And he arose and rebuked the winds and the sea. Let me say that again. He rebuked the wind and the sea. And there was a great calm. And the men marveled, saying, What sort of man is this that even the winds and the sea obey him? So we have Jesus here on earth, and he's subjected himself to sleeping and the reality of being in this environment, which happens to be a calm sea that turns into a storm. And he's going to demonstrate in this story the power that he has over nature, the power he has over fallenness, the power over the nasty consequences of sin. Now, the disciples have followed him into the boat. They're on the Sea of Galilee, which is a big sea, it's about 10 miles wide. And there's this calmness, but it turns into a storm, a big storm, big winds, not to be taken lightly. You know, drowning is drowning whether you're, you know, 50 miles offshore or whether you're 10 miles offshore. So there are times that you do not want to be in this geographical location, even if you're a seasoned fisherman. So it's this great sea and great storm. Now, of note, when this was all over, the winds and the sea and this this kind of tempestuous bad duo here, it says in the text that they were rebuked. The wind was rebuked. So either they did something wrong by volition or kind of by design or or or by curse, as we're going to find out. So the wind and the seas are this tool that's that's used uh in our creation almost to do something wrong. So what is creation for? What was the world like before the fall? And what was creation like after the fall? What happened to creation? Why is it subject to all the storms? Well, what happened was in Genesis chapter 3, uh, as the Lord is rebuking Adam and Eve for the the fruit episode, he says, Because you have listened to the voice of your wife and have eaten the tree which I commanded you, you shall not eat of it. Cursed is the ground, and the sea here now, because of you. In pain you shall eat of the all the days of your life, thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you, and you shall eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread until you return to the ground. For out of it you were taken, for you are dust, and to dust you shall return. So mankind here is the one that started the problem. Man sinned and man had consequences that he did not and does not prefer. So, in a little bit of contrast, man sinned and creation has consequences. It does not prefer. Now, but this is not any fault of its own. So the ground gets cursed and is at odds with mankind. They're still in intimate contact, they're still an intimate relationship. Mankind and nature are almost inseparable, at least for a while. He's still got a farm, he's still got a fish, but now it's done with difficulty, with thorns and thistles, and here today, storms. So mankind is on the receiving end of thorns and the difficulties. So he's enduring the pricking of thorns and the consequences of the storm. So what does creation want? Does creation want to hurt mankind? I think not. Does creation want people to drown in storms? I think not. Does creation want to launch a tsunami or make sunburns? Well, Romans 8 18 says, I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that's going to be revealed on us. Listen to this. For creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation is subject to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption, and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we now know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. So creation is in a state it doesn't want to be in. It's subject to futility, this adversarial relationship that cannot be easily broken away from. And this conflict is against the will and the design of creation. And in a sense, creation is hoping to be set free from its bondage to corruption. So creation wants to be free from this and wants to mirror the glory of the children of God. So creation mirrors and illustrates this. First the harmony in the Garden of Eden, and then the brokenness of the relationship also in the garden. So finally, it's going to picture the restored consequences of mankind returning under the kingdom, under the lordship, under the rule. So creation is groaning. Do you know somebody with cancer? Do you have to take a medicine to push back the fallen nature in some way? You can't take a pill for anger, but you can for if your thyroid's out of whack. So you will agree that creation is wonderful, but it's also a bit out of whack. Alright, so back to the story. So Jesus rebukes the wind and the waves. He speaks seriously to it in censure and rebuke and correction. And when Jesus speaks thusly, it's forbidden. It actually is forbidden. And we find more power in one of his words than in the power of brokenness. So yes, there is hope. Our relationship with creation is going to be restored. It's going to be brought back to harmony. Creation will not need to be rebuked anymore. So here's a question. Now the sea has fallen for a reason, and that I think is serving as a little bit of a marker for us. Hey, the sea is not right with God, and you are not right with God. Then we need to get busy to make it happen. So the Lord makes a way for creation to make be made right. He speaks a word and poof it happens. And he also makes a way for us to be made right. All right, so in conclusion, the sea is fallen for a reason. Creation is going to be restored. Jesus rebukes the wind and the waves. So finally, this pictures this restored consequences of mankind, similarly, getting back under his kingdom, getting under his rule and his rescue. This is the calm that I am looking for. The calm after the spiritual storm. Thanks for listening.