Trials
- Have you ever been tempted to doubt the love of God for you?
- Perhaps the disciples felt like this - where is the rest they were promised?
- Perhaps in the storm the disciples had again been tempted like this?
- There was no faith in that boat
- The Lord Jesus Christ was in control (v45)
- When we feel that Christ is a long way absent, we must remember that He is always praying for us and will come and meet us in our need
Trials are from God
- Jesus made the disciples get into 'the' boat (v45)
- Jesus was praying for His disciples as He was to send them into the storm
- Jesus had sent the disciples out alone earlier on and their faith had been proved
- Jesus was now going to send them into a situation where they were on their own, would their faith fail them?
- God plans good for us
- God has promised to refine our faith in trials if we look to Him
- If we never go through hard times we will never have great deliverances and we will not have great stories to tell
- Trials are for moulding of character, for learning, to see God providing in amazing ways
- Romans 5:3-4 "knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope"
- God allows us to go into similar trials
- He does not promise release but refinement
- Jesus was surely praying for His disciples during this trial
- Jesus had prayed for Peter previously
Trials are for our good
- Jesus say them straining at rowing (v47)
- They were 4-5 miles out, it was pitch dark
- He didn't see them with His physical eyes but because He is all knowing (omniscient)
- Had the disciples really understood what the feeding of the 5000 was all about?
- Had they understood that Jesus was God over nature?
- They had not understood because their heart was hardened (v52)
- Jesus told them to go to Bethsaida but John's gospel states they were going to Capernaum - two possibilities:
- Bethsaida was on the way to Capernaum
- The winds had driven them off course
- Jesus came during the fourth watch: about 3am - 6am
- The disciples were not thinking of Jesus but of themselves
- Human nature always thinks more highly of itself that it ought
- Trials are for our good because they point us away from ourselves and point us towards God
- If we would only see it
- Jesus was not coming directly into the boat but drawing near
- Surely this was to allow the disciples to call out and trust
- Let us pray that we would see Christ in our situation
- Jesus calms their souls with a word and points them to Himself
- Before He stills the storm, He stills their heart
- Jesus loves to speak to your heart
- There is no situation that God cannot enter into and help us
Trials do to come to an end
- God does bring us through trials
- The apostle Paul testifies to us
- The other apostles had a great confidence in God
- Matt 14:33 - when the storm ended then faith came and they bowed down and worshipped
- It is possible for Christians to have a hard heart
- Our heart of stone had been replaced with a heart of flesh
- If we are not exercising faith, then our heart can be hardened (Heb 3)
- Our heart is hardened through concentration on self, from sin, from unbelief
- If our heart is hardening we must pray to God that He will soften our heart
- There is a greater storm that is coming one day to all of us - the Wrath of God, the Day of Judgement
- Will you be safe on that day?
- Will you run from Him and try and hide from Him?
- If you are to be ready for that greater storm you must trust in The Lord Jesus Christ