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[music]

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Howdy, Mars Hill.

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We are here on the shores
of the Sea of Galilee.

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This was a region
in which much

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of Jesus' early ministry
occurred.

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Luke is one of
the most chronological,

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perhaps the most chronological,
gospels telling the story

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of Jesus in historical order.

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And he actually reveals to us
that the first portion

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of Jesus' ministry was
in and around Galilee

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and the region of Galilee.

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The book of Luke actually
breaks down at 9:51 where it

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says that, "He set his
face toward Jerusalem."

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That's the geographic
breakdown of the book of Luke.

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And so up until that point, the
first portion of Jesus' ministry

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would have been
in the region of Galilee,

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and then he began his
journey toward Jerusalem,

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ultimately his crucifixion,
and the book then transitions

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at 9:51 into Jesus' journey
and ultimate death, burial,

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resurrection in Jerusalem.

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What's interesting, as well, is
that most of Jesus' disciples

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came from this particular
region of Galilee.

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If I'm not mistaken, perhaps
all but Judas Iscariot,

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came from this general region.

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Not surprisingly, it was filled
with small towns

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that were essentially villages
for fishing and for farming.

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Peter lived not far from here,

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as well as Andrew, James,
John, Matthew.

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Others either lived or resided
at certain points

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in the ministry of Jesus in this
region and area of Galilee.

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The towns and villages
surrounding us were actually

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quite small, 50 to 100 people
as we've seen some

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of the archaeological digs
and investigations.

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So you're looking at 10,
12, 15 families, perhaps,

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constituting
a city or a village.

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We know, as well, that 19
of Jesus' 32 parables

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were spoken and taught
in the region of Galilee,

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and as we look around
at the panoramic scenery,

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it's not surprising that he used
a lot of imagery

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from fishing and farming.

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That would have absolutely been
consistent with the landscape

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here and upwards behind
us over the hill.

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What's interesting, as well,
is some of the details

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about the Sea of Galilee.

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I don't know about you,
when I first heard

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of the Sea of Galilee
in the Scriptures,

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I did not imagine anything
of this scope or magnitude.

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You're looking
at 12 miles across the lake,

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6 miles across the lake,

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200 feet deep
at it's greatest depth.

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And we are told
from the locals

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that the lake actually
was much larger.

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The shore would have extended
up some additional 40 yards

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even last year.

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And in the days of Jesus, if
you can see into the distance,

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there would have been beaches
and shores up the hillside,

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and with this being
a primary source of water,

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it has been depleted
over the years,

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so as magnificent and large
as the Sea of Galilee is,

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remember that
in the days of Jesus,

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it was actually
much larger.

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As you read the Scriptures,
you'll hear this referred to

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in a variety of ways.

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In the Old Testament, you'll
hear it called Kinneret.

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In the New Testament,
it will be referred to as

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the Sea of Tiberias,
the Sea of Gennesaret,

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or the Sea of Chinnereth.

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Part of that is because
the lake is so large

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that there are multiple villages
and towns that existed

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in the days of Jesus,
surrounding the lake,

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and so the locals would
name it after themselves.

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So over in Tiberias, you would
call it the Sea of Tiberias.

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Likewise, if you
were in Chinnereth,

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you would call it
the Sea of Chinnereth,

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so it would be named by
the locals contingent upon their

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village, and they sort of titled
the lake after their locale.

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Now, one thing that is
interesting, as well, before

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we launch into Luke 8 is that
though it is calm at present,

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for those of us who have been
out on the lake

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in the evening time,
as we did last night,

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the wind really
does pick up,

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and it still does till this day.

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Between 3:00 and 4:00 and maybe
6:00 and 7:00 p.m., the winds

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really pick up and it can become
quite treacherous on the lake.

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And so the locals
and the fishermen know to be

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very careful during those hours,
because if you get trapped in

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the middle of this lake during
the moments of high seas

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and high winds, your life is
in very severe jeopardy,

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and that leads us to Luke 8.

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I will read it to you,
and we will then pray.

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Luke 8:22, "One day, he,"
that is Jesus,

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"got into a boat with his
disciples, and he said to them,

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"'Let us go across
to the other side of the lake.'"

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Isn't it amazing you read that,
and you think 13 men in a boat,

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perhaps 6 oars, and they're
gonna go for a nice row.

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Well, this is the nice row.

