Storm Survivors! Jonah 1:1-16 July 2, 2017

Transcription

1 Storm Survivors! Jonah 1:1-16 July 2, 2017 We are one month into the 2017 Hurricane season. According to various hurricane experts, they are predicting an "average" activity of storms this season. What does average mean? An average hurricane season means about named storms. Out of the those named storms 6-9 will actually become a hurricane. Out of those half dozen or so hurricanes 2-4 will become a major hurricane. Most of us seasoned hurricane Storm survivors know that it only takes one to make a difference in our lives. Last October it was a mere 10 mile deviation that kept us from experiencing major devastation. Category 3 Hurricane Matthew skirted our coastline and made a small 10 mile jog eastward. That small detour took the brutal part of the storm away from us. We still experienced 100 mph gusts of wind. We are just now repairing the roof damage on the sanctuary. You can still drive through neighborhoods and see remnants of blue tarps on roofs. Fortunately, with improved technology, we are given advanced notice of the potential threat of a hurricane. We can choose to prepare or ignore the warnings. After staying through Matthew, with our 4 kids getting all over our cases, we promised them that if the storm is a Category 3 or above we will evacuate. For us the peak of Hurricane season, on average, is not till August and September. But it only takes one to make a difference in our lives. Another storm we find ourselves experiencing are the thunderstorms. Wind and rain and lightning can bring dangerous conditions if we are not careful. page 1

2 As I was studying and preparing this message on Monday, I took a break and stepped out on the front breezeway of the church and watched the storm off the coast. There were dark clouds, wind, rain and lightning! It is amazing to watch under the safety of cover. It is totally different when you have to walk through it. Today we are going to join some folks who had to sail through some storms. We are going to focus on a captain and his crew who sailed through a life-threatening storm because of a passenger's dealings with God. The passenger, we all have heard of. His name is Jonah! Most of us know of how he tried to run from God's will for his life. He boarded the ship that was sailing the opposite direction God was wanting him to go. He refused to do what God wanted him to do. The seas got crazy rough! The unknown captain and his crew desperately started praying to their false gods. Isn't it amazing how the faith meter rises in a storm! Of course, their gods were not responsible or able to do anything about the towering waves crashing on their boat. They get their passenger, Jonah, to pray to his God who made the earth and the seas. Jonah knew he was the one responsible. He told the crew to throw him overboard. He was willing to sacrifice his life for theirs. As the crew tried to row to shore they were unsuccessful against the storm. The storm only got worse. Then they prayed, not to their false gods, but to Jonah's God. They prayed a prayer we need to hear and take to heart. It is the prayer of a storm survivor... "You are God. Do what you think is best!" Vs. 14 MSG We know the rest of the story! Jonah goes overboard. He stays three nights at the Whale Inn. God saves him. Jonah does what God called him to do; to bring salvation to the people of Niniveh. page 2

3 It is interesting for us to also take a glance at some other storm survivors in the bible and glean from them what they did to survive the storms. Noah and his family. Noah and his crew survived the flood. It is important for us to notice what preparations Noah did prior to the storm. I'm not talking about building the ark. He wouldn't have even had a chance to build the ark if it were not for his prior preparation before God gave him the flood warning. We are told why God gave to Noah the flood warning. It is quite simple: "He walked with God." (Genesis 6:9; 8:15-21) As a farmer, prior to the storm, Noah was obedient and trusted the will of God. God noticed Noah's heart of obedience. God trusted Noah with the task of building the ark. It is interesting to me that in the whole scenario of Noah, building the ark, the flood, and surviving the storm, there is no recorded words of Noah. He didn't challenge, argue or try to run from God. He simply trusted, rode out the flood waters, obeyed and did the will of God for his life. A farmer, builds a boat! Another storm survivor story is about the disciples of Jesus. They were heading across the lake when a sudden storm brewed. These followers of Jesus freaked out. (Mark 4:35-41) Jesus asked them why they were freaking out. He asked them did they still not have the faith to trust him to get them through the storm? Then there was the storm survivor Peter. (Matthew 14:22-33). On a different occasion the disciples were crossing the sea and a storm brought some rough waves. Jesus does his walking on the water of the storm waves. He called Peter to walk out to him on the stormy water. Peter trusted Jesus' call and stepped out of the boat. He was doing great till he shifted his focus from Jesus to the stormy waves. He started to sink. Jesus reached out and pulled him up and back into the boat. page 3

