COLERAINE EVANGELICAL CHURCH
SERMON NOTES FROM SUNDAY 7 SEPTEMBER 2025 – MR CALVIN
STRIPP
MATTHEW 8 VERSES 23 TO 28, LUKE 8 VERSES 22 TO 26 AND MARK 4
VERSE 5 TO 5 VERSE 1
It was praised by the Romans and it was the pride of the Jews – this was a vast
basin of water known as the Sea of Galilee. It is also known at the Sea of
Tiberius or Genezareth Lake or Kinneret. It is 13 miles long and 7 miles wide
with a depth of 200 feet. Historians tell us there would have been 10 cities
around the shoreline of Galilee. It is one of the sights you would visit if you
travelled to the Holy Land. It is shadowed by the picturesque mountain range of
the Golan Heights. It was here that the disciples fished, that Peter walked by
faith on the water, where our Lord ministered. “Let us pass over unto the other
side." It was a journey that you would think you needed to be prepared for.
“They took him even as he was in the ship.” The Lord was able to speak to the
multitudes from the ship. The ship was slightly out of the shoreline and he
preached to them from there. Everyone was able to see him quite probably. He
asks his disciples to take this journey over the Sea of Galilee to the country of
the Gadarenes. I want to speak of the journey through the midst of the storm.
There are 3 accounts given with different views of the same event. They are
not to contradict one another but to compliment each other. They were
witnessed by 3 different people with a different slant on what happened.
Their departure – verse 36. The Lord is possibly already in the ship. When they
set off no doubt their hearts were burning in them. They were on the mountain
top experience. They had witnessed the healing of the leper, the centurion’s
servant, Peter’s mother-in-law and had heard the sermon on the mount. They
had witnessed the casting out of the devils and no doubt were on a high. They
were probably talking about all that had taken place. It was real to them. It is
interesting here that we read they took Jesus as he was already there. There
was no preparation in a sense. The Lord was no doubt preaching from the ship.
There was no time for preparation – to go to the local shops to gather bread or
fish. There was no time for any changes of raiment or time to gather up water.
No preparation was made for the journey. Although no earthly preparation was
made, Christ was with them and that is what mattered. The application is
straight forward – through your journey of life you have no preparation for
whatever happens. Christ is with you - that is what matters. You might say “I
could do this with that to make my life more comfortable or God could take that
away and life would be good.” Christ is with you – that is far better. Tomorrow
you will set out on a new week. You are setting out on a new journey. We don’t know what it will bring. We don’t know what a week will bring us but the Lord knows and the main thing is as you enter out into this new week you will have that closest fellowship with your Lord. We may not know what may come but if we have Christ and are close to him then we will be able to pass through that storm. For the departure no preparation was made but they had a passenger –Christ. Christ is with you today. His Holy Spirit dwells in you.
Notice their dilemma – verse 37. Everything was going so well when a great
storm of winds and waves rose up. The winds beat into the ship so it was now
full. These men were hardened fishermen. They had an occupation of fishing.
They fished on the Sea of Galilee. They knew what it was to be out in rough
weather. Today was different. Our text tells us they toiled and fought against
the storm. As the waves continued to come into the ship they realised this was
no ordinary storm and the master is asleep on a pillow. The word “great” comes
from the Greek word mega – of huge and great significance. A great storm, a
mega storm. In Luke the word storm could be translated as a whirlwind. In
Matthew it is the word tempest that is used. The word earthquake is also used
elsewhere. This was no ordinary storm and they knew it. This was a great storm
and they were in the middle of it. Notice their urgency. In Luke we read that
they cried out “Master, master, we perish.” Here we read thy cried “Master,
carest thou not that we perish?” You will note it is in the present tense. They
are afraid of dying. When you hear a child crying you can understand the cry
strikes alarm in the heart of the parent. That is what their crying was like. Was
it wrong to wake the Lord in the middle of this storm, to approach him and wake
him? Who else could they go to? Their case was urgent. If help was to come
from the other ships it would have come too late but Christ was there. Prayer is
often our last resort but it never fails. God’s time is the best time. We see
their urgency. Notice their unbelief in regards to this dilemma. They knew the
Lord was the only one who could save them in this situation. Be careful what you say in this situation. Would the disciples have said something different if they had to do it again? They had professed faith but now realised the faith they
had was little. We often find ourselves doing the same as the disciples did. We
may discover our weakness when those storms come in our lives. “With Christ in the vessel we can smile at the storm” we often sing. But we rarely smile at our
storms. Jeremiah 32 verse 17 “thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy
great power and stretched out arm and there is nothing too hard for thee.”
