I
have been through two tornadoes and one tropical storm. I didn’t enjoy any of
these storms. But I realize that living in a fallen world means I will face
storms.
I
believe that we as disciples and followers of Jesus in America today are in the
middle of a storm. It is storm of faith; a storm of trusting God.
Psalm
107:29 says that He made the storm be still, and the waves of the sea were
hushed. God stills the storm and God calms the waves. That sounds really good,
but is that what God does?
In
Matthew 14:22-33 Jesus sends the disciples on ahead of Him in a boat to cross
the Sea of Galilee. Jesus stays behind to pray. The disciples, as they are
trying to cross the Sea of Galilee, run into a storm and are in real trouble.
Jesus comes to their help by walking on the water. The disciples don’t know it
is Jesus as He comes to them, and they are afraid. Jesus tells them that it is
Him and for them not to be afraid. Peter says that if it really is Jesus, then
tell him to come to Him on the water. Jesus says to Peter, “Come”. Peter steps
out of the boat and walks on the water until he takes his focus off of Jesus
and he begins to sink. He cries out for help and Jesus reaches down and pulls
him up.
Then
in Matthew 14:32-33 it says, “And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased.
And those in the boat worshiped Him saying, ‘Truly you are the Son of God’.”
When
Jesus healed a leper, the disciples did not worship Him.
When
Jesus expelled many demons from a demon-possessed man, the disciples did not
worship Him.
When
Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, the disciples did not worship Him.
Why
did they worship Jesus when He stilled the storm? They worshiped because it was
their lives He saved. This was not a theological miracle or a theoretical
miracle; it was a personal saving-my-life miracle.
Raise
the Roof and Remove the Walls is recognizing that Jesus saved us and worshiping
Him because He is our Savior.
The
disciples recognized Jesus as who He was, the Son of God. They recognized Jesus
as the Son of God because of the authority they saw in Him when He stilled the
storm. No human could have done that.
Raise
the Roof and Remove the Walls is acknowledging Jesus for who He is, the Son
of God.
There
is another storm mentioned in connection with Jesus and His disciples.
In
Luke 8:22-25 Jesus and His disciples are crossing the Sea of Galilee and they
run into a storm. Jesus is asleep in the boat. The disciples in a panic wake
Jesus and tell Him the boat is sinking. Jesus rebukes the storm and it ceases.
In
Luke 8:25 it says, “He said to them, ‘Where is your faith?’ And they were
afraid and they marveled, saying to one another, ‘Who then is this, that He
commands even winds and water, and they obey Him?’”
The
disciples had a reverent awe of Jesus. They saw His power and authority and
that created a reverent awe of Him.
The
disciples marveled at Jesus. They had a wonder of Him.
Raise
the Roof and Remove the Walls is living in reverent awe and wonder of Jesus.
We
as disciples of Jesus are to have a reverent awe of Jesus because He is the All-Power,
All-Knowing, Ever-Present, Sovereign, and Supreme God and Creator of All.
We
as disciples of Jesus are to be in wonder of Him. Jesus is God and He gave up
all the majesty and splendor of heaven to take our sin upon Himself to provide
us with salvation.
We
cannot make the storm cease, but Jesus can and He will.
We
see the reality of the storm and cry out to Jesus.
We
trust Jesus to still the storm.
We
worship Jesus in the midst of the storm.
We
show reverent awe of Jesus because He is God.
We
show wonder of Jesus because He came and died for our sin.
And
then we obey Jesus with nothing held back.
In
the Middle of the Storm Raising the Roof and Removing the Walls,
Joe
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