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This is quite an event.

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For Jesus to request this,
it's a big commitment

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on behalf of his disciples,
who were weary and exhausted

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after a long day of ministry,
to jump in the boat,

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to grab the oars,
and to make this journey.

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"So they set out, and as
they sailed he fell asleep.

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"And a windstorm came
down on the lake,

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"and they were filling with
water and they were in danger.

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"And they went and woke him,
saying, 'Master, Master,

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"'we are perishing!'

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"And he awoke and rebuked
the wind and the raging waves,

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"and they ceased,
and there was calm.

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"He said to them,
'Where is your faith?'

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"And they were afraid, and they
marveled, saying to one another,

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"'Who then is this, that he
commands even winds and water,

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and they obey him?'"

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Father God, I do thank you
that we have an opportunity

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to be on the shores of
the Sea of Galilee on this,

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a Sunday, the resurrection
day of Jesus Christ.

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And God, we thank you for
the opportunity to open

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the Scriptures, and see
the place where the events

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that are recorded faithfully
and perfectly transpired.

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It is our request, Lord God,
as we open the Word of God,

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that we would not be focused
primarily on the lake

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or the storm, but on
the one who calmed them.

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May we learn about Jesus.

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May we learn about his humanity
in his exhaustion,

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and his divinity in commanding
the wind and the waves

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to obey him.

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And so God,
as we open your Word,

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we ask that the Holy Spirit,

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who has inspired the Scriptures
to be written,

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would come to illuminate
our understanding of them,

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so that we might learn to love,
appreciate, worship, and serve,

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and enjoy Jesus,
in whose name we pray, Amen.

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Now, what is interesting is that
preceding what we just read

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in Luke 8, is that Jesus
had been doing a lot

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of preaching, teaching, healing.

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We are told
in the section of Luke 8

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that precedes the portion
we just read,

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that large crowds and multitudes
were coming to hear Jesus.

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And let me just say that this
would have been very unusual,

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the town he grew up
in, Nazareth, was 50,

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perhaps a hundred people.

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Our guide was gracious enough
to inform us that most,

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if not all of the women
who lived therein,

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would have been illiterate,
that the men generally

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were illiterate, that perhaps
only a handful of men,

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five or so would
have been literate.

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And so for Jesus to be literate
growing up in a small town

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as a carpenter's son,
would have been unusual.

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For him to be such a learned
man and a good teacher,

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that they were amazed at his
insights earlier in Luke

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as he went to the temple
and dialogued

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with the scholars of
the Old Testament Scriptures.

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And that he would
have been qualified,

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competent enough
to be called a rabbi.

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That's very unusual for a man
from such a humble beginning.

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And Jesus was a rabbi, meaning
he was a preacher and a teacher.

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And large crowds would come
to him, and we read that,

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and we think, "Well, of course,
Jesus drew large crowds."

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Well, that's because most of us
live in cities

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in or near
major urban centers.

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Again, think about
spread villages,

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50 to 100 people
scattered around the lake.

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For Jesus to amass
audiences of thousands

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was an extraordinary event.

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And for them
to walk in the heat,

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for them to come to places,
and hear him preach and teach

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was very, very unusual.

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Well, we are told that the
result was Jesus was exhausted.

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That's what Luke tells us in
chapter 8 beginning in verse 22,

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that he was tired,
that he was weary.

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And I am exhausted, and I am
weary driving around in a bus

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to see where Jesus walked.

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I don't know about you.

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I couldn't imagine walking.

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I mean, you hear that Jesus went
from this town to this town,

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and then you realize that
that's a few days' walk.

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And you read that Jesus
wanted to be alone,

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and there was a multitude,
so he climbed up a hill.

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And then you look at
Mount Hermon

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that's 6,000 feet at its peak,
and you realize,

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he really wanted some
silence and solitude.

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And the reason that he was left
alone is no one else was willing

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or able to make that
kind of journey.

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Jesus was in extraordinary
shape, unbelievable shape.

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It has been upwards
of 100 degrees

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with almost 100% humidity
in our time here.

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If you can imagine thousands
following him everywhere he

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went, no hotel to go to, no bus
to climb on board, difficulty,

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perhaps, finding shade,
and water, and food.

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He doesn't have a guide.

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People are following him,
and he's having to lead them.

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Some are hurt,
some are tired.

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Others need prayer.

