1 00:00:00,000 –> 00:00:04,820 Well all of us have our questions for God, don’t we? 2 00:00:04,820 –> 00:00:09,980 And one day God will answer all our questions. 3 00:00:09,980 –> 00:00:15,180 Your faith is going to be turned to sight. 4 00:00:15,180 –> 00:00:24,400 You will know what is now secret, and you will understand what is now obscure. 5 00:00:24,400 –> 00:00:30,700 Anyone who has ever puzzled over a jigsaw knows what it is to hold a single piece in 6 00:00:30,700 –> 00:00:38,980 your hand and to say where in all the world does this fit into the picture. 7 00:00:38,980 –> 00:00:45,959 And in the presence of God you will one day see how every experience in your life fits 8 00:00:45,959 –> 00:00:52,360 into the big picture of how God was shaping the image of Jesus in you. 9 00:00:52,360 –> 00:00:58,299 And together we will see how everything that has ever happened in the story of the world 10 00:00:58,299 –> 00:01:06,339 has its place in God’s great plan to bring all things together under Jesus Christ. 11 00:01:06,339 –> 00:01:12,660 In the presence of Jesus we will know fully even as we are fully known. 12 00:01:12,660 –> 00:01:17,419 That’s what Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 13. 13 00:01:17,440 –> 00:01:24,639 God will answer all the questions you and I have ever had for him. 14 00:01:24,639 –> 00:01:27,919 I don’t know how that’s going to happen. 15 00:01:27,919 –> 00:01:33,800 My guess is that in his presence my questions will simply fall away. 16 00:01:33,800 –> 00:01:40,639 That somehow in the brightness of his glory what has gnawed away at my soul will already 17 00:01:40,639 –> 00:01:44,080 seem to have been answered. 18 00:01:44,160 –> 00:01:53,680 God will answer all your questions for him, but what about his questions for you? 19 00:01:53,680 –> 00:01:59,620 See what matters now is not so much finding answers to your questions for God. 20 00:01:59,620 –> 00:02:03,580 Some of these will have to wait until the day in which you arrive in his presence. 21 00:02:03,580 –> 00:02:11,520 What matters now is finding answers to God’s questions for you. 22 00:02:11,520 –> 00:02:12,919 That’s your responsibility. 23 00:02:13,119 –> 00:02:16,119 It’s mine. 24 00:02:16,119 –> 00:02:17,839 The Bible is full of God’s questions. 25 00:02:17,839 –> 00:02:19,800 Have you ever noticed this? 26 00:02:19,800 –> 00:02:24,539 Both in the Old and in the New Testament – read through the Gospels particularly – you will 27 00:02:24,539 –> 00:02:29,240 find that Jesus is constantly asking questions. 28 00:02:29,240 –> 00:02:35,679 One writer notes that in Mark’s Gospel alone, in just sixteen chapters, Jesus asks over 29 00:02:35,679 –> 00:02:38,919 fifty questions. 30 00:02:38,919 –> 00:02:44,179 He makes this comment, Jesus was a bit different from other religious teachers. 31 00:02:44,179 –> 00:02:48,600 Moses wanted to tell you the Law – prophets were always telling you what the Lord was 32 00:02:48,600 –> 00:02:54,800 saying, but apparently if you met Jesus on the street, he was more likely to ask you 33 00:02:54,800 –> 00:02:58,460 something than to tell you something. 34 00:02:58,460 –> 00:03:04,380 Even when people asked him a question, he often replied with a question of his own. 35 00:03:04,380 –> 00:03:05,580 Examples. 36 00:03:05,580 –> 00:03:10,119 Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life? 37 00:03:10,119 –> 00:03:15,100 Response, why do you call me good? 38 00:03:15,100 –> 00:03:19,979 Question is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar? 39 00:03:19,979 –> 00:03:26,720 Response, whose image is on that coin? 40 00:03:26,720 –> 00:03:30,000 Question on what grounds should divorce be permitted? 41 00:03:30,000 –> 00:03:35,100 Response, what did Moses tell you? 42 00:03:35,899 –> 00:03:43,539 Now, when God asks a question as he does time and time again, it is not because he’s 43 00:03:43,539 –> 00:03:48,000 stuck for an answer, that should be the most obvious thing to anyone who knows anything 44 00:03:48,000 –> 00:03:49,139 about God. 45 00:03:49,139 –> 00:03:52,520 God knows all things. 46 00:03:52,520 –> 00:03:54,860 Nothing is hidden from him. 47 00:03:54,860 –> 00:03:56,779 God knows everything about you. 48 00:03:56,779 –> 00:04:01,679 He knows your past, he knows your immediate circumstances right now, and he knows your 49 00:04:01,679 –> 00:04:03,199 future. 50 00:04:03,199 –> 00:04:04,320 He knows your secrets. 51 00:04:04,320 –> 00:04:06,940 He knows everything about you. 52 00:04:06,940 –> 00:04:10,500 He knows what you say in public, he knows what you say in private, he knows what you 53 00:04:10,500 –> 00:04:11,820 really think. 54 00:04:11,820 –> 00:04:20,880 As David puts it in Psalm 139, before a word is on my tongue, you know it completely. 55 00:04:20,880 –> 00:04:23,980 So God knows you fully. 56 00:04:23,980 –> 00:04:26,859 He understands you fully. 57 00:04:26,859 –> 00:04:31,799 Now, this in itself is a very wonderful thing, isn’t it? 58 00:04:32,480 –> 00:04:36,559 It’s a wonderful thing to me that God understands me. 59 00:04:36,559 –> 00:04:40,760 Because quite honestly, I often don’t understand myself. 60 00:04:40,760 –> 00:04:42,760 You find that? 61 00:04:42,760 –> 00:04:48,559 I am often a mystery to myself, I do not always understand my moods. 