All right. Good morning. How we doing? We good? Ready to get after it? I was looking. I was standing in the corner watching, and I saw a lot of yawning. I didn't hope we're not boring you. If you fall asleep, I'm gonna call you out. Just give you a warning ahead of time. And when you came in, maybe you saw. It's 25 35 bag pickup day, so grab a bag. There's a list of things to purchase to put inside that. Bring it back next week. We're gonna get it to where it needs to go. This month, it's going to go to Kingdom community center and help them out in their ministry. So we're excited to do that. A lot of our students and our leaders are at youth camp right now. It's got some reports back after the first night going well, but be praying for those students and for those leaders. We want to be a church that believes in prayer. So I don't just want that to be something I say from the front. Could you make a note or put an alarm in your phone to. To be praying for our students while they're at camp? See some head knots. All right, yeah, let's do that. Would you be a bit terrified if I did call you out? If you started to doze off a little bit, would that be, what is it that you are afraid of? Let's just talk about that. What are the things that you find yourself being afraid of? Like, does your mind ever wander to what if scenarios? What if my teenager gets in a car accident? What if the doctor checkup doesn't go well? What if I lose my job? What if my spouse is cheating on me? Like, real kind of fears. And I'm not talking like, I'm afraid of snakes. I'm afraid of heights or I'm afraid of sharks or whatever. Like, what are those situations that you find yourself fearful of happening in your life? I have some fears. Part of my job is demands that I wear a suit. Sometimes weddings and funerals, that happens, that it's just the gig. So I bought a suit that I have, and I'll wear it if you get married or if you die, I'll put it on. But I've been a pastor for a while now, and I bought the suit quite a long time ago, and things change. So my fear is if you die, not so much that you'll die. I don't fear, but my fear is that I won't fit into my suit when I need to. And every time I have a wedding or a funeral. It's like I'm gonna lose weight. Next time I'll lose weight and then it's just getting scarier each time. Do you ever have a fear that you'll die on a roller coaster? I do. I think for me, riding on a roller coaster is more thrilling for me than you because I'm right at that size where I kinda Fitzhen. So recently my daughter and I, we went and we rode some roller coasters and we were in this one where you have to pull the harness down and usually when you pull it down for you, I bet it's nice and easy and you hear a click and you're ready to go. I didn't hear a click. And then the worker came over and he said, take a deep breath in. Now, that's not what you want to hear when you're getting ready to go upside down and 60 miles an hour and a drop and everything. And then he proceeded to like push to get it to click. And I swear he looks over at the operator while he's standing in front of me and goes like this, right? And I'm expecting the operator just be like thumbs up, ready to go. But the operator looks back at him and just does this. And then he leaves. No. Like words exchanged. No, you're ok. Just left. And then we took off and I was like, I could die. I don't know if it's hooked. I don't know what's going to happen here. And that was quite a thrill. Some fears of rollercoaster rides. Here's a more serious fear. Not that that one wasn't serious, that's real, but a little bit more that I'm telling you. But I'm also asking for a prayer request. So this week myself and I'm taking one of my daughters with me and Mark and Jeff and Iowa City and we're going to go to Zambia and we're doing some pastor training in Zambia and we just got word about a week ago. We're going to go out to one of the villages that's fairly hard to get to and we've put a free medical clinic there that's doing quite well. But just heard back that some of the village witch doctors really don't like the clinic, that it's hurting their business. And there's been some weird stuff happening about that. We're going to go minister. So I would covet your prayers as we go into that. And there's like a window into my heart. There's a sense of like he who's in us is greater than he who's in the world, right? So there's a sense of, like, let's go, let's do this. But I'm also freaked out about the spitting cobras that live in that area. So it's like, how can you be so, you know, courageous in one area? It's like, well, God is sovereign over everything, right? Even where snakes slither. So I'm, like, not worried so much about the witch doctors, but the cobras I'm a little concerned about. So be praying for me and my cowardice heart, God's protection and just ministry in that. We're going to leave this week, and we're excited to provide some pastor training and do some ministry there as well. So I shared what I'm afraid of. What about you? I think we're going to have a mic. We'll pass it around. Just open up. Like, you all have fears. We all have things we're afraid of and that we wrestle with. How do you deal with your fears? Or maybe, let me ask you this way, how should a christian deal with their fears? 