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A few have demons that
need to be cast out.

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He's been preaching,
teaching, answering questions.

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He's been doing this
for a lengthy season.

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He is absolutely exhausted.

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Again, I'm tired.

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I'm exhausted this morning,
to be honest with you.

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And I woke up, and I prayed, I
said, "Lord, how will I do it?"

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And then I remembered I have to
preach on Jesus' ministry being

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extraordinarily more difficult
than anything we've endured,

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and that does help us to
appreciate what we read

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in Luke 8, that the crowds
were coming to him.

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They were pressing in upon him.

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And I'll tell you this, Jesus
was fully God, fully man.

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And what can happen is
sometimes we see Jesus,

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almost as if he's Superman,
that outwardly he looks like

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a humble Galilean peasant,
a carpenter, and a rabbi,

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but under his cloak, he would
have worn a red "S" on his chest

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for savior, and that
he was indestructible.

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And the result is that sometimes
we don't fully appreciate

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the humanity of Jesus.

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Philippians 2:5-11 says
that he came humbly,

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that he set aside the continual
use of his divine attributes,

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that God became a man to
reconcile men and women to God,

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and he did so humbly as our
priest, as our intercessor,

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as our advocate.

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That's why Hebrews says that we
do not have a high priest

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who is unable to sympathize
with us in our weakness,

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but he has been through
what we have been through.

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He understands
what we are enduring.

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And so he was absolutely
fatigued, exhausted.

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And I can tell you as a pastor
with a ministry that is far less

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demanding than Jesus',
it does get exhausting.

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There is a limit to the
number of hours you can work.

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There is a limit to how
far you can press yourself.

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There is a limit to even
though you love people,

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how many you can
serve continually.

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I'm here right now,
to be honest with you, with

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an ulcer that I've been enjoying
for about a month or so,

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just from overwork,
and pressure,

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and requirements of ministry.

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And that's with all of the
advent of modern technology,

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that's with the support of a
wife, and a family, and a staff.

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I can't even imagine
the pressure

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of the ministry of Jesus.

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00:13:34,096 --> 00:13:38,029
There was no one that drew
the crowds that he did.

240
00:13:38,029 --> 00:13:40,054
A typical rabbi
would have a synagogue

241
00:13:40,054 --> 00:13:43,038
in one of these small towns
that would attract upwards

242
00:13:43,038 --> 00:13:46,058
of 20 people for the Scripture
reading on the Sabbath.

243
00:13:46,058 --> 00:13:51,033
And Jesus has thousands that
follow him wherever he goes.

244
00:13:51,033 --> 00:13:55,000
I want you to get the magnitude
of the exhaustion of Jesus.

245
00:13:55,000 --> 00:13:57,017
So what does he
tell his disciples?

246
00:13:57,017 --> 00:13:58,054
"Pull up a boat."

247
00:13:58,054 --> 00:14:00,050
And Peter and others
were fisherman,

248
00:14:00,050 --> 00:14:02,067
they had fished on this lake.

249
00:14:02,067 --> 00:14:05,062
They had spent much
of their upbringing here.

250
00:14:05,062 --> 00:14:07,092
This is where they fed
their families,

251
00:14:07,092 --> 00:14:11,096
and where they enjoyed
their trade, as it were.

252
00:14:11,096 --> 00:14:14,096
And he realized the only
way to get away from people

253
00:14:14,096 --> 00:14:19,054
was to go out there,
was to go out there.

254
00:14:19,054 --> 00:14:23,067
They couldn't follow him,
and if they did follow him,

255
00:14:23,067 --> 00:14:26,012
it would only be for a while.

256
00:14:26,012 --> 00:14:30,017
And so he asked his disciples to
get him a boat, and to take him

257
00:14:30,017 --> 00:14:33,000
to the other side, perhaps
knowing that the crowds would

258
00:14:33,000 --> 00:14:37,062
meet him there eventually, but
he might actually get a day off.

259
00:14:37,062 --> 00:14:41,017
Jesus is so exhausted,
we are told,

260
00:14:41,017 --> 00:14:44,029
that he goes underneath,
or into the boat.

261
00:14:44,029 --> 00:14:47,000
And we can assume,
we saw yesterday,

262
00:14:47,000 --> 00:14:51,025
the excavation of a roughly
2,000-year-old fishing boat.