62 00:04:48,559 –> 00:04:56,019 My feelings, my thoughts, my doubts, my fears, all of them at times, are a mystery to me. 63 00:04:56,019 –> 00:04:59,320 But they are not a mystery to God. 64 00:04:59,359 –> 00:05:02,320 He knows all things. 65 00:05:02,320 –> 00:05:06,660 So when God asks a question it’s not because He doesn’t know the answer. 66 00:05:06,660 –> 00:05:15,260 No, when God asks a question, he is reaching out to build a relationship. 67 00:05:15,260 –> 00:05:16,820 It’s a wonderful thing. 68 00:05:16,820 –> 00:05:20,899 You see this in the very first question God ever asks in the Bible. 69 00:05:20,899 –> 00:05:26,059 You remember, that question, Adam and Eve had sinned in the garden and God takes visible 70 00:05:26,059 –> 00:05:27,059 form. 71 00:05:27,059 –> 00:05:32,459 He comes into the garden looking for them and he asks a question, Adam, where are you? 72 00:05:32,459 –> 00:05:38,980 And the answer of course is that Adam is hiding from God because he’s full of fear and shame. 73 00:05:38,980 –> 00:05:44,480 He knows he’s done a terrible thing and he doesn’t want God coming near him. 74 00:05:44,480 –> 00:05:48,859 But God is reaching out to form a relationship. 75 00:05:48,859 –> 00:05:53,299 Adam, where are you? 76 00:05:53,299 –> 00:06:00,660 After the great question to Elijah, Elijah, what are you doing here? 77 00:06:00,660 –> 00:06:04,359 Elijah was exhausted after his great conflict with the prophets of Baal. 78 00:06:04,359 –> 00:06:10,940 He’s quite desperate about the spiritual state of the nation and God reaches out to him. 79 00:06:10,940 –> 00:06:12,540 What are you doing here? 80 00:06:12,540 –> 00:06:15,260 I have a purpose for you. 81 00:06:15,420 –> 00:06:21,720 I will fulfill my purpose for these people and I have work for you, Elijah, to do. 82 00:06:21,720 –> 00:06:27,540 So, I’ve found over many years now in my own life that God’s questions really search 83 00:06:27,540 –> 00:06:29,260 me out. 84 00:06:29,260 –> 00:06:36,260 They bring me to a point of decision in which I must either move towards him as he reaches 85 00:06:36,260 –> 00:06:42,040 out to me in the question or I must move away from him, turning back in unbelief. 86 00:06:43,019 –> 00:06:49,679 That, of course, is why we’ve called this series Ultimate Questions because the ultimate 87 00:06:49,679 –> 00:06:55,920 questions are not the questions that I ask of God, the ultimate questions are the ones 88 00:06:55,920 –> 00:06:58,579 he asks of me. 89 00:06:58,579 –> 00:07:03,239 So, over these next few weeks, we’re going to face up to the questions of Jesus. 90 00:07:03,239 –> 00:07:10,640 Now, I want to ask that, with me, over these weeks, you will try and hear these questions 91 00:07:11,299 –> 00:07:17,820 the Lord Jesus Christ in the flesh, we’re looking you in the face and asking them directly 92 00:07:17,820 –> 00:07:20,220 of you. 93 00:07:20,220 –> 00:07:24,859 Remember that the scripture is not just the word that God has spoken, the scripture is 94 00:07:24,859 –> 00:07:29,980 the word that God speaks, it is the living and enduring word of God. 95 00:07:29,980 –> 00:07:33,980 So, when we look at these questions, they are not just questions that Jesus happened 96 00:07:33,980 –> 00:07:40,540 to ask of a few people 2000 years ago, they are the questions that the risen Christ confronts 97 00:07:40,720 –> 00:07:42,859 us with today. 98 00:07:42,859 –> 00:07:49,859 And of all the questions in this series, none has been more important nor more deeply felt 99 00:07:49,899 –> 00:07:54,239 in my own life than the one we’re going to look at this morning from Luke chapter 8 and 100 00:07:54,239 –> 00:07:56,320 verse 25. 101 00:07:56,320 –> 00:08:05,200 Can you hear Jesus ask you this question today, the risen Lord Jesus Christ, where is your 102 00:08:05,779 –> 00:08:12,779 faith? Where is your faith? 103 00:08:16,220 –> 00:08:23,019 I have to tell you that that question has been God’s means of deliverance in my life 104 00:08:23,019 –> 00:08:28,540 on many occasions. 105 00:08:28,540 –> 00:08:33,340 My prayer is that the Holy Spirit will plant it into your mind and heart in such a way 106 00:08:33,419 –> 00:08:40,419 that you will find that He uses it in your life that way, too. 107 00:08:40,960 –> 00:08:47,960 You find yourself confronted with a situation you never expected—your health, your work. 108 00:08:50,320 –> 00:08:57,320 Something happens in your family. Someone lets you down, and it seems as if your whole 109 00:08:58,280 –> 00:09:05,280 world is falling apart. Suddenly it’s as if a chasm opens beneath you, and you feel that 110 00:09:07,239 –> 00:09:11,859 you are going to fall in and you’re saying to yourself, what does the future hold for 111 00:09:11,859 –> 00:09:18,559 me? How in all the world am I going to survive this? 112 00:09:18,559 –> 00:09:24,280 And your mind is filled with fear, and it is filled with a sense of failure and with 113 00:09:24,359 –> 00:09:31,359 a sense of despair, and Jesus has a question for you, where is your faith? 