The Product of Your Faith
This past Sunday Nick went through the story of Jesus calming the storm, which is a significant story showing the Messiah also having power over creation. This is important following the previous passages showing healings and then Jesus rebuking excuses of those lacking faith or willingness to follow without conditions, because it shows who we are being called to follow. He’s not merely a teacher or wise prophet, but the Lord, the Creator Himself. That is why He is worthy of us reorienting our values and priorities around Him, as we saw last week, because His Kingdom values rise above everything else. The disciples in the boat counted the cost and chose to follow after Jesus even after He reiterated the cost in v18-22.
Matthew 8:23–27 (NIV)
23 Then he got into the boat and his disciples followed him. 24 Suddenly a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. 25 The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!”
26 He replied, “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?” Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm.
27 The men were amazed and asked, “What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!”
We see the storm suddenly overtake them, even swamping the boat (or swept over or crashed on top of it), but Jesus slept. His response to the situation, after a busy day of ministry, even in the midst of a storm, was to rest, having faith in the Father’s plan for that day which included the storm. So in the middle of the storm His response was to rest at the end of v24, but what do we do? Go into panic mode or spiral into pessimism and depression? Doubt God, His calling for you or His provision?
In this story we see Jesus remain calm in the middle of an actual storm, because He had faith in the Father’s plan, and is Himself the creator of all things. The Old Testament says the wind and waves were created by Yahweh, and Jesus not only knows the Father intimately, but is Himself the incarnate God in the flesh, 100% man and 100% God. That is why His response to the disciples was “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?” in v26. In the same way, whenever we come to storms in life, can we calmly turn to God knowing all things are under His control, and whether the situation turns out good or bad, He is not surprised and is there to walk through it with us.
The Bottom Line from Sunday’s message was “The who of your faith determines the product of your faith.” So when we truly are leaning on Jesus in faith, the outcome of that faith will grow us to look more and more like Jesus as the Spirit grows the Fruit of the Spirit in us. Spend some time thinking through the Fruit and how you would see them manifest and increase in your life as you mature in following Christ through the storms.
Galatians 5:22–23 (ESV)
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.