263
00:14:51,025 --> 00:14:54,071
It gives you some idea of what
Jesus and the disciples were on.

264
00:14:54,071 --> 00:14:57,000
Thirteen men on
a boat of that size,

265
00:14:57,000 --> 00:14:59,083
it would have been a full
boat under a heavy load.

266
00:14:59,083 --> 00:15:02,083
And we saw on that boat
there was a potential place,

267
00:15:02,083 --> 00:15:05,088
if Jesus' boat was
the same or similar,

268
00:15:05,088 --> 00:15:08,021
for him to tuck away
to get some sleep.

269
00:15:08,021 --> 00:15:12,088
Now, how tired is Jesus when
that looks like a nice hotel?

270
00:15:12,088 --> 00:15:15,017
When that looks like
a good place to sleep?

271
00:15:15,017 --> 00:15:16,042
He's that exhausted.

272
00:15:16,042 --> 00:15:20,058
He lays down to sleep,
and the disciples faithfully--

273
00:15:20,058 --> 00:15:22,079
the fishermen
who are well schooled

274
00:15:22,079 --> 00:15:25,067
in how to cross this lake,
they begin rowing,

275
00:15:25,067 --> 00:15:28,033
perhaps six of them,
and then the men are, perhaps,

276
00:15:28,033 --> 00:15:32,083
taking shifts, six at a time,
and they begin rowing,

277
00:15:32,083 --> 00:15:35,000
and what do we read?

278
00:15:35,000 --> 00:15:40,008
Well, we read, "A windstorm
came down on the lake,

279
00:15:40,008 --> 00:15:43,083
and they were filling with
water and were in danger."

280
00:15:43,083 --> 00:15:46,029
These are men who
knew the seas well.

281
00:15:46,029 --> 00:15:48,067
These are fisherman,
these are not novices,

282
00:15:48,067 --> 00:15:54,025
and they realize this storm
is potentially catastrophic.

283
00:15:54,025 --> 00:15:56,017
Some of the other
gospels will record

284
00:15:56,017 --> 00:15:59,033
that they had been rowing
all night.

285
00:15:59,033 --> 00:16:02,033
Now, you understand that the
disciples are exhausted as well.

286
00:16:02,033 --> 00:16:04,075
They've been preaching,
and teaching, and feeding,

287
00:16:04,075 --> 00:16:07,025
and tending to,
looking after thousands,

288
00:16:07,025 --> 00:16:11,004
taking care of the elderly,
tending to the children.

289
00:16:11,004 --> 00:16:13,096
People are dehydrated,
they're hot, they're hungry,

290
00:16:13,096 --> 00:16:17,025
some are grumpy,
some, perhaps, fell,

291
00:16:17,025 --> 00:16:20,000
rolled their ankle,
got injured.

292
00:16:20,000 --> 00:16:22,012
There's pregnant
women to tend to.

293
00:16:22,012 --> 00:16:23,092
There's conflict to mediate.

294
00:16:23,092 --> 00:16:27,088
The disciples
are equally exhausted.

295
00:16:27,088 --> 00:16:31,083
And they're rowing all night,
and if you can imagine being

296
00:16:31,083 --> 00:16:34,054
out on this sea
in the middle of the night,

297
00:16:34,054 --> 00:16:39,008
it is just utter and complete
darkness in the days of Jesus.

298
00:16:39,008 --> 00:16:42,017
And so if,
in fact, it was night,

299
00:16:42,017 --> 00:16:47,004
they had very difficult capacity
of even seeing

300
00:16:47,004 --> 00:16:50,025
a fire over on the shore.

301
00:16:50,025 --> 00:16:54,058
At some point you just get
exhausted and bewildered.

302
00:16:54,058 --> 00:16:58,088
You're just rowing,
and you're disoriented.

303
00:16:58,088 --> 00:17:01,071
And they know we are
not making progress.

304
00:17:01,071 --> 00:17:07,046
This storm is so strong, we have
been turned around so many times

305
00:17:07,046 --> 00:17:10,025
that we don't know if we'll be
able to survive,

306
00:17:10,025 --> 00:17:12,088
and find our place to shore.

307
00:17:12,088 --> 00:17:15,004
And so in a moment
of desperation,

308
00:17:15,004 --> 00:17:17,033
the fishermen come to
the end of themselves.

309
00:17:17,033 --> 00:17:20,000
And my guess is they don't
want to awaken Jesus.