114 00:09:40,840 –> 00:09:47,719 I can honestly say I have lived on this question through some of the hardest times in my own 115 00:09:47,719 –> 00:09:59,559 life. I have not always answered it well but I’ve learned to ask it of myself, and there 116 00:09:59,559 –> 00:10:05,539 have been times when it has seemed to me as if the Holy Spirit were activating this question 117 00:10:05,539 –> 00:10:11,200 within my mind. By the way, that is one of the great benefits of storing scripture in 118 00:10:11,200 –> 00:10:18,440 your mind, even if it’s just a little line of scripture like this. Store the truth of 119 00:10:18,440 –> 00:10:23,799 scripture in your mind and when you’re in trouble you’ll find the Holy Spirit activates 120 00:10:23,799 –> 00:10:32,799 what’s in your mind. It’s a wonderful thing. God has used this question many times to chase 121 00:10:32,799 –> 00:10:42,679 down despairing thoughts, miserable fears, feelings of defeat that lurk within my own 122 00:10:42,679 –> 00:10:52,479 heart, within my own mind. They are rascals. Do you agree with that? The thoughts of despair 123 00:10:52,479 –> 00:11:00,700 and defeat and the fears that come, they’re rascals in the mind. They’re like vermin in 124 00:11:00,700 –> 00:11:08,840 the mind. I think of them as being like filthy spiritual mice, running around, nibbling away, 125 00:11:08,840 –> 00:11:16,900 causing chaos in the inner life. If these thoughts are like the mice, then Jesus question 126 00:11:16,900 –> 00:11:28,219 is like the cat. When the mice are running, I need the cat to chase them down. Here’s 127 00:11:28,219 –> 00:11:39,179 the cat. Where is your faith? Now let’s look at the situation that led Jesus to ask this 128 00:11:39,179 –> 00:11:44,440 marvelous question. Disciples are in a boat. They’re crossing the Lake of Galilee and they 129 00:11:44,440 –> 00:11:50,960 run into a storm. One of the best known stories in all of the Gospel. Now I know what I’d 130 00:11:50,979 –> 00:11:57,979 be thinking if I had been there. Boat goes into a storm, first thought in my mind, who 131 00:11:59,320 –> 00:12:06,320 got us into this mess? Do you think like that? Whose idea was it that we get in this boat? 132 00:12:09,200 –> 00:12:14,940 Whose idea was it we cross the lake tonight? Well Luke tells us quite clearly who got them 133 00:12:15,159 –> 00:12:22,159 into this mess? It was Jesus. Verse 22, one day Jesus said to his disciples, let’s go 134 00:12:22,859 –> 00:12:29,859 over to the other side of the lake. So, crossing the lake at this time was Jesus idea. The 135 00:12:31,020 –> 00:12:35,659 way that the disciples responded to Jesus is really a wonderful model of obedience. 136 00:12:35,659 –> 00:12:42,659 Look at what it says. So, they got into the boat and set out. You can’t get better responsiveness 137 00:12:43,080 –> 00:12:47,080 to Jesus than that. Jesus says, launch out. We’re going the other side of the lake and 138 00:12:47,080 –> 00:12:54,080 they get in the boat. I mean, that’s marvelous. This is a wonderful example of disciples walking 139 00:12:54,099 –> 00:13:01,099 in step with the Master and Jesus leads them right into a storm. 140 00:13:01,820 –> 00:13:07,859 This, of course, is the opposite of the story of Jonah. Remember in the Old Testament, God 141 00:13:07,979 –> 00:13:12,539 called the Prophet Jonah to go to Nineveh. Jonah didn’t want to go and so he got on a 142 00:13:12,539 –> 00:13:18,059 ship going the opposite direction and he sailed right into a storm. So we know from the Old 143 00:13:18,059 –> 00:13:23,460 Testament that disobeying Christ can lead you into a storm. We all nod wisely and say 144 00:13:23,460 –> 00:13:28,739 oh yes disobeying Jesus will lead you into a storm. What we’re discovering here is that 145 00:13:28,739 –> 00:13:35,739 following Jesus will lead you into a storm. Anyone who has ever attempted to do something 146 00:13:36,599 –> 00:13:42,619 significant for Christ knows that this is true. Anyone who has ever experienced standing 147 00:13:42,619 –> 00:13:48,179 up in the public square for the sake of the name of Jesus Christ knows that it is true. 148 00:13:48,179 –> 00:13:55,179 Any student who sets his or her heart on holiness. Any businessman who sets his mind on integrity. 149 00:13:57,760 –> 00:14:03,859 Any pastor or missionary who consecrates his or her self to be serious about the scriptures. 150 00:14:03,919 –> 00:14:08,039 Any Christian who says I’m not content simply to listen to the words of Jesus, I’m going 151 00:14:08,039 –> 00:14:15,039 to put them into practice. You will discover this principle that Jesus leads you into a 152 00:14:16,719 –> 00:14:23,719 storm! Think about the experience of the disciples. Following Jesus was many things for them. 153 00:14:23,760 –> 00:14:30,739 Jesus was many things for them. But quiet was never one of them. If you’re looking 154 00:14:33,239 –> 00:14:40,239 for the most conservative possible life don’t follow Jesus. He will lead you into a storm! 155 00:14:45,320 –> 00:14:50,580 The Christian life in its very nature is a sustained conflict that one takes up with 156 00:14:50,599 –> 00:14:57,599 the world, the flesh, and the devil, and it lasts a lifetime. Now, notice what the disciples 157 00:14:58,940 –> 00:15:04,979 say when they discover Jesus leading them into a storm. The disciples went and they 158 00:15:04,979 –> 00:15:11,979 awoke Jesus and they say to him, Master, Master, we’re going to drown. Now, notice what they 159 00:15:11,979 –> 00:15:18,979 say here. Notice the emphasis on the word we’re. We’re going to drown. The disciples’ 160 00:15:25,159 –> 00:15:29,239 fear, you see, was not just that the 12 of them would drown. The disciples’ fear was 161 00:15:29,239 –> 00:15:36,239 that Jesus would drown with them. They’re all in the same boat. Master, we’re 162 00:15:37,419 –> 00:15:39,059 going to drown. 