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Home My WebLink AboutThe Citizen, 1988-07-27, Page 17From the Minister's Study Lord save us BY PASTOR BOB BARNHART BLYTH CHURCH OF GOD Lord save us! These are the words of the panic stricken disci ples when they were in the boat crossing the lake. This story is told in Matthew 8, Luke 8 and Mark 4. The sea of Galilee because of its elevation below sea level and the hills around it storms could suddenly come up withoutwarning. Matthew 5:24 says “without warning a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat.” Jesus was asleep and the disciples, inpanic, rushed to Jesus. Inour lives storms can come, problems arise and we may feel, like the disciples, panic. We may feel that the problems are so severe they may overwhelm us and destroy us. I think there are three things we can learn from this story that will help us. The first is found in a question the disciples asked in Mark 4: 38 “Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him ‘teacher don’t you care if we drown. ’ ’ ’ Don’t you care? We believe if someone loves or cares for us they will try to prevent bad things from happen ing to us. The disciples are questioning here whether Jesus cares for their well being. We can do the same thing when problems come our way. Jesus don’t you care. We need to settle in our minds once and for all that Jesus andGoddocare. InPsalml3the writer is discouraged and defeated yet in verse 5 he says “ But I trust in your unfailing love. Gods love will not fail.” Another person who was dis couraged and depressed was the prophet Jeremiah. In Lamenta tions Chapter 3 he tells about his misery. To say he was depressed and discouraged is to put it mildly. Yet, in verse 22 he says: “Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed for his compassions never fail.” Romans 8: 35-39 is another passage of scripture to help us. It asks the question who shall separate us from the love of Christ. Paul used many illustra tions to answer the question. In a nut shell Paul says that nothing can separate us from Christ’s love. Therefore, the first thing we need to settle in our minds is that Jesus does care. The second thing we can learn in Matthew8:26 “He replied, ‘you of little faith why are you so afraid? I believe Jesus rebuked them for their little faith. The disciples knew who to turn to. If we have problems we know who to turn to. JESUS. We can go to Jesus in different ways. The disciples went to Jesus in panic hoping he would do something rather than expecting him to do something. The disciples had enough faith to go to Jesus but they went in panic with the idea ‘ ‘ Lord if you don ’ t do something we are going to drown. ’ ’ We do the same. Lord these problems are overwhelming if you don’t do something I am going to go under. I can’t handle it. Mountain moving faith goes to Jesus expecting him to do something. The storm was real. Our problems are real. We do need help. The disciples did need real help. Faith is believing that Jesus will help us when problems arise that threaten to destroy or over whelm us. We need to go to Jesus expecting him to help not just hoping he will. Send a UNICEF card, Save a child’s life. unicef ® The third idea that will help us in that Jesus had not brought them that far to let them drown now. The whole future of the gospel was to be entrusted to the disciples. If they would have drowned none of us would know anything about salva tion. Jesus hadn’t brought them this far to let them be drowned now. Same with us. 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