310
00:17:20,000 --> 00:17:20,088
They love him.

311
00:17:20,088 --> 00:17:23,054
They know he's exhausted,
and if anyone needs this rest,

312
00:17:23,054 --> 00:17:25,029
it is that man.

313
00:17:25,029 --> 00:17:29,000
And they awaken Jesus, "Master,
master, we hate to awaken you.

314
00:17:29,000 --> 00:17:31,088
There's nothing else we
can do, humanly speaking."

315
00:17:31,088 --> 00:17:35,021
The fishermen are going to
drown on the lake that they

316
00:17:35,021 --> 00:17:39,050
have spent their life
navigating storms.

317
00:17:39,050 --> 00:17:42,067
And so what does Jesus do?

318
00:17:42,067 --> 00:17:48,029
"He awoke, he rebuked
the wind and the raging waves,

319
00:17:48,029 --> 00:17:51,046
and they ceased,
and there was a calm."

320
00:17:51,046 --> 00:17:54,067
There's no indication that
this was a long process,

321
00:17:54,067 --> 00:17:57,050
that this took a lot of
time, or that for Jesus,

322
00:17:57,050 --> 00:17:59,017
this was even very complicated.

323
00:17:59,017 --> 00:18:00,083
"Jesus, we hate to awaken you.

324
00:18:00,083 --> 00:18:02,025
We're all going to die."

325
00:18:02,025 --> 00:18:06,017
Jesus stands up, "Stop,"
and perhaps lays back down,

326
00:18:06,017 --> 00:18:08,083
and goes back to sleep.

327
00:18:08,083 --> 00:18:11,004
And the wind dies.

328
00:18:11,004 --> 00:18:13,017
And again if you're
here during the winds,

329
00:18:13,017 --> 00:18:15,088
these are strong winds
that go for multiple hours,

330
00:18:15,088 --> 00:18:19,025
and at times,
can kick up unexpectedly.

331
00:18:19,025 --> 00:18:23,021
Not only did the winds obey
him, but the waves obey him.

332
00:18:23,021 --> 00:18:25,062
He just looks at the sea, calm,

333
00:18:25,062 --> 00:18:29,079
and it's tranquil as we enjoy it
this morning.

334
00:18:29,079 --> 00:18:33,075
Now, Luke, who is writing
this, is a medical doctor.

335
00:18:33,075 --> 00:18:35,021
He's an educated man.

336
00:18:35,021 --> 00:18:38,000
He was a traveling
companion of Paul.

337
00:18:38,000 --> 00:18:42,075
He opens Luke by telling us that
he is basing his biography of

338
00:18:42,075 --> 00:18:47,071
Jesus on eyewitness testimony,
that he was financed by

339
00:18:47,071 --> 00:18:51,000
Excellent Theophilus,
perhaps a governor or leader

340
00:18:51,000 --> 00:18:52,071
with that title "Excellent."

341
00:18:52,071 --> 00:18:56,004
And this was his benefactor, so
we can assume that Theophilus,

342
00:18:56,004 --> 00:18:58,096
this affluent man, helped
to finance Luke's research.

343
00:18:58,096 --> 00:19:02,075
Luke, being a medical doctor,
also would have invested his

344
00:19:02,075 --> 00:19:06,062
life savings, and taken multiple
years to travel throughout

345
00:19:06,062 --> 00:19:09,083
this region to interview
those who were involved.

346
00:19:09,083 --> 00:19:13,017
And so this is based upon
the eyewitness testimony

347
00:19:13,017 --> 00:19:15,067
of some of the men
who were there.

348
00:19:15,067 --> 00:19:18,046
Luke actually interviewed them.

349
00:19:18,046 --> 00:19:21,096
He talked to Peter and others
and he would have asked them

350
00:19:21,096 --> 00:19:23,067
exactly what happened.

351
00:19:23,067 --> 00:19:26,017
He confirmed that all of their
stories corroborated,

352
00:19:26,017 --> 00:19:28,050
and that this is,
in fact, what happened,

353
00:19:28,050 --> 00:19:31,000
and is historically accurate.

354
00:19:31,000 --> 00:19:34,058
He said to them,
"Where is your faith?"

355
00:19:34,058 --> 00:19:36,038
Why?

356
00:19:36,038 --> 00:19:37,096
They were amazed.