163 00:15:39,619 –> 00:15:46,619 Now, think about it. Here is the Savior of the world, together with the 12 he has chosen 164 00:15:47,580 –> 00:15:53,599 as apostles to bring the good news of God’s salvation to the whole world. 165 00:15:53,599 –> 00:16:00,599 The hope of the ages is afloat on this little boat. The whole of the Old Testament has for 166 00:16:00,760 –> 00:16:07,760 2,000 years and more been preparing for the coming of Jesus since the time of Abraham, 167 00:16:09,919 –> 00:16:16,919 and now it seems that the whole purpose of God is going to sink right here on this little 168 00:16:17,359 –> 00:16:24,359 lake. So what we have here is, the fear of ultimate catastrophe. We all know what that’s 169 00:16:25,000 –> 00:16:32,000 like. Something happens and it seems that everything God has ever purposed for your 170 00:16:37,239 –> 00:16:44,239 life will be sunk. A job comes to an end. A church changes direction. An illness or 171 00:16:45,159 –> 00:16:50,159 a tragedy affects the family. A loved one dies. And you feel that everything is 172 00:16:57,960 –> 00:17:02,960 lost. And along with the disciples you would come to the place of saying, master, 173 00:17:02,960 –> 00:17:07,959 we’re going to drown. That’s why I love this story. Because 174 00:17:23,459 –> 00:17:27,160 out on the lake these disciples discovered what you and I really need to learn and go 175 00:17:27,160 –> 00:17:32,979 on learning that Jesus’ work is not so easily sunk. 176 00:17:32,979 –> 00:17:39,979 The storm that is raging around you is a small thing for Jesus. It will not overwhelm Him, 177 00:17:41,180 –> 00:17:48,180 and that is why it will not overwhelm you. So he turned to them and he said, where is 178 00:17:49,479 –> 00:17:56,479 your faith? Now let’s look at that question together. 179 00:17:57,880 –> 00:18:04,880 Where is your faith? Christian faith is always faith in Jesus Christ. 180 00:18:10,680 –> 00:18:17,680 It’s very important for us to grasp this. Christian faith is always faith in Jesus Christ. 181 00:18:19,099 –> 00:18:26,099 In other words, faith is not some inner capacity that we develop. It is very simply the natural 182 00:18:26,459 –> 00:18:33,260 response to a proper appreciation of Jesus. That is, faith draws its strength from the 183 00:18:33,260 –> 00:18:40,260 capacity of the Saviour. What can faith do for you? Not much. What can Christ do for 184 00:18:42,380 –> 00:18:49,380 you? All things. We do not have faith in faith, we have faith in Christ. So Christian faith 185 00:18:50,060 –> 00:18:57,060 then is very simply the natural response to a proper appreciation of Jesus Christ. This 186 00:18:57,500 –> 00:19:04,500 Jesus is entirely worthy of your trust in every situation. And if you know this Jesus, 187 00:19:05,859 –> 00:19:12,859 you will trust him. It is worth taking a moment to recall what these disciples already knew 188 00:19:13,859 –> 00:19:18,859 about Jesus before they got in the boat with him. So if you have your Bible open, 189 00:19:18,859 –> 00:19:25,380 please just glance back with me for a moment at what they had already experienced of Jesus. 190 00:19:26,859 –> 00:19:29,859 For example, if you glance back to Luke’s Gospel 191 00:19:29,859 –> 00:19:34,859 in chapter 5, Luke’s Gospel in chapter 5, and you’ll see it begins 192 00:19:34,859 –> 00:19:38,859 there with the calling of the first disciples, the group get going and what happens next? 193 00:19:39,859 –> 00:19:41,859 In chapter 5 in verse 12, 194 00:19:41,859 –> 00:19:47,859 we have the cleansing of the leper. Here’s this man, this leper, 195 00:19:47,859 –> 00:19:50,859 who has an incurable disease, 196 00:19:50,859 –> 00:19:55,859 and Jesus just touched him and he was healed. 197 00:19:55,859 –> 00:19:59,859 Then in verse 17 of chapter 5, there’s this man who has paralyzed, 198 00:19:59,859 –> 00:20:02,859 he’s unable to turn himself over on his side, 199 00:20:02,859 –> 00:20:06,859 he needs friends to carry him on his bed, He has no power of movement at all. 200 00:20:06,859 –> 00:20:11,859 And Jesus just speaks to him, and he gets up, 201 00:20:11,859 –> 00:20:14,859 and he walks home. 202 00:20:14,859 –> 00:20:17,859 In chapter 7, verse 1 through 10, 203 00:20:17,859 –> 00:20:19,859 you have the story of the Centurion’s servant. 204 00:20:19,859 –> 00:20:23,859 Luke tells us there was a Centurion who had a servant, 205 00:20:23,859 –> 00:20:26,859 who was sick and about to die. 206 00:20:26,859 –> 00:20:30,859 So we’re in a hospice situation here, 207 00:20:30,859 –> 00:20:33,859 and Jesus didn’t even go to the house, 208 00:20:34,859 –> 00:20:38,859 but this man was raised up. 209 00:20:38,859 –> 00:20:41,859 Then in chapter 7, in verse 11, 210 00:20:41,859 –> 00:20:44,859 we find that Jesus comes to a town of Nain, 211 00:20:44,859 –> 00:20:47,859 and His disciples are with Him, verse 11. 212 00:20:47,859 –> 00:20:49,859 So they saw this, too. 213 00:20:49,859 –> 00:20:52,859 There’s a funeral procession that comes out 214 00:20:52,859 –> 00:20:54,859 of the town, heading towards the cemetery. 