Wind Mitigation
Matthew 8:18-27
David Cochran, English Standard Version
David Cochran, English Standard Version
The Cost of Following Jesus
18 Now when Jesus saw a crowd around him, he gave orders to go over to the other side. 19 And a scribe came up and said to him, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.” 20 And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.” 21 Another of the disciples said to him, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” 22 And Jesus said to him, “Follow me, and leave the dead to bury their own dead.”
Jesus Calms a Storm
23 And when he got into the boat, his disciples followed him. 24 And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by the waves; but he was asleep. 25 And they went and woke him, saying, “Save us, Lord; we are perishing.” 26 And he said to them, “Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?” Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. 27 And the men marveled, saying, “What sort of man is this, that even winds and sea obey him?”
In the Christian life, coincidence collides as God's planning causing both wonder and consternation. Our last priest, Allen Hughes, left a message for his good friend Dusty Bryant to come and be our Worship Leader. Dusty returned Allen's message and said he didn't want to move to Houston and he told Allen, "No." Allen started to wonder where he would find a Worship Leader and his co-pastor Mike told him to call Mike Breen, who is sometimes referred to as the U.K. version of Billy Graham. Mike Breen said he had an American interning with him and he'd get him to take the job. Mike Breen had a staff conference and told his staff they'd be traveling to The Woodlands and the Worship Leader position would be filled by the American intern because the visit idea came from the Worship Leader position phone call. The American intern said he had a friend who'd offered him a job, but he'd turned him down. A few questions later, Mike Breen was putting his feet up and telling Dusty with the LORD, there are no coincidences, just marching orders.
Neither Dusty, Allen, Mike McDonald or Mike Breen knew at the beginning of the phone calls they were all connected by the Holy Spirit leading the way. Allen never knew Dusty was in the UK, he thought he was returning a phone call left in SC. Dusty was our awesome Worship Leader for over 4 years.
In serving the Lord, there is a cost. We serve a Living God. Who has opinions and makes His way known.
We had a great time with the Brits. The discussion that stays with me - the beginning of the end of the Church of England. It seems during the bombing in WWII, people attended Church the way they always had. But they were angry. Under the fear. And they asked as the regular liturgy was read Sunday after Sunday, why didn't the Church address the fear, the need, instead they continued to read the liturgy and people felt their needs were not met. And being people, they probably felt it more than they communicated it.
So when the war was over, the people began to stay home.
An important aspect of God was ignored.
1 John 1: 6-10- 1 John 2:1
6 If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. 8 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.
In the Christian life, coincidence collides as God's planning causing both wonder and consternation. Our last priest, Allen Hughes, left a message for his good friend Dusty Bryant to come and be our Worship Leader. Dusty returned Allen's message and said he didn't want to move to Houston and he told Allen, "No." Allen started to wonder where he would find a Worship Leader and his co-pastor Mike told him to call Mike Breen, who is sometimes referred to as the U.K. version of Billy Graham. Mike Breen said he had an American interning with him and he'd get him to take the job. Mike Breen had a staff conference and told his staff they'd be traveling to The Woodlands and the Worship Leader position would be filled by the American intern because the visit idea came from the Worship Leader position phone call. The American intern said he had a friend who'd offered him a job, but he'd turned him down. A few questions later, Mike Breen was putting his feet up and telling Dusty with the LORD, there are no coincidences, just marching orders.
Neither Dusty, Allen, Mike McDonald or Mike Breen knew at the beginning of the phone calls they were all connected by the Holy Spirit leading the way. Allen never knew Dusty was in the UK, he thought he was returning a phone call left in SC. Dusty was our awesome Worship Leader for over 4 years.
In serving the Lord, there is a cost. We serve a Living God. Who has opinions and makes His way known.
We had a great time with the Brits. The discussion that stays with me - the beginning of the end of the Church of England. It seems during the bombing in WWII, people attended Church the way they always had. But they were angry. Under the fear. And they asked as the regular liturgy was read Sunday after Sunday, why didn't the Church address the fear, the need, instead they continued to read the liturgy and people felt their needs were not met. And being people, they probably felt it more than they communicated it.
So when the war was over, the people began to stay home.
An important aspect of God was ignored.
1 John 1: 6-10- 1 John 2:1
6 If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. 8 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.
1 John 2
1 My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.
The aspect is this - Jesus lived his life in the center of the storm. Jesus did not live His life in comfort like King Solomon, the life God chose was to really live in the middle of the storms created by people.
So much so that Peter.....
Luke 5:8
When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus' knees and said, "Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!"
So many times when the famous quote of Jesus' not having His own place - we think Jesus was talking about a physical place and Jesus' poverty by choice. But there is a deeper aspect here.
Mark 2:1
And when he returned to Capernaum after some days, it was reported that he was at home.
Jesus is saying He is an Advocate for others and their storms; And Jesus is saying He Knows what it is to feel Tossed About. Unsettled. All of Jesus' ministry is all about Mercy. For others. At great cost to Himself.
We always say to ourselves after not-the-best-events occur - it could have been worse. And we are right. No one ever asked us to be their personal sacrifice. It is amazing to remember what Jesus' ministry was ..... and to be grateful. There are larger storms out there. And a free gift of salvation offered by One who only came for Good.
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The aspect is this - Jesus lived his life in the center of the storm. Jesus did not live His life in comfort like King Solomon, the life God chose was to really live in the middle of the storms created by people.
So much so that Peter.....
Luke 5:8
When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus' knees and said, "Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!"
So many times when the famous quote of Jesus' not having His own place - we think Jesus was talking about a physical place and Jesus' poverty by choice. But there is a deeper aspect here.
Mark 2:1
And when he returned to Capernaum after some days, it was reported that he was at home.
Jesus is saying He is an Advocate for others and their storms; And Jesus is saying He Knows what it is to feel Tossed About. Unsettled. All of Jesus' ministry is all about Mercy. For others. At great cost to Himself.
We always say to ourselves after not-the-best-events occur - it could have been worse. And we are right. No one ever asked us to be their personal sacrifice. It is amazing to remember what Jesus' ministry was ..... and to be grateful. There are larger storms out there. And a free gift of salvation offered by One who only came for Good.
<><
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