365 times in the Bible were commanded not to fear. Like, is it normal? Yes, but it should not be a part of the christian life. Not so willingly. Like, we should just give into it 365 times. Like one time for every day of the year that you're told, do not be afraid. Fear not. Right? We're commanded in scripture now. Sometimes commands in scripture that tells us not to do something in our flesh. We're like, but I want to. But none of us are. Like, I would really like to have more fears. I would like to be afraid more often. We're not that way. But how do we not be afraid? Easier said than done. How do we fight back the fears that kind of attack us and kind of creep up on us and can overwhelm our heart, our mind, and even affect our actions. We want to kind of get a better grip on how to fight fear. Ready or not, that's what we're doing. I was really hoping for something else. Sorry, that's where we're at. So if you got your bibles, Luke, chapter eight, if you would like to kind of have a marker in Matthew eight and mark four as well, we're not going to go there, but it's the same account. So this is the story of Jesus calming the storm. And we're gonna look at it in Luke eight, but it's told in Matthew eight and mark four as well. And you kinda get some different vantage points of this story, but let's look at this in Luke eight starting in verse 22. Here we go. One day he, this is Jesus got into a boat with his disciples and he said to them, let us go across to the other side of the lake. So they set out for some context. This lake is the Sea of Galilee. To go across it, it's about a five mile trip. The sea of Galilee is like 700ft below sea level and there's hills all around it. So it's pretty common for wind to cut through these hills or down drafts to come over these hills and warm air and cold air meet and kind of big storms come up at the sea and that's going to happen. You'll see that in a little bit. But what does Jesus say they're going to do? We're gonna go to the other side, right? We're gonna go to the other side. That's what Jesus says. Don't forget that. Okay. What did Jesus tell them they're gonna do? Go to the other side. Okay, hold on to that. Let's keep reading. Verse 23. So they set out and as they sailed he, Jesus fell asleep and a windstorm came down. That's kind of downdraft there on the lake and they were filling with water and were in danger and they went and woke him and went and woke him saying, master, master, we are perishing. So this is a big storm. I got a fly buzzing my notes here. This is a big storm. They got professional fishermen that are pretty frightened about this storm. They're used to seeing storms and this one has them a bit worried. And when Matthew tells the story in his account, he uses the word seismos to talk about the storm. Now that's the word for earthquake. So Matthew's a tax collector, he's not a fisherman. He didn't have his sea legs, but he's freaking out that this is a big storm. It's like an earthquake. Now when Luke tells the story, he uses a different word. Lilops is the word and that means more like a squall, like heavy rain, heavy winds, dark clouds, a bit more of an accurate term. Luke is most likely getting his information from the gospel of Mark and Mark is most likely getting his information straight from Peter, who was a fisherman. So he's kind of explaining what he's like. Yeah, we got caught up in a squall and it was quite a storm. And when Mark tells about this story, he gives a word to describe the storm and it says in your english translation that it was a great storm. The word is megos which we get our word mega from. So he's saying it's a mega storm. It was a big deal. It was a big storm. Now this storm seems to be sinking their boat, that it's at least water is coming into the boat, and we need to get this. The danger is real. This is a rational fear. Their fear is understandable in those circumstances. I think we would all agree on that. But this is where it's challenging because we'll see in a little bit that Jesus kind of presses in on their fear reaction. He's not okay with their fear yet the situation seems to make fear an understandable response. Now, just because there is good reason to be afraid doesn't mean it's okay. That's what's challenging about it. Or let me put it like this. Don't use valid situations as a pass or permission for sinful behaviors. Are you tracking with me on that? Don't be like, well, I'm so full of anger and rage right now because they did something really awful to me. And it's like, well, yes, they did something really awful to you, but that doesn't give you permission to be somebody full of anger and wanting revenge. Like, that situation doesn't give you permission