215 00:20:54,859 –> 00:20:56,859 Jesus asks about it. 216 00:20:56,859 –> 00:21:00,859 It turns out that it is the funeral of a young boy, 217 00:21:00,859 –> 00:21:02,859 and Jesus is moved with compassion 218 00:21:02,859 –> 00:21:05,859 as He sees the grief of the boy’s mother 219 00:21:05,859 –> 00:21:07,859 in her loneliness. 220 00:21:07,859 –> 00:21:10,859 And Jesus touches the coffin. 221 00:21:10,859 –> 00:21:12,859 I mean, can you imagine this? 222 00:21:12,859 –> 00:21:14,859 Jesus touches the coffin, the disciples are watching, 223 00:21:14,859 –> 00:21:18,859 and this boy gets up. 224 00:21:18,859 –> 00:21:22,859 He gets out of the coffin, 225 00:21:22,859 –> 00:21:26,859 and Jesus gives him back to his mother. 226 00:21:26,859 –> 00:21:29,859 The disciples had seen all these things. 227 00:21:30,859 –> 00:21:32,859 Then in 7 and verse 18, 228 00:21:32,859 –> 00:21:33,859 we have this wonderful story 229 00:21:33,859 –> 00:21:36,859 about some disciples of John the Baptist. 230 00:21:37,859 –> 00:21:39,859 John the Baptist by this time was in prison, 231 00:21:39,859 –> 00:21:43,859 and so he sent some of his followers to Jesus 232 00:21:43,859 –> 00:21:47,859 to ask if Jesus was indeed the promised Messiah. 233 00:21:47,859 –> 00:21:49,859 Chapter 7 and verse 19. 234 00:21:49,859 –> 00:21:51,859 They asked Jesus this question, 235 00:21:51,859 –> 00:21:54,859 are you the one who was to come? 236 00:21:54,859 –> 00:21:55,859 That’s the Messiah. 237 00:21:55,859 –> 00:21:57,859 Are you the one who was to come, 238 00:21:57,859 –> 00:22:01,859 or should we expect somebody else? 239 00:22:01,859 –> 00:22:03,859 In verse 22, Jesus gives the answer 240 00:22:03,859 –> 00:22:06,859 to these folks to take back to John in prison. 241 00:22:06,859 –> 00:22:10,859 And he says to them, tell John, tell John. 242 00:22:10,859 –> 00:22:12,859 The blind receive their sight, 243 00:22:12,859 –> 00:22:13,859 the lame walk, 244 00:22:13,859 –> 00:22:15,859 those who have leprosy are cured, 245 00:22:15,859 –> 00:22:18,859 the deaf hear, the dead are raised, 246 00:22:18,859 –> 00:22:19,859 and the good news 247 00:22:19,859 –> 00:22:20,859 is preached to the poor. 248 00:22:20,859 –> 00:22:22,859 What more do you want the Messiah to do? 249 00:22:22,859 –> 00:22:24,859 It’s as if Jesus would say. 250 00:22:25,859 –> 00:22:26,859 Of course 251 00:22:26,859 –> 00:22:28,859 he is the Christ. 252 00:22:29,859 –> 00:22:31,859 And the disciples have heard and seen 253 00:22:31,859 –> 00:22:34,859 all these things. 254 00:22:35,859 –> 00:22:36,859 And now they find themselves 255 00:22:36,859 –> 00:22:38,859 in the middle of a storm. 256 00:22:39,859 –> 00:22:43,859 Suddenly they personally are affected. 257 00:22:44,859 –> 00:22:45,859 It’s not them going around 258 00:22:45,859 –> 00:22:46,859 ministering to all these other people 259 00:22:46,859 –> 00:22:48,859 with Jesus. 260 00:22:48,859 –> 00:22:51,859 It’s now a problem for me. 261 00:22:53,859 –> 00:22:54,859 And Jesus says to them. 262 00:22:55,859 –> 00:23:00,859 Where is your faith? 263 00:23:03,859 –> 00:23:07,859 You’ve seen what I’m able to do for others. 264 00:23:08,859 –> 00:23:10,859 Don’t you think 265 00:23:10,859 –> 00:23:12,859 I can handle this for you? 266 00:23:14,859 –> 00:23:16,859 Do you really think 267 00:23:16,859 –> 00:23:18,859 that the whole plan of God 268 00:23:18,859 –> 00:23:19,859 for the salvation of the world 269 00:23:19,859 –> 00:23:20,859 is going to go down 270 00:23:20,859 –> 00:23:23,859 on this little lake? 271 00:23:24,859 –> 00:23:26,859 See, Christ is calling them 272 00:23:26,859 –> 00:23:28,859 to lean into 273 00:23:28,859 –> 00:23:30,859 what they already know about Him. 274 00:23:31,859 –> 00:23:32,859 See, that’s what faith is, 275 00:23:32,859 –> 00:23:33,859 in its essence, 276 00:23:33,859 –> 00:23:34,859 it is leaning into 277 00:23:34,859 –> 00:23:37,859 what you know of Christ. 278 00:23:38,859 –> 00:23:39,859 That’s why we’ve called 279 00:23:39,859 –> 00:23:40,859 this message today 280 00:23:40,859 –> 00:23:42,859 A Question Of Experience, 281 00:23:43,859 –> 00:23:45,859 because faith leans into 282 00:23:45,859 –> 00:23:48,859 what you know of Jesus Christ. 283 00:23:51,859 –> 00:23:52,859 And not just what you know, 284 00:23:52,859 –> 00:23:53,859 but what we know. 285 00:23:54,859 –> 00:23:55,859 Notice by the way that 286 00:23:55,859 –> 00:23:56,859 when Jesus asks the question, 287 00:23:56,859 –> 00:23:58,859 he asks it of the whole group. 288 00:23:58,859 –> 00:24:00,859 Where is your faith? 289 00:24:00,859 –> 00:24:02,859 He’s asking it of the group. 290 00:24:03,859 –> 00:24:04,859 It’s plural. 291 00:24:04,859 –> 00:24:05,859 Your faith. 292 00:24:06,859 –> 00:24:08,859 I find that helpful, 293 00:24:09,859 –> 00:24:10,859 because it reminds me 294 00:24:10,859 –> 00:24:12,859 that what I lean into 295 00:24:12,859 –> 00:24:14,859 in my times of trouble 296 00:24:15,859 –> 00:24:17,859 is not just my own little 297 00:24:17,859 –> 00:24:19,859 personal experience of Jesus. 298 00:24:19,859 –> 00:24:22,859 It is 299 00:24:22,859 –> 00:24:24,859 the whole church’s experience of Jesus. 300 00:24:24,859 –> 00:24:25,859 It is the 301 00:24:25,859 –> 00:24:27,859 apostolic experience of Jesus. 302 00:24:29,859 –> 00:24:32,859 Sometimes we need the common faith 303 00:24:33,859 –> 00:24:35,859 to strengthen our individual faith. 