Look at Christ’s actions – verse 39 “He arose and rebuked the wind. He spoke to
the sea. He can do that because he created it. He rebuked the wind and said
unto the sea ‘peace be still’ and the wind ceased and there was a great calm.” Be silent he said to the sea. Be silent and it stops. It didn’t take time, no it stopped immediately. When the creator spoke to his creation and said be silent and it stopped. That is your secret today. God is all knowing and all powerful. What a scene of his deity and humanity. He was sleeping on a pillow then we wakes and speaks to his creation. Although he was asleep he knew the storm was coming because he is God. He could have stopped it yes but in his infinite wisdom and purpose he let it come. There is a simple lesson for you through his actions – we don’t know what will come but he does. It might surprise you physically, mentally, spiritually. It might roll over the top of us, push our life out but he knows it is coming. He is in the ship with you. We may not know but he knows. Peace be still – Christ’s action. It was a great calm. In Mark’s account that word great is the same word again – mega. Christ speaks to his creation, to the sea to be silent and there is a great calm. A mega calm. The sea was like glass. In the blink of an eye. We see his disciples reaction – verse 41 “ they feared exceedingly.” Why? They were about to die, consumed in the place they had their employment, the place they grew up in, played in and swam in. After Christ spoke to the sea they said to one another “what manner of man is this that even the wind and sea obey him?” Why Because he created it and it obeyed him. What is the Lord telling you to do Christian? Are you obeying him?
The destination – verse 1 of chapter 5. They arrived safely at their destination
– the country of the Gadarenes. The journey brought them to their destination.
Their faith was enlarged and strengthened because of the storm. They had
started out with the words “O ye of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?”
Their faith had to be tested to allow it to function properly. The Lord knew the
disciples needed to exercise their faith. They arrived and arrived safely. They
now had reverential fear – for their master. They had offended him by saying
“carest thou not that we perish?” I am sure there have been times when we
have said “Lord you don’t care for me, you have forgotten about me.” He still
cares for you today. Their faith was enlarged. When the Lord takes you through
a storm and you reach your destination you see him as you have never seen him
before. You worship like you have never worshipped before. You trust him like
you have never trusted anyone before. The storm is for our good as it was for
the disciples. Spurgeon said “if we fear God we have nothing else to fear.”
Remember – you will reach your destination one day. We have God as our
passenger and we will reach the shores of eternity. Notice in verse 36 that
there were other little ships on the Sea that day. They were in the same storm
but they didn’t have Christ with them. Do you have Christ in your vessel today?
Regardless of what storm this week brings you don’t have him. There is a bigger
storm coming – that storm of eternity. If you enter into God’s eternity without
him as your personal Saviour, are not covered with his blood then you are lost
for all eternity. Those other little ships were in big trouble. God is willing to
save you today. Are you willing to take the step of faith towards him? Turn from your sin and turn to him. You are in those other ships and one day that
storm will come. For the Christian Psalm 23 is so relevant – the Lord is with us
holding our hand when the death angel comes. If you are in the other little ships
your money, your house, your land will be of no use. We often see those big
cruise liners travelling on our seas. It is a picture of our ship heading towards
the shores of eternity. There is great feasting and drinking on board. People can
swim and enjoy all sorts of leisure activities on board. That ship is still heading
for a destination. It moves constantly and continuously to its destination. Once
it arrives it is too late for those on board, for time has ceased and eternity has
rolled in. The disciples were trusting him, though their faith was small it was
exercised. We are not prepared for the departure that is coming. There will be
a dilemma to face. One day our destination will come. All because of Christ. The
journey through the midst of the storm – may we learn from it today. Look to
him, the author and finisher of our faith. Let us not become disheartened and
say things to the Lord we don’t mean because he loves us with an everlasting
love. He is our passenger on that ship just as he was for the disciples
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