to behave sinfully. Right? Or the reason I'm so full of anxiety and worry is because I had to go through this and that was awful. It's like, yes, that was awful, and you did have to go through that, but that doesn't give you permission to be full of worry and anxiety to behave sinfully. Right? Or it's like the reason we're fearful is because our boat is literally filling up with water. Yes, it really is. And that doesn't give you permission to be so afraid. Like, Jesus challenges their fear here. And we should have ears for this as well. Now, another interesting detail in this story is that Jesus is asleep. He's asleep doing this. And maybe you can relate to this if you've ever felt like God is asleep during your storm. Do you not know what I'm going through right now? Are you not aware of the situation that I find myself in? And storms are a part of life. Like literal storms, but also metaphorical storms, like our trials, our difficulties. It's a part of life. You live in this life long enough, you're gonna have your storms. Amen. All right, we walk through difficult things. Now, don't think that being a Christian is going to let you avoid the storms of life. Don't think that because being a Christian that you kind of get a pass from the difficulties of this life. In fact, it's following Jesus that put these disciples in that storm. They're with him. He said, get in the boat. They get in the boat. He said, we're going to the other side. They're going to the other side. And it's in there following Jesus where they got into this storm. And for us as well, following Jesus will lead to the storms that we deal with as well. What we'll see is that this storm gives them a better understanding of Jesus, a deeper trust in Jesus, and a clear picture of the identity of Jesus. But that's hard to see in the storm or that's hard to conclude during the storm. That's more of a hindsight thing. Like, after you go through it, you're like, oh, that really grew our faith. Or we really learned to trust God more through that, or we really learned about God's faithfulness through that. That's like a hindsight thing. But nobody in this storm is yelling in the moment, like, this is going to grow our face so much. Isn't this awesome? Like, no, they're in the storm. And it's kind of producing fear in which Jesus is challenging them. Now, Mark, in Mark's account, they accuse Jesus of not caring for them when they go and wake him. They say, do you not care that we're perishing? You ever felt that way? See, sometimes our storms that we go through lead us to make bad conclusions about the character of God. Because I'm in this storm and I'm going through this difficulty, we make this conclusion, like, then you must not care about me. If you cared about me, then I wouldn't go through this. But is that the case? Did Jesus not care for them? Like, he's in the boat with them, he's in the same storm that they're in. He's in the same boat that they're in. If it goes down, he goes down. Is it a fair conclusion then that Jesus doesn't care for them, or is there fear leading them to make that conclusion? Has Jesus ever promised to be with you till the end of the age, to never leave you or forsake you even in the midst of storms? Isn't he with them? See, it's not that Jesus doesn't care for them. It's just that Jesus isn't afraid of what they're afraid of, so he doesn't have the same emotional response that they do. He's at peace. He's at rest. He's literally asleep during the storm. But they're panicking. And it's not that he doesn't care for them, it's just he's not afraid of what they're afraid of. I think I've told you this story before, but I was. I think I was like, eight or nine. I was learning to water ski for the first time. And my uncle had a cabin up north in Wisconsin, so we would go there for the summer sometimes. And at this particular time, the aunts and uncles and my parents were kind of hanging out in the dock. And me and my cousins decided to watch a movie before we go out and play. And as an eight year old, the movie they picked was jaws. So we went to jaws, and then I went out to learn to water ski. Now, I got up and I was going for a while, but then I crashed. I went down and I went down in the middle of this big patch of lily pads, so you feel every weed kind of touching your ankles. And it seemed like it took forever for my dad had to circle the whole lake, you know, to kind of get back to where I was at. And when he got back to me, I'm just going to be honest. I was crying. I was crying hard. And my dad, in such a loving way, said, why are you crying? And I had to be honest, I said, because of sharks, you know? Well, once he found out that I was okay and why he was crying, he began to circle the boat around me, going, da da da da. Which was extremely helpful. But I tell you that story because you can think, like, why would he do that? Does his dad not care about him? It's not that my dad didn't care about me. It's just that he wasn't afraid of what I was afraid of. He knew