304 00:24:36,859 –> 00:24:39,859 Look at other believers around you. 305 00:24:40,859 –> 00:24:42,859 Think about the storms 306 00:24:42,859 –> 00:24:44,859 God has brought them through. 307 00:24:45,859 –> 00:24:47,859 Think of how God has 308 00:24:47,859 –> 00:24:49,859 sustained His church, His people 309 00:24:49,859 –> 00:24:51,859 through some pretty wild storms 310 00:24:51,859 –> 00:24:54,859 for 2,000 years 311 00:24:54,859 –> 00:24:56,859 and the boat has not sunk. 312 00:24:57,859 –> 00:24:59,859 Why can’t you trust Him? 313 00:25:01,859 –> 00:25:02,859 You really think He’s gonna blow it 314 00:25:02,859 –> 00:25:03,859 with a little old you? 315 00:25:07,859 –> 00:25:08,859 The Saviour will lead us 316 00:25:08,859 –> 00:25:11,859 through all kinds of storms 317 00:25:11,859 –> 00:25:12,859 but He will bring you through them. 318 00:25:12,859 –> 00:25:15,859 He will bring you out of them 319 00:25:15,859 –> 00:25:17,859 and the storms of life 320 00:25:17,859 –> 00:25:21,859 will not sink His purpose for you. 321 00:25:23,859 –> 00:25:24,859 Of course, the last storm 322 00:25:24,859 –> 00:25:25,859 that He will lead you into 323 00:25:25,859 –> 00:25:28,859 will be the storm of death itself. 324 00:25:29,859 –> 00:25:31,859 But even that one 325 00:25:31,859 –> 00:25:33,859 will not sink His purpose 326 00:25:33,859 –> 00:25:35,859 because He will bring you through it 327 00:25:35,859 –> 00:25:36,859 into His presence 328 00:25:36,859 –> 00:25:40,859 where there is fullness of joy. 329 00:25:40,859 –> 00:25:45,859 The storm will not sink 330 00:25:45,859 –> 00:25:47,859 the purpose of God, 331 00:25:47,859 –> 00:25:49,859 but it can be the place 332 00:25:49,859 –> 00:25:51,859 where you will grasp 333 00:25:51,859 –> 00:25:55,859 something new of His glory. 334 00:25:55,859 –> 00:25:57,859 It’s what it was for the disciples. 335 00:25:59,859 –> 00:26:03,859 Where is your faith? 336 00:26:05,859 –> 00:26:07,859 I want to turn this question 337 00:26:07,859 –> 00:26:08,859 just one more way 338 00:26:08,859 –> 00:26:10,859 and to accent it differently 339 00:26:10,859 –> 00:26:11,859 for us to see something else 340 00:26:11,859 –> 00:26:12,859 very important that’s in it. 341 00:26:13,859 –> 00:26:14,859 We’ve asked a question, 342 00:26:14,859 –> 00:26:16,859 where is your faith? 343 00:26:16,859 –> 00:26:18,859 And spoken of how 344 00:26:18,859 –> 00:26:19,859 our faith is in Christ 345 00:26:19,859 –> 00:26:21,859 and it’s leaning into 346 00:26:21,859 –> 00:26:22,859 all that He is. 347 00:26:24,859 –> 00:26:26,859 Let me put it this way. 348 00:26:26,859 –> 00:26:29,859 Where is your faith? 349 00:26:29,859 –> 00:26:31,859 Where is it? 350 00:26:35,859 –> 00:26:37,859 Now remember that Jesus 351 00:26:37,859 –> 00:26:39,859 is speaking to the disciples here. 352 00:26:39,859 –> 00:26:41,859 These men have already left 353 00:26:41,859 –> 00:26:43,859 everything to follow Him. 354 00:26:43,859 –> 00:26:44,859 They’ve put their trust in Him 355 00:26:44,859 –> 00:26:45,859 and now they are in the process 356 00:26:45,859 –> 00:26:46,859 of gradually discovering 357 00:26:46,859 –> 00:26:48,859 more about Him. 358 00:26:48,859 –> 00:26:49,859 In other words, 359 00:26:49,859 –> 00:26:50,859 they are in the same position 360 00:26:50,859 –> 00:26:52,859 as a Christian believer today 361 00:26:52,859 –> 00:26:54,859 and Jesus knows 362 00:26:54,859 –> 00:26:56,859 that they have faith. 363 00:26:56,859 –> 00:26:58,859 The problem is 364 00:26:58,859 –> 00:27:00,859 not that they’re without faith, 365 00:27:00,859 –> 00:27:01,859 the problem is that 366 00:27:01,859 –> 00:27:02,859 though they have faith 367 00:27:02,859 –> 00:27:05,859 they are not exercising it. 368 00:27:06,859 –> 00:27:08,859 So he asked them this question, 369 00:27:08,859 –> 00:27:11,859 Where is your faith? 370 00:27:11,859 –> 00:27:12,859 In other words what we learn 371 00:27:12,859 –> 00:27:13,859 from this question 372 00:27:13,859 –> 00:27:15,859 is that it is possible 373 00:27:15,859 –> 00:27:17,859 to be a Christian believer 374 00:27:17,859 –> 00:27:18,859 to have faith 375 00:27:18,859 –> 00:27:21,859 and not to use it. 376 00:27:21,859 –> 00:27:24,859 It’s possible to have faith 377 00:27:24,859 –> 00:27:27,859 and to leave it dormant. 378 00:27:27,859 –> 00:27:28,859 It’s possible to have 379 00:27:28,859 –> 00:27:30,859 the mice running round 380 00:27:30,859 –> 00:27:32,859 the lady in your mind 381 00:27:32,859 –> 00:27:35,859 and the cat in the cage. 382 00:27:35,859 –> 00:27:41,859 Where is your faith? 383 00:27:41,859 –> 00:27:42,859 What this teaches us 384 00:27:42,859 –> 00:27:45,859 and I find this one of 385 00:27:45,859 –> 00:27:47,859 the most practical 386 00:27:47,859 –> 00:27:49,859 and significant principles 387 00:27:49,859 –> 00:27:51,859 in all of the Christian life 388 00:27:51,859 –> 00:27:55,859 is simply this. 389 00:27:55,859 –> 00:27:59,859 That faith does not work automatically, 390 00:27:59,859 –> 00:28:02,859 it has to be engaged. 391 00:28:02,859 –> 00:28:04,859 If you can get hold of that 392 00:28:04,859 –> 00:28:07,859 it will open up a whole new perspective 393 00:28:07,859 –> 00:28:08,859 as to what it means 394 00:28:08,859 –> 00:28:09,859 to walk with Jesus Christ 395 00:28:09,859 –> 00:28:10,859 through a storm. 