Peace in the Storm

Peace in the storm (remix of Sunday’s message, for audio, http://www.firstgrandville.org/dl.cfm?file=02_08_09_In_The_Storm.mp3)

 

 

Back before satellite, Doppler radar and “Stormtracker” technology, it was kind of hard to tell, when a storm was coming, its severity, and when it would be over.

 

Along our journeys in life, wouldn’t be nice to have a life storm Doppler? The kind of warning that would let us know in advance that a job loss or problems with our kids or cancer diagnoses or loss of loved ones were coming.

 

Funny though, how we spend a lot of time, too much time, anxiously awaiting those kinds of things, that may or may not happen. Trouble sleeping, hypertension, frustration are all fruit of worrying. And yet, all the worrying and anticipating in the world can’t keep those kinds of storms in our lives from arriving and hitting hard.

 

I don’t think my brave friend Heather, 36, as well as some other women I know, spent much time worrying whether or not she was going to get breast cancer. It just kind of came out of nowhere. And now she is fighting a valiant battle, and winning; but nonetheless it is a weathering storm – physically, mentally and spiritually. It’s like the kind of summer storm that haunts all night long.

 

In terms of jobs, some people had warnings; many did not. Some with more than 20 years at a job, some with great employment records, have been hit by this economic storm. And try to find a job right now…very difficult – the storm lingers.

 

A lot of young people find themselves in a constant storm of pressure and expectation. Caught in the middle of wanting to make friends and keep friends that have different priorities and boundaries than their own, and negotiating with high expectations of success in all things by parents and other adults. It must feel like the wind and waves just keep coming, hammering – making you wonder if the boat can hold together through the storm.

 

All of this is a lot like how the disciples felt in this passage. On a journey themselves across the sea with their mysterious friend who was napping in the stern, they were suddenly overwhelmed by a vicious, demon-like storm that came out of nowhere. The storm looked like it would spell the end for this group.

 

In terror, they turned to their peaceful, calm friend and leader and said, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing!” Giving voice not only to their fears but to anyone who has ever felt overwhelmed and turned to a higher power for help.

 

The higher power in the boat and in this story of course is Jesus. But still the question, “Does he care?” The answer is “Yes.” But other related and important questions might be, “Does he care in a way that we are used to and are able to see (or willing to see by faith)?” and how about “Are we willing to trust and receive the kind of care and peace he wants to offer in storms?”

 

Awakened by his friends, Jesus stands up and rebukes the storm (just sounds cool) and says, “Peace, be still.” And all is calm – immediately. The reaction then and now is…awe. What can this man do if the winds and storms obey him? What power does he have? All power on earth and heaven.

 

And if he did and still does have all power on earth and heaven (which he does), what does that mean for us today?

 

“Why are we so fearful and faithless? For in many tragic ways, we are just that – afraid to rely on Jesus’ methods and motives, afraid to act as though God’s infinite resources were on the side of love,” according to New Testament scholar Halford E. Luccock.

 

Is it a case of “too good to be true?” Is it a case of his power seeming to not work in the past – failing to keep other storms from smashing our boats? It’s probably a lot of things.

 

But here is what I know and what I want you to know today, this moment. I know you or someone you love is facing a storm. I know that it is terrifying and it looks like you or they might not make it this time. I know that it feels awful and vulnerable and you feel powerless.

 

But I also know that Jesus is in the boat. And he is peace personified and he is saying, “I’ve got this” to whatever storms you or others are facing. And he wants you to know and receive the peace he has to offer you. And, I know it is hard to see it right now. Remember, “Faith is to believe what you do not see; the reward of this faith is to see what you believe,” said Augustine.

 

Maybe this is the time, that in the midst of this storm, instead finding or creating your own peace, instead of giving into fear, that you will look to the rear of the boat – seeing, saying, thinking and believing, “He’s got this.” Maybe this is that time.

 

I can’t wait to hear what He shows you in the middle of this storm.

