6 21 09 HT PM Peace through Power
Peace through Power
6 21 09 HT PM
Matthew 8:23-27 NKJV
Matthew 8:23 –Matthew 8:27 NKJV
Now when He got into a boat, His disciples followed Him.
And suddenly a great tempest arose on the sea, so that the boat was covered with the waves. But He was asleep. Then His disciples came to Him and awoke Him, saying, “Lord, save us! We are perishing!”
But He said to them, “Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?” Then He arose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm.
So the men marveled, saying, “Who can this be, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?”
Emphasis in this passage on the “POWER OF JESUS (GOD) ” - We do not talk about this enough, ask for it enough or trust it enough! He is all powerful, one is is attributes is that He is Omnipotent –
Matthew 19:26 NKJV But Jesus looked at them and said to them, “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”
Jeremiah 32:17 NLT “O Sovereign Lord! You have made the heavens and earth by Your great power. Nothing is too hard for You!”
The Bible promises,
Ephesians 3:20 NET now to him who by the power that is working within us is able to do far beyond all that we ask or think.
If our hearts and motives are pure and we truly seek to do God’s will, then there is nothing too difficult for us as we depend on His strength.
Philippians 4:13 NIV “I can do everything through Him who gives me strength”.
Three Areas That the Power of God will bring peace!
1. Circumstances –
Storms of life, situations outside of ones control, places where you find yourself the undesirable recipient. When the disciples entered the boat they did so believing the conditions were right for sailing! Ever started something only to have the conditions change in mid journey?
Matthew 8:26 -27 NKJV But He said to them, “Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?” Then He arose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm.
So the men marveled, saying, “Who can this be, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?”
2. Community –
Our relationships, literal communities, our churches
Matthew 8:28-34 NKJV
28When He had come to the other side, to the country of the ◙ Gergesenes, there met Him two demon-possessed men, coming out of the tombs, exceedingly fierce, so that no one could pass that way.
29And suddenly they cried out, saying, “What have we to do with You, Jesus, You Son of God? Have You come here to torment us before the time?”
30Now a good way off from them there was a herd of many swine feeding.
31So the demons begged Him, saying, “If You cast us out, ◙ permit us to go away into the herd of swine.”
32And He said to them, “Go.” So when they had come out, they went into the herd of swine. And suddenly the whole herd of swine ran violently down the steep place into the sea, and perished in the water.
33Then those who kept them fled; and they went away into the city and told everything, including what had happened to the demon-possessed men.
34And behold, the whole city came out to meet Jesus. And when they saw Him, they begged Him to depart from their region.
This dramatic incident is most revealing.
It shows how bound people are dealt with:
· what Satan does: robs him of sanity and self-control; fills him with fears; robs him of the joys of home and friends; and (if possible) condemns him an outcast and spiritually speaking to eternal judgment.
· what society does: restrains him, isolates him, threatens him, but society is unable to change him. See, then, what Jesus Christ can do for a man whose whole life—within and without—is bondage and battle.
· what the Savior does: He sets them free! For these two demoniacs, He will do for anyone else who needs Him. Its time that we look at people the same way that Jesus did not as bound people but people soon to be freed!
I believe that the Church is the current representation of Christ on the earth. I believe that the Power of God is the solution for our social issues.
I cannot help but to think that right now is the time for America to together get on its knees and ask for some Divine intervention.
I believe that like Nehemiah we begin with repentance and work our way to reminding God of His promise to us
I believe that like the pagan King of Nineveh a nationwide fast followed with challenges to turn away from evil would move the Heart and Hand of God in our favor!
I believe that Gods power is the answer. For its not by might nor by power, but by HIS SPIRIT! He IS our refuge and strength.
Proverbs 18:10 NKJV The name of the Lord is a strong tower; The righteous run to it and are safe.
RUN is a KEYWORD! You RUN when you finally realize your power can no longer sustain you! Its time to RUN!!!!
3. Conscience –
The residue of our sins lies within our conscience until we embrace forgiveness in its fullest sense!
Matthew 9:1-7 NKJV 1So He got into a boat, crossed over, and came to His own city. 2Then behold, they brought to Him a paralytic lying on a bed. When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, “Son, be of good cheer; your sins are forgiven you.”3And at once some of the scribes said within themselves, “This Man blasphemes!”4But Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said, “Why do you think evil in your hearts?5For which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Arise and walk’? 6But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins”—then He said to the paralytic, “Arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.” 7And he arose and departed to his house.
When Jesus healed this man He:
· Restored his Physical body
· Released his bonds in his conscience (where our past sin lies)
· Reestablished his community standing
Often in Bible days sickness especially extreme conditions were viewed as a judgment for some unknown sin in the persons life that God cursed them for.
John 9:1 – 9:3 NKJV
Now as Jesus passed by, He saw a man who was blind from birth.
And His disciples asked Him, saying, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” Jesus answered, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God should be revealed in him.
More important than the physical body being touched, the heart is set free! Freed from the bonds of past failures!