better. He knew that there's no sharks in there. You're fine. Those things touching your leg, they're plants. You're going to be okay. Right now. In the name of care. How silly would it have been if dad entered into my fear? There's sharks in there, and he starts panicking, too? Like, that would be ridiculous. Wouldn't it be better if I entered into his reality rather than him entering to my fear? So when Jesus wakes up, if he's like, we're sinking, right? Like, how foolish would that be? Wouldn't it be better for the disciples to enter into the confidence of Christ than for Christ to enter into the fear of his disciples? And it's not that my dad didn't care about me. He just wasn't afraid of what I was afraid of. And he knew better. Listen, when you are facing your own storms, don't think that God doesn't care about you. It's just he's not afraid of the things that got you all worked up. He knows better, and he's in control of it. As scary and legit as it may be to you that he has a different perspective. Here's the thing. They are bothered that Jesus is sleeping while they're panicking. But it seems like Jesus is a bit bothered that they're panicking while he's sleeping. They're like, how can you be sleeping when we're about to die here? He's like, how can you think you're about to die here when I'm in the boat with you taking a nap? Which one is more real to you, this storm or my presence and my promise that we're going to go to the other side? That's a tough question to answer because this storm is pretty real and the water is literally coming into our boat. What do you believe? This reminds me of a story in the book of numbers. So the Israelites were enslaved in Egypt, and they got their freedom. How that played out with Moses. God showing his power to not only the Israelites, but to the Egyptians. And then he's going to take them to wherever the promised land. And you know why they call it the promised land? Cause God promised them, this is your land. Like, I promise you, this is where we're going. And I will be with you, and we're gonna go there now in numbers, chapter 13. I think when they go there, they're like, they're gonna send some spies to check out this promised land. And the twelve spies come back. Remember the song, ten were bad, two were good, because ten of them said, there's giants in that land. We're outmatched. We can't do it. Those were the ten that were bad. And then the two that were good was like, no. God promised us this land, and he's with us. It's our land. But their circumstances, they voted bad idea. And that's why they wandered the wilderness for 40 years. They didn't trust God. Their circumstances were more real to them than the promise and presence of God. Now you get to this situation. The disciples, they're in this storm, which is very real, but their circumstances are more real to them than the presence and promise of Jesus Christ. And then you have this problem of fear that sparks up. So what's more real to you, your circumstances or God's promises? What's more weighty to you. What's more influential to you on your emotions and your behavior and your actions? Do you walk by faith not by sight? Or do you walk by sight not by faith? Like, is it the things that you see that are tangible in front of you that shape you most? Or is it God's word and his promises that shape you most? What has more influence over you? Your circumstances are his word. Now, just to be clear, circumstances are pretty real, are they not? So what is Jesus saying about faith then? Faith is looking beyond your circumstances to something more real than even what you're dealing with. And it's his word that we trust in it. So let's learn the lesson that's being taught here. Look at verse 24. And they went and woke him, saying, master, master, we are perishing. And he woke and rebuked the wind and the raging waves, and they ceased and there was a calm. Now, I don't want to go past that too quickly because it's a Bible story. We've read a lot of Bible stories, and it's like, that sounds like normal Bible story talk, but can we just kind of pause and be like, he rebuked the wind and the waves and they stopped. Who does that? Right? Who just talks to the sky and the water and it does what he says? Like, jesus talked to the wind and the waves like we talked to our kids, but yet it actually obeyed, right? It wasn't like jesus went to the boat deck and said to stop. And the wind's like, five more minutes or he's out there. He's like, one, two, you know, it's like, don't let me get to five. No, he speak like his authority is clear. Cease, and it ceases. And then in Mark's gospel, just like he said it was a mega storm. Then he said there was a mega calm, a great calm. So it's like you had this raging storm and then like glass, like, it's clear that a miracle happened. It wasn't like, well, I'll just kind of slow down and eventually obey. No, it obeyed. I like it went to a great calm. Now, do you think they would have made it to the other side if Jesus didn't calm the wind