This sermon is about the storms of life.  We are going to look at a passage in the Old Testament to see what seafarers do in storms and then we’re going to see two storms in the New Testament.  We’ll comment on the storms to understand what happens to us when we go through a storm.

• Ps 107:24 seafarers see all the works of the Lord.
• Ps 107:25 God commandeth and raiseth the stormy wind.
• Ps 107:26-27 the seafarer’s souls are melted because of trouble, they are at their wit’s end in a bad storm.
• Ps 107:28 then they cry unto the Lord in their trouble and he bringeth them out of their distresses.  For a while they may row hard, throw out the tackling, and follow all the maritime protocols for a storm, before they finally cry unto the Lord.  What they did do won’t work but God is able to bring them out of their distresses because he’s the one who raised the storm.
• Ps 107:29 He maketh the storm a calm and the waves still.
• Ps 107:30 they are glad and quiet when he bringeth them into their desired haven.

• Matt 8:23-24 the disciples followed Jesus and there arose a great tempest in the sea.  Their ship was covered with the waves.  Jesus was asleep.  The disciples were in trouble and in distress, Ps 107:28
• Matt 8:25 they cried unto the Lord (Ps 107:28), Lord, save us, we perish.
• Matt 8:26 the Lord replied, “why are ye so fearful”? (because seafarers are always fearful in a raging storm Ps 107).
  • Of ye of little faith.  By now they could have believed he was the Son of God, Matt 4:23-25, 8:6-10, 8:14-15, 8:16. And had they believed Ps 107, they had nothing to fear.
  • He rebuked the winds and sea and there was a great calm, like Ps 107.
• Matt 8:27 The disciples marveled about what manner of man he was that the winds and sea obey him.  He was more than a miracle working man; he was the Son of God, but they didn’t realize that yet.  So…

• Matt 14:22-33 after going through the second storm, they believe that Jesus is God.
• Matt 14:22 Jesus set them up by constraining them to get in the ship.
• Matt 14:24 they were tossed with the waves because the wind was contrary.  Jesus just kept praying instead of stopping the storm.
• Matt 14:30 30 when Peter saw the boisterous wind he was afraid and began to sink.  He cried, Lord, save me. Ps 107:28
• Matt 14:31 Jesus commented on his little faith.  He asked, “wherefore didst thou doubt”?  The two things that get to you in a storm are FEAR, Matt 8:26, and DOUBT, Matt 14:31.
• Matt 14:32 the wind ceased.  Seafarers know that this is something that God does (they see the works of the Lord). Ps 89:8-9, “O Lord God of hosts, who is a strong Lord like unto thee? or to thy faithfulness round about thee? Thou rulest the raging of the sea: when the waves thereof arise, thou stillest them”.
• Matt 14:33 then the disciples realized that of a truth Jesus is the Son of God

When you face the storms of life you must remember:

God often raises the storm.  Often the storm is not a coincidence.  The storm is not an attack by your adversary.  God raised the storm.

God will let you fear and doubt. God doesn’t often help you right away.  He let’s you see the fear and doubt that you didn’t know were there.

God will wait till you cry out to him.  At some point, you realize that God must help you.  When you cry out to God, keep your eyes on him rather than on the storm.  He is the master of the sea.

God will calm the storm.  Unlike the storms we’ve read about in the Bible today, the storm you’re going through may last days, weeks, months, or even years.  The storm reveals that he is God.  The storm showed the disciples that Jesus is the Son of God, God manifest in the flesh.  You will get to know God in a storm.

God will get you to the desired haven. The disciples made it safely to land.  When Jospeh went through his ordeal in Egypt, he told his brothers that God sent me before you.  Joseph was in the right spot, he was in his desired haven.

You’re going to go through the storms of life.  When the storm is from the Lord, believe the words of God, don’t fear, rather trust the Lord, and don’t doubt.  When you learn to go through the storms of life without fear and doubt, you’ll go through more storms but you won’t be afraid.  In Acts 27 Paul told the men on board the ship to be of good cheer.  You know the Lord is with you and he will get you through to the desired haven.

Conclusion: People often go through the storms of life and find there that Jesus is the Lord.  They trust him to save them.  And when they die, they arrive at their desired haven (heaven).  Will you trust him today?