396 00:28:10,859 –> 00:28:15,859 Faith does not work automatically, 397 00:28:15,859 –> 00:28:18,859 it has to be engaged. 398 00:28:18,859 –> 00:28:20,859 In other words, 399 00:28:20,859 –> 00:28:24,859 faith involves an intentional act 400 00:28:24,859 –> 00:28:27,859 of putting your trust 401 00:28:27,859 –> 00:28:28,859 in all that you know 402 00:28:28,859 –> 00:28:30,859 of Jesus Christ. 403 00:28:30,859 –> 00:28:31,859 Faith involves 404 00:28:31,859 –> 00:28:34,859 an intentional act 405 00:28:34,859 –> 00:28:35,859 of putting your trust 406 00:28:35,859 –> 00:28:37,859 in all that you know 407 00:28:37,859 –> 00:28:40,859 of Jesus Christ. 408 00:28:40,859 –> 00:28:41,859 Now, let me try 409 00:28:41,859 –> 00:28:42,859 and give you that 410 00:28:42,859 –> 00:28:43,859 in a picture 411 00:28:43,859 –> 00:28:44,859 that hopefully will help us 412 00:28:44,859 –> 00:28:47,859 to grasp it today. 413 00:28:47,859 –> 00:28:51,859 I enjoy driving an automatic car, 414 00:28:51,859 –> 00:28:52,859 but I have to tell you 415 00:28:52,859 –> 00:28:54,859 it never seems to me 416 00:28:54,859 –> 00:28:57,859 like real driving. 417 00:28:58,859 –> 00:28:59,859 There’s something about 418 00:28:59,859 –> 00:29:02,859 driving stick shift 419 00:29:02,859 –> 00:29:03,859 that really makes you 420 00:29:03,859 –> 00:29:06,859 feel connected to the road, right? 421 00:29:06,859 –> 00:29:10,859 People are nodding in agreement. 422 00:29:10,859 –> 00:29:12,859 Our family has this routine 423 00:29:12,859 –> 00:29:14,859 of going back to Britain 424 00:29:14,859 –> 00:29:16,859 in the summer, 425 00:29:16,859 –> 00:29:17,859 going down to Fine Arts, 426 00:29:17,859 –> 00:29:20,859 now we fly into Heathrow, 427 00:29:20,859 –> 00:29:21,859 we hire a car, 428 00:29:21,859 –> 00:29:22,859 we head down to 429 00:29:22,859 –> 00:29:23,859 Karen’s home in Devon 430 00:29:23,859 –> 00:29:24,859 and then later to mine 431 00:29:24,859 –> 00:29:25,859 in Scotland. 432 00:29:25,859 –> 00:29:28,859 We always hire stick shift. 433 00:29:28,859 –> 00:29:31,859 First, because it’s more fun to drive, 434 00:29:31,859 –> 00:29:36,859 second because it’s cheaper. 435 00:29:36,859 –> 00:29:37,859 Try and imagine now 436 00:29:37,859 –> 00:29:39,859 the four of us driving 437 00:29:39,859 –> 00:29:40,859 off down the motorway 438 00:29:40,859 –> 00:29:42,859 from Heathrow airport, 439 00:29:42,859 –> 00:29:43,859 from London down to Devon 440 00:29:43,859 –> 00:29:45,859 about two hundred and fifty miles, 441 00:29:45,859 –> 00:29:46,859 it’s the middle of summer, 442 00:29:46,859 –> 00:29:48,859 it is a magnificent open road 443 00:29:48,859 –> 00:29:50,859 and we’re clipping along 444 00:29:50,859 –> 00:29:52,859 there at a good seventy miles an hour. 445 00:29:52,859 –> 00:29:54,859 Then about thirty miles 446 00:29:54,859 –> 00:29:57,859 before we arrive at Carnes’ Home. 447 00:29:57,859 –> 00:29:59,859 The roads takes a steep 448 00:29:59,859 –> 00:30:01,859 and sweeping curve 449 00:30:01,859 –> 00:30:04,859 and a sharp incline 450 00:30:04,859 –> 00:30:08,859 that is known as Telegraph Hill. 451 00:30:08,859 –> 00:30:09,859 It’s quite famous 452 00:30:09,859 –> 00:30:12,859 as you enter into Devon. 453 00:30:12,859 –> 00:30:16,859 Telegraph Hill is something else. 454 00:30:16,859 –> 00:30:18,859 It’s not just the sudden sharpness 455 00:30:18,859 –> 00:30:20,859 of the incline 456 00:30:20,859 –> 00:30:21,859 after so much flatness, 457 00:30:21,859 –> 00:30:23,859 it’s the sheer length 458 00:30:23,859 –> 00:30:24,859 of the climb. 459 00:30:24,859 –> 00:30:25,859 You think as you’re driving up 460 00:30:25,859 –> 00:30:27,859 this broad road 461 00:30:27,859 –> 00:30:29,859 that you will never reach the top. 462 00:30:29,859 –> 00:30:32,859 It is relentless. 463 00:30:32,859 –> 00:30:34,859 It is not at all uncommon 464 00:30:34,859 –> 00:30:35,859 to find vehicles 465 00:30:35,859 –> 00:30:36,859 pulled to the side of the road 466 00:30:36,859 –> 00:30:37,859 with steam blowing 467 00:30:37,859 –> 00:30:38,859 out of the radiator. 468 00:30:38,859 –> 00:30:39,859 Certainly 20 years ago 469 00:30:39,859 –> 00:30:40,859 you would find that 470 00:30:40,859 –> 00:30:43,859 you could guarantee it. 471 00:30:43,859 –> 00:30:44,859 And you know when you’re 472 00:30:44,859 –> 00:30:48,859 getting near to Telegraph Hill 473 00:30:48,859 –> 00:30:50,859 because all of the trucks 474 00:30:51,859 –> 00:30:53,859 start speeding. 475 00:30:53,859 –> 00:30:55,859 They’re taking a run at it. 476 00:30:55,859 –> 00:30:58,859 They know it’s coming, you see. 477 00:30:58,859 –> 00:30:59,859 Now I love Telegraph Hill 478 00:30:59,859 –> 00:31:01,859 first because it means 479 00:31:01,859 –> 00:31:02,859 that we only have a few miles 480 00:31:02,859 –> 00:31:05,859 to go until we’re home 481 00:31:05,859 –> 00:31:06,859 but second 482 00:31:06,859 –> 00:31:09,859 because it’s just good fun to drive. 483 00:31:09,859 –> 00:31:10,859 Whoa Telegraph Hill 484 00:31:10,859 –> 00:31:15,859 here we go boys. 485 00:31:15,859 –> 00:31:17,859 You get about a third of the way up 486 00:31:18,859 –> 00:31:20,859 and the engine’s beginning to strain. 487 00:31:20,859 –> 00:31:21,859 What do you do? 488 00:31:21,859 –> 00:31:23,859 In with the clutch, down with the gas. 489 00:31:23,859 –> 00:31:24,859 BOOM! 490 00:31:24,859 –> 00:31:26,859 Down to fourth gear. 491 00:31:26,859 –> 00:31:28,859 You surge forward. 