4 One other storm survivor was the Apostle Paul. He was on one of his missionary trips when the boat he was on got caught up in a nor'easter. (Acts 27:13-26). The captain and the crew were getting worried. God speaks to Paul and tells him he has some good news and some bad news. The good news is that no one is going to die in the storm if they obey God's directions. The bad news is the ship will break apart on the rocks and sink. Paul told the crew to keep their courage because he had faith in God that what God promised would happen. It did! All survived and the ship wrecked and broke apart. I realize most of us will not find ourselves in the midst of a storm out at sea. So what is there for us landlubbers in facing the storms of life? What can we glean from these sea storm survivors that can prepare us when we face the storms in our lives? Noah taught us to prepare for the storms by daily walking with God. No matter if the skies are sunny and blue or cloudy and black...walk with God...stay obedient to His will. He will notice your heart and guide you safely through the flood waters of life. The disciples reminded us that we need to trust Jesus to see us through what he calls us to do. The beginning of the voyage may be calm but when the wind starts to pick up we are to call on Jesus. When the storms rise up so does our anxiety and worry. We have a choice: worry and freak out or turn to Jesus and trust him and realize he has been in the boat with us all along. Peter, the storm wave walker, reminds us of the foolishness of faith. Don't step out of the boat into the storm unless Jesus calls you. And if you do, keep your focus of faith on him and not the white caps hitting your legs. page 4

5 Sometimes we head out on a clear day and before we realize it a storm comes up and surrounds us. We may not walk on water but we are called to walk through the tough situations focused on the One who calls us. If we focus on the waves of difficult situations in our lives and not on Jesus, the wave calmer, we will freak out and begin to sink. We are to maintain our faith in the storm by keeping our focus on the power of Jesus, the storm calmer. Paul's storm survivor lesson is one of courage and trust that God will see us through. There may be some bad news of losing your ship. Things are things! Lives are what matter to God. Hear the good news that God will see you through. Have faith in God that He will see you through. All of these storm survivor tips are great. However, I believe the prayer of the crew of the ship Jonah was a passenger on is what brings it all together. "You're God! Do what you think is best!" Christian song writer, singer, Ryan Stevenson, has a song titled, "Eye of the Storm." We know that the eye of the hurricane is a place of peace and calm before the backside of the hurricane hits with repeated force. In his song he reminds us of the storm survivor's faith and basic prayer, "You're God! Do what you think is best." "Eye of the Storm" In the eye of the storm, You remain in control And in the middle of the war, you guard my soul You alone are the anchor, when my sails are torn Your love surrounds me in the eye of the storm. (Refrain) Page 5

6 When the solid ground is falling out from underneath my feet Between the black skies, and my red eyes, I can barely see When I realize I've been sold out by my friends and family I can feel the rain reminding me In the eye of the storm You remain in control (Refrain) When my hopes and dreams are far from me, and I'm runnin' out of faith I see the future I picture slowly fade away And when the tears of pain and heartache are pouring down my face I find my peace in Jesus' name. (Refrain) You and I both know, from personal experiences, there is no season for the storms of life. We are sometimes given warnings but often they pop up out of nowhere. There are so many different names for our storms: Illness...death...divorce...addictions...debt...unemployment... loneliness...depression...doubt...abuse...decisions... What are the names of the storms you are going through? We can be storm survivors. We can learn from that crew of unknown storm survivors that powerful prayer: "You're God! Do what you think is best!" We have that reminder before us today, in this sacrament of Holy Communion. Jesus broke through the storms of sin and death. We can survive any storms because of His sacrifice on the cross and his resurrection from the dead. Jesus promised that no matter the storms he promises to be there. (John 16:33) In the storm pray the storm survivors' prayer: "You're God! Do what you think is best!" page 6

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