and the waves? Because what did he say they were going to do? Go to the other side? So why did he do it? Same reason why he gave sight to the blind, raised the dead, heal the sick, feed the hungry. To help our faith or to show us. I am somebody worthy of your trust. I am somebody worthy of you to put your faith into and you see this because after jesus rebukes the wind and the waves, he rebukes the disciples, or he challenges their lack of faith. Look at verse 25. And he said to them, where is your faith? Where is your faith? In Matthew's gospel and Mark's gospel, he actually asked them a question of, why are you so afraid? You ever ask yourself that question when you're wrestling with your own fears? Why am I afraid of this? Like, what's underneath it? Like, instead of just giving into the natural emotion, like, I'm just afraid that this is going to happen. Why? What's behind that? What's underneath this fear? Why are you afraid of that? Because you're not afraid of this, but you are afraid of that. What's underneath that? And if you dig down deep enough, what you're going to find and what Jesus reveals here is you have a faith problem. Beneath that fear, you have a faith problem. There is some way in which you are not trusting in God, and it's showing itself in fear. In Luke's gospel here, Jesus asked, where is your faith? Like, where did it go? Cause you had it a little bit ago. Like, you had it when you got into the boat, but you don't have it now. Where did it go? Did you lose your faith? You ever got a kid or a family member that just seems to be losing everything? I talked about my daughter last service because my wife was in the service. But since she's not here, I can tell you that it's her and her phone. We can never find Marcy's phone when it's every time to leave. She doesn't know where it's at. She doesn't care that she doesn't know where it's at. I kid you not. She probably has 300 unread messages right now on her phone. Drives me nuts whenever I try to get ahold of her, but she's free. She doesn't care. So he's like, I gotta, like, do, like, find my iPhone and ding before we leave to get ready to go for the disciples. Like, you had your faith. You had it with you when we left. Now, where is it at? We're on the boat. And where is it when you needed it most? Where is it when it was gonna serve you best? Because it's one thing to have faith when everything's going well, but where you need it most is in this storm. So when you needed to pull it out and use it and be affected by it, I don't see it. I don't see it where did it go when these circumstances demanded it? And the bigger problem was not the storm around them, but the lack of faith in them. And Jesus is saying, your fear is a faith problem. It's a faith problem. This is about faith, a real trust in Jesus. That means something in the storms. Did they have it? No. Now, did Jesus help give it to them? Yes. Look what happens next. Go back to verse 25. So he said to them, where is your faith? And they were afraid and they marveled. Now, it's interesting that the storm is over and they're still afraid. You would think that the storm is over and the storm is causing their fear. So once the storm goes away, their fear goes away, but the storm is gone. And Luke is still talking about their fear, that they're afraid after the storm. Mark tells us that they were filled with a great fear, same word, magoth, that they have mega fear at this point. And they were mega afraid of the storm because they thought it was going to kill them. But now they're mega afraid of Jesus because he wakes up from a nap and tells it to stop and it stops. And they're like, who does that? And now they have a different object of terror. They're afraid. And this is really the key to overcoming fear. So if you've kind of been checking in and out, like, lean into this, because this is where it gets practical on how we fight fear. Let me tell you this. To fight fear, something good has to be more alarming, more shocking, more captivating than whatever the bad is that's scaring you. That's how you fight it. So, yes, this storm is scary, but not compared to Jesus. This storm is terrifying, but not compared to somebody who just tells it to stop and it stops. So if you want to fight for your, listen, I am not going to tell you that this world does not have scary things in it, things that can cause fear. I'm not going to tell you, just, just don't be afraid. That's not how Jesus deals with it. There are scary things in this world. There are things that cause fear in this world. But those things should get overshadowed by the power, sovereignty of God, that he is scarier than anything this world can have to offer. And if we really want to fight the fears that we have, then we need to do that with an awe and reverence of God. There needs to be a greater fear that attacks our lesser fears. Jesus teaches us, let me show you this. This is in Matthew ten. He says, and do not fear those who kill the body. It's like, well, that sounds like a