(4th December2011) Where is your faith?

 

 

Scripture Reading: Luke 8:22~25

22. one day Jesus said to his disciples, "Let's go over to the other side of the lake." So they got into a boat and set out.

23. As they sailed, he fell asleep. A squall came down on the lake, so that the boat was being swamped, and they were in great danger.

24. The disciples went and woke him, saying, "Master, Master, we're going to drown!" He got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters; the storm subsided, and all was calm.

25. "Where is your faith?" he asked his disciples. In fear and amazement they asked one another, "Who is this? He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him."

 

Sermon: Where is your faith?

When you are in trouble, whom do you ask for your help? friends? families? or others?

whether you know or not, we sometimes forget the fact "we belong to the Lord". In Korean traditions, when a woman get married to a man, she should become the member of his family and if she died, be a ghost of his family. It means that men and women belong to each other. Therefore, we believe in Jesus Christ. So we must belong to him, then we, followers of Jesus can be blessed by grace.

Now, today text shows us how to live as a affiliation of Jesus Christ. Look at the text! Who are in the boat?

There are Jesus, disciples, and the others.

A squall came down on the lake, the boat was being swamped, and they were in great danger. But Jesus fell asleep.

Even though they are with Jesus Christ, they are worrying about the situation. How do they ignore touch and life-threatening storm?

Well, we always are in torment by strong squalls of our lives. We are going to church. We are saying " I am Christian who believe in Jesus" How can we do?

 

According to the text, disciples of Jesus Christ went and woke him, saying, "Master, Master, we're going to drown!"

Then Jesus got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters. As if it happened, the storm subsided, and all was calm.

He asks to his disciples, only them of all people in the boat.

"Where is your faith?"

 

What is his meaning? Does he get angry because they wake up him in asleep? No~ it means "why you worried about the storm while you are with me." "So many times you are saying I believe in Jesus Our Lord, why you are in torment even though I am with you".

SO WHERE IS YOUR FAITH on ME?

 

Christians or non-Christians, Nobody escapes from difficulties or sufferings. All are equally same under sufferings in their lives.

However what is the difference from non-Christians' lives? It is what we have a victory under sufferings of touch storm. The reason is we possess a power as a children of God by the faith that Jesus is my Lord. Nevertheless why we are weak by the storms of the world? because we forget the fact "we belong to the Lord". As having a weakness of human, we are tired, scared, and very hard while we, like his disciples, look at only touch storms but Jesus Christ who with us in the boat. That is to say, we forgot "Jesus with us".

I have a boy who is 26month old. He is not walking always running. Whenever I am walking in the street with him, he is running from me all the times. So I have to run because of him. However there is a moment which he stops and came to me. When motorbikes or cars suddenly ran out of an alley, he quickly came to me and asked me to hug him. Why he came to me, I am his mother. I am his protector. I am the most dependable one whom he can believe.

We have to be like my boy. We have to follow Jesus Christ our Lord like him. Do you want to be happy with a peace under difficulties?

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”(John 14:27)

Only Jesus Christ is able to give us real peace in the world.

December! There is a Christmas which celebrates on the birth of Jesus. However we spend busy times for a living and loving families like touch storms. Nevertheless we have to consider Jesus who came to here for us. Also we need to think again when we are in trouble how he touched and solve it for us by his grace. Moreover, Jesus came to here as a human to save us. Let us return to him and regain our faith.

The first week of December, the last month of 2011, Maybe Jesus comes to you and ask like this, "Where is your faith?"

I hope you can answer to him very well. So recovering the friendship of Jesus Christ and then being blessed should be the greatest to us in this year.

Let's pray together

Dear Lord, Thanks for seeing " you are with us". Also forgive us "we ar worrying even though you are in us". Now and forever we believe in the fact we are happy because of being with you. We belong to you. So give us strength and power for this. In Jesus name we pray Amen.