 

Amen.

 

Discussion Questions

1. What kind of storm are you facing right now?
2. What have you tried to do to stop or control it? Has any of that worked?
3. Have the times you have sought peace through escaping, substances or other ways ever worked for very long?
4. Do you think God cares about whether or not you perish? Why or why not?
5. Do you think surviving storms increases or decreases faith? Explain what you think.

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The Peace of God

Philippians 4:5-7

“…The Lord is near. Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:5-7

We are a bunch of “worriers” aren’t we? We worry about everything. And yet that wasn’t the design.

This passage today gives us some basics. First, the Lord is near. Great! Part of what happens when we worry is our perception is narrowed. It is a little bit like when you are asked to do a presentation or public speaking and you get up there and your heart is pounding and you can’t remember what you were going to say. The worry we experience on a daily basis is a lesser version of that. It may not feel like being in front of a crowd, but it does affect us. It is a mental and spiritual thing. On the spiritual side, it seems to cause us to be less aware of God’s presence. Sometimes we feel like God is far away…most, if not all the time it has to do with our spiritual perception and us. So yes, the Lord is near whether we believe it, or see it…or not.

And if the Lord is near…”Do not worry about anything…” Think about it this way, if you were fully convinced that the Lord was near, would we worry about anything? If the Creator, Savior and Sustainer of our lives was right next to us, not a lot to worry about (read Psalm 121 for more on this idea).

But we keep on worrying and the passage asks us to, “…in everything by prayer and supplication (fancy word for request or plea) with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. A couple of thoughts here. First, do you wonder why thanksgiving is in there when what you have asked for might not have materialized yet? Faith. The idea is that if we are asking for something in God’s will or ways, we can believe that it will happen (Matthew 7:7-11). And so the thinking here is that we should already be thanking God for His answer as we are praying about it.

Next, “be made known to God.” God knows everything so what does this mean? The meaning of the Greek word for “made known” carries the understanding of “recognize” or to reveal. But again, why do we need to reveal or share something that God already knows? This is the relationship part of prayer. Think about this…you may love your spouse or family members or friends and you think, “They know I love them.” They may know it, but they also need to hear it from you. Likewise, God knows our hearts, but the connection with Him is built and strengthened by saying and sharing our needs and hopes in prayer. See???

Here is what happens when we trust that the Lord is near and we are sharing and expressing our needs and hopes to Him. “And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Looking at these verses, part of what is happening, part of why the worry is supposed to evaporate is because we have handed over or given away, through prayer, those things that are stressing us out.

Often what we do though, is think or pray about the things that are stressing us out and then hold onto them. We may think we have handed them over…but we often grab them right back…so that we can worry and fret some more! You know it’s true!

This not to say that believing the Lord is near and letting our requests be made known to God means a pain or worry-free life. Not at all. But in all that happens, according to these verses we have access to a peace that is beyond what any pill or drink or drug can offer – no matter what is happening. It won’t change the circumstances, but it will alter how we deal, face and witness through.

A “peace of God, which surpasses all understanding.” What else can I add to that? Except to say that I have experienced it and it does…surpass all understanding. There is nothing like it. And I know many of you reading this have experienced it too. It is real.

This “peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your heart and your minds in Christ Jesus,” is possible and something I think we are all in need of.

I know this guy who said to me one time, “All I want is peace.” That is great. We want that too. God wants us to have His peace too. It is waiting for us if we open ourselves to the Lord’s nearness and truly share and hand over our needs and hopes to Him.

Amen.

Discussion Questions

1. Name some things that are really stressing you out right now? After reading this, what can you do differently to deal with them?
2. Have you actually tried this before and not felt this peace? What happened? Did you really hand it over to God?
3. Are you tired of worrying? Have you become so used to it that it would feel strange not to worry?
4. Do you find it hard to believe the Lord is near? Why is that?
5. Have you felt this peace before? Can you describe it? If you haven’t, what do you think it might be like?

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