rational fear. That sounds like something to be afraid about. It's like, what's the worst they're going to do to you? Kill you? Yeah, that would be at the top of the list. That's what they would do. Right. And this is talking to a group of people who are oppressed by the Romans, who have roman soldiers all around them who did feel like their physical life was in danger. But Jesus is saying, don't fear those people. Don't fear them. That can kill. In fact, all they can do is kill the body. And you're like, well, is there more? Yes, that's the key. Do not fear those who can kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Okay, so I'm not supposed to be afraid of that real present threat and danger in my life. How do I do that? I'm going to give you another fear that's greater than that. Fear rather. What does it say? Fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. So Jesus kind of call not to fear was to give you a greater fear that deals with the lesser fear. So don't fear this negative stuff. Fear God. Fear God. To overcome the fears of this world. So to fight fear, you need a new kind of fear. There's a word for fear that mark uses to describe the disciples fear of the storm. It's Dylos. It means fearful or timid, cowardly. But the word for afraid that gets used to describe the reaction to Jesus calling me the store is fabeo. We get our word like phobia from it. So that word does talk about fear as well. But there was a broader use of that word. That word could also mean awe, reverence, wonder. And it seems like the context is saying, that's the way Luke is using that word, because they're afraid and marveled. They're, like, in awe and wonder, and they marveled. Why? Why? This is where you kind of, like, look into the text a little bit more intentive to find some answers. Why are they more? You might just be like, well, because they saw the storm get calmed. Like, well, there's more to it than that. It's not about what happened, but who did it. Look at verse 25 again. He said to them, where is your faith? And they were afraid and marveled, saying to one another, who then is this that he commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him. The text doesn't focus. Hear me now? The text doesn't focus their amazement at the calming of the storm, but on Jesus, the text doesn't focus their amazement on the calming of the storm, but on Jesus. It's the one who did it. Like, who does this? Like, they're in awe of Jesus. And this is a question that Luke has been repeating. Who then, is this? Who then is this right? Who is this that can forgive sins? Who is this that can command nature? And what's the answer to that question? Who can forgive sins? God. And who can command nature? God. That's what Luke is doing. Like, here's Jesus. I want you to see Jesus. It's Emmanuel. God with us. He's presenting us, Jesus Christ, who he truly is. So here's what I want you to remember. Fight the fear and worry of this world with the awe and wonder of Jesus. Fight the fear and worry of this world with the awe and wonder of Jesus. Whatever you are afraid of, whatever you are worried about, you hold it up to next to the person and work and promises of Jesus. And if you're still afraid, you have a faith problem. You fight the fear and worry of this world with the awe and wonder of Jesus. He's scarier than whatever's scaring you. He's more powerful than whatever's threatening you. He's more in control than whatever has you nervous. Be captivated by that reality. Now, what that means is if you're going to fight fear and worry of this world, you have to actually have an awe and wonder of Jesus. You have to actually have an awe and wonder of Jesus. There's a lot of people that claim a belief in Jesus that means nothing when the storms of life come. There's a lot of people that claim a belief in Jesus that have no awe and wonder and reverence for Jesus Christ. And if you have no awe and wonder and reverence for Jesus, you will be destroyed by the scary things of this world. We worship our way out of fear and worry. We turn our attention away from what is scaring us to the one who is saving us, and we're captivated by him and church. You have to cultivate or foster an awe and wonder for Jesus. Like, if you're lazy in that pursuit of God, the fears of this world will wreck your life, will control your heart and mind. You have to foster an awe and wonder of Jesus. Because whatever you're afraid of and whatever you're worrying about, you've cultivated, right? You watched that documentary or you read those headlines, or you had that conversation with a friend, or that happened on that show you watched, or that happened in that book you read, and you just think about it and think about it, and you know somebody and that happened to them, and you heard the report, and you just, oh, you play it over and over again in your mind, in your heart, and it's what you talk about. And what happens to your fear and worry when you do that, it increases. Like, it just compounds and