357
00:19:37,096 --> 00:19:40,067
They were absolutely stunned.

358
00:19:40,067 --> 00:19:44,017
They knew Jesus was a miracle
worker, and a demon caster,

359
00:19:44,017 --> 00:19:47,050
and a great teacher,
but this is the revelation

360
00:19:47,050 --> 00:19:50,046
of their friend Jesus
as God incarnate,

361
00:19:50,046 --> 00:19:52,046
as the second member
of the Trinity,

362
00:19:52,046 --> 00:19:56,062
the Son of God coming
into human history.

363
00:19:56,062 --> 00:19:59,083
"And they were afraid, and they
marveled, saying to one another,

364
00:19:59,083 --> 00:20:04,042
"'Who then is this, that he
commands even winds and water,

365
00:20:04,042 --> 00:20:06,017
'and they obey him?'"

366
00:20:06,017 --> 00:20:07,050
The disciples are bewildered.

367
00:20:07,050 --> 00:20:09,012
"Who is this Jesus?

368
00:20:09,012 --> 00:20:13,062
"We thought he was a holy man,
a rabbi, perhaps a prophet.

369
00:20:13,062 --> 00:20:15,096
"Like many do today,
he's a good man,

370
00:20:15,096 --> 00:20:18,025
"and a moral teacher,
and a wonderful example,

371
00:20:18,025 --> 00:20:21,033
"and maybe had a bit of
supernatural capacity,

372
00:20:21,033 --> 00:20:24,046
"but this far exceeds anything
we had previously ascertained

373
00:20:24,046 --> 00:20:25,096
"about this man, Jesus.

374
00:20:25,096 --> 00:20:27,017
Who is he?"

375
00:20:27,017 --> 00:20:29,017
That's a great question.

376
00:20:29,017 --> 00:20:34,000
It's a great question, and it
reveals the divinity of Jesus.

377
00:20:34,000 --> 00:20:36,096
It reveals
the divinity of Jesus.

378
00:20:36,096 --> 00:20:39,096
And here we see the divinity
and humanity of Jesus

379
00:20:39,096 --> 00:20:41,004
coming together.

380
00:20:41,004 --> 00:20:43,029
The humanity:
he is fully man.

381
00:20:43,029 --> 00:20:46,012
He is completely exhausted.

382
00:20:46,012 --> 00:20:49,092
He's fully God, and the
wind and the waves obey him.

383
00:20:49,092 --> 00:20:52,079
Now, what has happened in
the history of Christianity

384
00:20:52,079 --> 00:20:55,033
is that some have stressed
the humanity of Jesus,

385
00:20:55,033 --> 00:20:57,062
they tend to be more liberal.

386
00:20:57,062 --> 00:20:59,083
Others stress
the divinity of Jesus,

387
00:20:59,083 --> 00:21:02,000
they tend to be
more fundamental.

388
00:21:02,000 --> 00:21:05,058
And the Bible says that "Jesus
was fully man, fully God.

389
00:21:05,058 --> 00:21:08,033
One person, two natures."

390
00:21:08,033 --> 00:21:10,088
We're not teaching
that a man became God.

391
00:21:10,088 --> 00:21:14,054
We're teaching that
God became a man.

392
00:21:14,054 --> 00:21:16,092
In 451, the Christians
got together

393
00:21:16,092 --> 00:21:18,075
for the Council of Chalcedon,

394
00:21:18,075 --> 00:21:21,067
and they termed this
"the hypostatic union."

395
00:21:21,067 --> 00:21:27,058
Jesus is one person with two
natures: fully man, fully God.

396
00:21:27,058 --> 00:21:31,050
And we see this here as he
is preaching, and teaching,

397
00:21:31,050 --> 00:21:35,083
and working, and feeding, and
healing, and casting out demons,

398
00:21:35,083 --> 00:21:40,017
he does so out of his humanity
as a man, fully exhausted,

399
00:21:40,017 --> 00:21:44,050
desperate for a break, needing
reprieve from the crowds,

400
00:21:44,050 --> 00:21:47,054
asleep in a boat,
so tired that he sleeps

401
00:21:47,054 --> 00:21:50,092
through a horrendous storm.

402
00:21:50,092 --> 00:21:56,000
And then we see him
reveal his divinity

403
00:21:56,000 --> 00:21:58,004
in two ways,
number one:

404
00:21:58,004 --> 00:22:01,050
it reveals to us
that Jesus is Creator.

