The Lord Has Control Over the Scary Things in Life
Matt 8:23-9:8
Intro: ILL: The Tightrope Walker & the Wheelbarrow!
I. 8:23-27 - The Lord has Control Over the Natural
A. v24-25 - What was the Crisis?
1. There was a “furious” storm.
2. These seasoned fishermen felt helpless.
B. v25 - Faith was expressed.
1. They were desperate realizing they might drown.
2. Although terrified, they at least believed Jesus could do more than they could do.
C. v26 - How did the Lord take control?
1. He strengthened their faith by standing, rebuking them & then taking charge.
2. With a word, He calmed the sea & stopped the storm.
D. What does this mean to you?
1. Nature shouldn’t stop you from serving the Lord.
2. What would stop you from attending the Lord’s Day worship?
a. Danger? The snow is so deep it would be dangerous to drive in it. That’s understandable!
b. Inconvenience? Snow: I’ll have to bundle up, spend 20 minutes shoveling the snow & heat up the car driving very slow with foggy windows. It’s just not worth the trouble!
c. Inconvenience? Rain - too hot - no transportation!
3. The weather can be scary, but don’t let the weather stop you from doing the Lord’s will!
II. 8:28-34 - The Lord has Control Over the Supernatural
A. v28 - What was the Crisis?
1. The Lord was confronted by two demon possessed men.
a. They would continually cry out & cut themselves (Mk 5:5).
b. They lived in a cemetery.
c. They were naked & mentally deranged (Mk 5:15).
2. They were very strong & would attack anyone they saw - very violent (Mk 5:3-4).
3. People would detour around their location to stay out of danger.
B. v29-31 - Faith was expressed.
1. The attitude of the demons toward Jesus:
a. They recognized who He was & His authority over them.
b. They knew they were destined for hell - but begged not to be tortured ahead of time.
2. v33-34 - The attitude of the Gentiles of the city. They were more concerned about their economy than these men being rescued from this horrible condition!
C. v30-32 - How did the Lord take control?
1. He commanded the demons to leave the men & indwell the herd of pigs. They obeyed Him!
a. There were 2000 pigs in the herd (Mk 5:13).
b. All the pigs which were demon possessed jumped into the lake & were drowned.
2. Mk 5:18-20 - The rescued men wanted to be Jesus’ disciples but He told them to be apostles! They had an effective witness to their community.
D. What does this mean to you?
1. Demon possession happens when people fully surrender to Satan’s control.
a. Stay away from any involvement in occult practices. The occult is real & scary!
b. Once possessed, you are miserable & helpless to do anything about it.
c. These men were grateful to be rescued (Mk 5:18).
2. Are you like the Gentiles here - more concerned about money & your possessions than you are about people - or like the rescued men who wanted to be with Jesus?
III. 9:1-8 - The Lord has Control Over the Moral
A. v2 - What was the Crisis?
1. This man was a hopeless paralytic, so he had to be carried wherever he went (Mk 2:3).
2. There was no way to get him to Jesus through the crowd (Mk 2:2).
B. v2 - Faith was expressed.
1. These friends believed Jesus could heal the paralytic & were willing to overcome any obstacles to get him to Jesus (Mk 2:4).
2. They climbed to the roof with their patient on a mat.
3. They chiseled a hole in the roof & lowered him down through the ceiling.
C. v4-6 - How did the Lord take control?
1. Of the moral problem.
a. The Jewish belief at the time was that sin caused illness - the greater the sin, the greater the illness.
b. If he were a paraplegic (all he could move was his head), supposedly he was a great sinner.
c. If he actually had been a great sinner, this paralysis may have been partly psychosomatic.
d. v2 - By forgiving his sin, Jesus released him from this psychological barrier.
2. Of the physical problem.
a. Jesus said, “Get up, take your mat and go home.” And the man got up and went home. - v6-7.
b. v8 - The crowd was filled with awe & impressed with the Lord’s spiritual authority.
3. v3 - The scribes believed Jesus was a mere man who was insulting God by claiming to do only what God was authorized to do - forgive sin! (Mk 2:7)
D. What does this mean to you?
1. Do you have a critical spirit like the scribes? Do you jump to conclusions before you know all the facts?
2. Being lost in a sinful life is scary, but in Christ you can be forgiven!
3. What the Lord can do in the physical realm demonstrates what He can do in the moral realm!
a. If you are burdened with a dark past this morning, Jesus can take care of that & wash your life as white as snow.
b. What Jesus did on the cross makes the forgiveness of your sins available to you.
c. When you are baptized, you are accepting what Jesus did on the cross & applying it to your own life!
Since no one is so righteous that he cannot be lost,
No one is so sinful that he cannot be forgiven!
Take what Jesus did for you on the cross
By surrendering to Him right now!
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