just, like, overwhelms you. Well, the same thing. You have to cultivate, foster an awe and wonder of Jesus Christ. When you get into his word and you read about his character and his promises and his accomplishments, and you know how he loves you, and you know what he has waiting for you, and you know that it also cultivates an awe and wonder of Jesus Christ. But if you are passive in pursuing, knowing God and his word and fears of this world come, you will not be equipped. But when you have an awe and wonder of Jesus Christ, those other fears, they can't stand up to it. If you were like, I am more, give me grace in the word here, but I am more terrified of Jesus Christ. And by terrified, I mean that I am more, like, in awe and captivated by the power and wonder of Jesus Christ than I am of this, than I am of cancer, than I am of job loss, than I am of relational strife, than I am of loss of life, whatever it may be. If I'm, like, more captivated by Jesus Christ, that's how you fight fear. You worship your way out of it. You turn your eyes to the power and wonder of Jesus Christ. So how's your worship? Not how's your singing? But when we sing and we gather, are you, like, in awe of Jesus Christ? Do you express praise and gratitude and worship to him? Because you may think what you do now in this room doesn't have anything to do with what you're afraid of when you leave here, but it does. You fill up on the awe and wonder of God. You cultivate that in your heart to deal with the fears that will come. So let me leave you with some good news. Go back to verse 25. He said to them, where is your faith? And they were afraid, and they marveled, saying to one another, who then is this that he commands even winds and water? And they obey him. There is a word in that sentence that we should find extremely comforting, and it's the last word. Who do they obey? It's just a three letter word. Who do they obey? Him. The fact that the wind and the waves obey him is what's comforting. It's the fact that they obey him that addresses our fears. Because who is the him. Jesus Christ. It's not just that Jesus Christ is God. It's that God is Jesus Christ. Are you tracking with me on that one? Because Luke is trying to show us the deity of Jesus Christ. He's like, who else forgives sins? Who could raise people from the dead? Who can heal a centurion servant without even being there? Who tells wind and waves to stop and they stop? Who does that? God. Right? He's trying to present to us Jesus Christ is God. He's trying to show us the deity of Jesus Christ. But it's not just that Jesus Christ is God. It's that God is Jesus Christ in that we know the nature and character of God in Jesus. Do you want to know what God is like? Look at Jesus. So the fact that Jesus is God and the wind and the waves obey him, how is that comforting? Because the God almighty that controls the weather and can forgive sins gets in the boat with you, goes through the storm with you, and he calms the storm. This is the same person who goes to the cross for you. Jesus Christ didn't come to deal with weather, but he did come to bring up peace that is desperately needed. Because the storm that we're really caught in is the wrath of God that we deserve. And Christ went to the cross to give us peace, mega peace with God. And when we understand we have mega peace with goddess, that all has been forgiven and we are right with him, then that puts every other fear in its place. Oh, I can deal with that. I have peace with God. Sure, I can deal with that. I have everlasting life with my father who has declared his love for me. Sure, I can deal with this. It puts every other fear in its place. The church. The question isn't so much, is Jesus powerful enough to calm your storms? Because he is. The real question is, is your faith in Jesus real enough to calm your fears? Do you really believe in Jesus Christ? Do you believe in his power? Do you believe in his compassion? And are you in awe of him because of it? Because if you are, you can deal with anything this world throws your way. But if you aren't, you will be wrecked by the storms of this life. And there's no greater reminder than the power and love of Jesus Christ than the cross where he beat sin, Satan and death. And he did it to declare his love for you. So as we remember our savior in communion, I hope and pray that it would wake you up to the glory of Jesus Christ and you would truly be in awe of him. Amen. Let's pray, Father, we don't want to go through this life not knowing you like the disciples in a boat in a storm, not really aware of who you were with them in that moment. We don't want to go through life just half heartedly knowing you, either. Wake us up to who you truly are. Show us your glory. Don't make us people who just are trying to live a better life. Make us people who are in love with you and live a better life for you. Because we're in awe of you. We need you even to want you. So, holy spirit, would you wake us up to your glory? We pray this in your name. Amen.