405
00:22:01,050 --> 00:22:04,071
We are told throughout
Scripture that Jesus is Creator.

406
00:22:04,071 --> 00:22:06,033
We read in Genesis 1

407
00:22:06,033 --> 00:22:09,038
that everything that came into
existence and all of creation

408
00:22:09,038 --> 00:22:11,071
was by virtue
of the Word of God,

409
00:22:11,071 --> 00:22:15,058
that God proverbially spoke
creation into existence.

410
00:22:15,058 --> 00:22:19,004
God said and it was so.
God said and it was so.

411
00:22:19,004 --> 00:22:20,088
God said and it was so.

412
00:22:20,088 --> 00:22:23,083
That's the rhythm of Genesis 1.

413
00:22:23,083 --> 00:22:28,004
We then read in places
like John 1:3 of Jesus,

414
00:22:28,004 --> 00:22:29,083
"All things are
made through him."

415
00:22:29,083 --> 00:22:35,083
And Colossians 1:16, "By him
all things were created."

416
00:22:35,083 --> 00:22:39,029
And so God spoke
creation into existence,

417
00:22:39,029 --> 00:22:44,054
and Jesus is that God who
spoke creation into existence.

418
00:22:44,054 --> 00:22:48,083
This explains why the wind and
the waves obeyed his voice.

419
00:22:48,083 --> 00:22:53,062
This is the voice they had
heard previously at creation.

420
00:22:53,062 --> 00:22:56,029
It was the Word of God.

421
00:22:56,029 --> 00:23:01,033
It was the declaration of God
in Genesis 1 that caused

422
00:23:01,033 --> 00:23:04,021
all that is to come into
existence out of nothing,

423
00:23:04,021 --> 00:23:07,088
what the theologians
would call "ex nihilo."

424
00:23:07,088 --> 00:23:10,021
It says it this way
in Hebrews 11,

425
00:23:10,021 --> 00:23:12,062
"Out of nothing,
everything was made."

426
00:23:12,062 --> 00:23:17,004
God didn't start with matter,
God started himself existing

427
00:23:17,004 --> 00:23:21,000
eternally, and he created
time, space, and matter.

428
00:23:21,000 --> 00:23:23,050
He spoke the world,
and the wind,

429
00:23:23,050 --> 00:23:26,054
and the waves into existence.

430
00:23:26,054 --> 00:23:28,038
And his name is Jesus Christ.

431
00:23:28,038 --> 00:23:31,062
And so when he then
enters into his creation,

432
00:23:31,062 --> 00:23:34,021
adds to his divinity,
humanity,

433
00:23:34,021 --> 00:23:37,071
to quote the church father
Augustine,

434
00:23:37,071 --> 00:23:41,021
he stands up and speaks,
and creation obeys him,

435
00:23:41,021 --> 00:23:43,096
because he is
the author of creation.

436
00:23:43,096 --> 00:23:46,058
The same one who spoke this
world into existence

437
00:23:46,058 --> 00:23:49,021
just gave it a command
to obey him.

438
00:23:49,021 --> 00:23:50,050
And does it?

439
00:23:50,050 --> 00:23:52,021
Absolutely.

440
00:23:52,021 --> 00:23:54,071
And the disciples,
in seeing this,

441
00:23:54,071 --> 00:23:57,083
they recognize,
"This is God.

442
00:23:57,083 --> 00:24:00,012
This is God among us."

443
00:24:00,012 --> 00:24:03,088
Only God has authority to
command the wind and the waves.

444
00:24:03,088 --> 00:24:06,058
And these were men who
were learned in Scripture,

445
00:24:06,058 --> 00:24:10,062
and they would have taken note
of many Scriptures.

446
00:24:10,062 --> 00:24:13,092
Due to the heat and the time,
I won't read them all,

447
00:24:13,092 --> 00:24:17,000
but the Psalms speak
frequently of God's voice

448
00:24:17,000 --> 00:24:20,033
being the only one that can
still the waves and the waters.

449
00:24:20,033 --> 00:24:28,021
Psalm 65:7, Psalm 89:9,
Psalm 106:7-9,

450
00:24:28,021 --> 00:24:32,046
and Psalm 107:23-29.

451
00:24:32,046 --> 00:24:37,017
I'll read one for you
as well, Psalm 89:9.