492 00:31:28,859 –> 00:31:29,859 New burst of power 493 00:31:29,859 –> 00:31:32,859 and then the engine begins to strain 494 00:31:32,859 –> 00:31:33,859 and what do you do? 495 00:31:33,859 –> 00:31:35,859 In with the clutch, down with the gas. 496 00:31:35,859 –> 00:31:36,859 BOOOM! 497 00:31:36,859 –> 00:31:38,859 Down to third gear. 498 00:31:38,859 –> 00:31:39,859 Get towards the top 499 00:31:39,859 –> 00:31:40,859 you think how big an engine 500 00:31:40,859 –> 00:31:44,859 does this car have? 501 00:31:44,859 –> 00:31:45,859 You’re struggling again. 502 00:31:45,859 –> 00:31:46,859 What happens in with the clutch 503 00:31:46,859 –> 00:31:47,859 down with the gas? 504 00:31:47,859 –> 00:31:48,859 BOOM! 505 00:31:49,859 –> 00:31:53,859 You’re down to second gear. 506 00:31:53,859 –> 00:31:56,859 The power is there. 507 00:31:56,859 –> 00:31:59,859 It needs to be engaged. 508 00:31:59,859 –> 00:32:02,859 If you sit there in fifth or fourth gear 509 00:32:02,859 –> 00:32:04,859 on Telegraph Hill 510 00:32:04,859 –> 00:32:05,859 you will eventually splutter 511 00:32:05,859 –> 00:32:07,859 to a halt. 512 00:32:07,859 –> 00:32:12,859 No matter how fancy your car. 513 00:32:13,859 –> 00:32:16,859 You must use the capacity of the gears 514 00:32:16,859 –> 00:32:19,859 to match the power you have been given 515 00:32:19,859 –> 00:32:23,859 to the conditions that you find yourelf in. 516 00:32:23,859 –> 00:32:25,859 That’s what driving is. 517 00:32:27,859 –> 00:32:29,859 Take that picture and apply it 518 00:32:29,859 –> 00:32:31,859 to this question of Jesus. 519 00:32:31,859 –> 00:32:33,859 Where is your faith? 520 00:32:35,859 –> 00:32:37,859 Faith doesn’t work automatically. 521 00:32:40,859 –> 00:32:41,859 There is no faith on automatic. 522 00:32:41,859 –> 00:32:43,859 Faith has to be engaged 523 00:32:43,859 –> 00:32:46,859 in the circumstances in which we find ourselves 524 00:32:48,859 –> 00:32:50,859 Faith involves an intentional act 525 00:32:50,859 –> 00:32:53,859 of putting your trust in all that you know of Jesus Christ 526 00:32:54,859 –> 00:32:56,859 An intentional act of my mind 527 00:32:56,859 –> 00:32:58,859 and of my heart 528 00:32:58,859 –> 00:33:00,859 and of my will 529 00:33:00,859 –> 00:33:02,859 in which I say 530 00:33:02,859 –> 00:33:06,859 I put my trust in the middle of this storm in you Jesus 531 00:33:07,859 –> 00:33:10,859 I believe that you are the saviour of the world 532 00:33:10,859 –> 00:33:14,859 that you have authority over sin and death and even hell 533 00:33:15,859 –> 00:33:17,859 that you are eminently worthy of my trust 534 00:33:18,859 –> 00:33:19,859 that you are in control 535 00:33:19,859 –> 00:33:20,859 not only of my little life 536 00:33:20,859 –> 00:33:22,859 but of all history 537 00:33:22,859 –> 00:33:24,859 and that in guiding it towards its climax 538 00:33:24,859 –> 00:33:27,859 you have the eternal purpose 539 00:33:27,859 –> 00:33:29,859 in view of the great day 540 00:33:29,859 –> 00:33:31,859 when Jesus Christ will be revealed 541 00:33:31,859 –> 00:33:33,859 in all his glory 542 00:33:33,859 –> 00:33:36,859 And I am one of your children 543 00:33:36,859 –> 00:33:38,859 I am already in your hand 544 00:33:39,859 –> 00:33:41,859 And all that concerns me 545 00:33:41,859 –> 00:33:43,859 is surrounded by your everlasting love 546 00:33:44,859 –> 00:33:47,859 and your everlasting care 547 00:33:48,859 –> 00:33:50,859 I know that you may lead me into a storm 548 00:33:51,859 –> 00:33:54,859 but I also know that you will never abandon me there 549 00:33:54,859 –> 00:33:56,859 and nothing in this life now 550 00:33:56,859 –> 00:33:57,859 and nothing in the world to come 551 00:33:58,859 –> 00:34:00,859 and nothing even in death that separates the two 552 00:34:00,859 –> 00:34:02,859 can take me from you 553 00:34:02,859 –> 00:34:07,859 or stop you from fulfilling your purpose in me 554 00:34:08,860 –> 00:34:14,860 Therefore, I will trust you in this storm 555 00:34:18,860 –> 00:34:20,860 And all over this church 556 00:34:23,860 –> 00:34:26,860 All through the services this day 557 00:34:29,860 –> 00:34:32,860 there are people throughout our entire congregation 558 00:34:32,860 –> 00:34:38,860 and we’re facing all kinds of storms 559 00:34:41,860 –> 00:34:44,860 Think about that storm for you 560 00:34:45,860 –> 00:34:47,860 And let me ask you a question 561 00:34:49,860 –> 00:34:53,860 Where is your faith? 562 00:34:54,860 –> 00:34:57,860 Where is your faith? 563 00:34:58,860 –> 00:35:01,860 Let’s pray together shall we 564 00:35:03,860 –> 00:35:07,860 Father in our worship we have been exalting you 565 00:35:07,860 –> 00:35:10,860 as the solid rock 566 00:35:12,860 –> 00:35:14,860 the sure foundation 567 00:35:14,860 –> 00:35:17,860 the anchor for our soul 568 00:35:18,860 –> 00:35:20,860 We lift our heart to bless you 569 00:35:20,860 –> 00:35:25,860 that you are the one who can be fully trusted 570 00:35:26,860 –> 00:35:32,860 We ask in the many situations that are in minds and hearts before you now 571 00:35:32,860 –> 00:35:37,860 that leaning into all that we know of Christ 572 00:35:37,860 –> 00:35:39,860 faith may be engaged 573 00:35:40,860 –> 00:35:44,860 For these things we ask 574 00:35:44,860 –> 00:35:46,860 In Jesus name 575 00:35:46,860 –> 00:35:51,860 Amen