452
00:24:37,017 --> 00:24:41,096
"You," speaking of God,
"Rule the raging of the sea;

453
00:24:41,096 --> 00:24:46,004
When its waves rise,
you still them."

454
00:24:46,004 --> 00:24:47,079
I'll read it again.

455
00:24:47,079 --> 00:24:51,050
"You rule the raging of
the sea; When its waves rise,

456
00:24:51,050 --> 00:24:53,046
you still them."

457
00:24:53,046 --> 00:24:56,017
These men were familiar
with the Psalms,

458
00:24:56,017 --> 00:25:00,012
this and others, where it says
that the wind and the waves

459
00:25:00,012 --> 00:25:02,046
were under
the jurisdiction of the God

460
00:25:02,046 --> 00:25:04,050
who created the heavens
and the earth.

461
00:25:04,050 --> 00:25:08,004
And this Jesus who has come
is Creator God,

462
00:25:08,004 --> 00:25:10,096
and sovereign ruling
reigning God,

463
00:25:10,096 --> 00:25:14,050
to the degree that
the wind and the waves obey him.

464
00:25:14,050 --> 00:25:18,096
That being said,
we're here to worship Jesus,

465
00:25:18,096 --> 00:25:22,038
to acknowledge that our creator
is also our redeemer,

466
00:25:22,038 --> 00:25:23,096
and our sustainer.

467
00:25:23,096 --> 00:25:24,096
He's our savior.

468
00:25:24,096 --> 00:25:29,025
His name is Jesus,
and that our life is much like

469
00:25:29,025 --> 00:25:32,067
that occasion recorded
in Luke 8.

470
00:25:32,067 --> 00:25:37,008
We are living our life,
we are exhausted, we are weary.

471
00:25:37,008 --> 00:25:41,079
Crisis comes out of nowhere,
and it is good for us

472
00:25:41,079 --> 00:25:45,067
to always do as they did,
and go find the Master,

473
00:25:45,067 --> 00:25:49,088
to go to Jesus in prayer,
to go to Jesus in Scripture,

474
00:25:49,088 --> 00:25:56,054
to go to Jesus in song,
to go to Jesus requesting help.

475
00:25:56,054 --> 00:26:00,029
And they did the absolutely
only thing that they could do,

476
00:26:00,029 --> 00:26:03,062
and what is interesting is that
they didn't go to Jesus until

477
00:26:03,062 --> 00:26:06,017
they had exhausted all of
their own efforts.

478
00:26:06,017 --> 00:26:11,004
And so many of us live so much
of our lives in that same trap.

479
00:26:11,004 --> 00:26:14,025
Out of nowhere,
comes a great storm.

480
00:26:14,025 --> 00:26:19,067
We work ourselves until
the point of being at the end,

481
00:26:19,067 --> 00:26:22,017
and then in desperation,
we call out to Jesus.

482
00:26:22,017 --> 00:26:25,050
He comes to help,
to serve, to be with us.

483
00:26:25,050 --> 00:26:27,067
And friends, I would
just encourage you,

484
00:26:27,067 --> 00:26:29,058
it's not something
I've practiced well,

485
00:26:29,058 --> 00:26:32,025
but we should go to Jesus first,

486
00:26:32,025 --> 00:26:34,092
and we should ask the one
who created the world,

487
00:26:34,092 --> 00:26:38,083
and rules the world to
help us as his servants in it.

488
00:26:38,083 --> 00:26:41,054
So Father God, we thank
you for the Scriptures.

489
00:26:41,054 --> 00:26:43,067
We thank you
for the Lord Jesus.

490
00:26:43,067 --> 00:26:46,083
We thank you that he is
Creator, he made the world.

491
00:26:46,083 --> 00:26:50,067
We thank you that he is Savior,
he came into the world to live

492
00:26:50,067 --> 00:26:54,058
without sin, to die for
sinners, to rise for salvation.

493
00:26:54,058 --> 00:26:57,017
We thank you, Lord Jesus,
that you are sovereign,

494
00:26:57,017 --> 00:26:59,083
and ruling and reigning
over creation today.

495
00:26:59,083 --> 00:27:03,054
And we thank you that whatever
storm we find ourselves in,

496
00:27:03,054 --> 00:27:06,054
no matter how hard we
have rowed against it,

497
00:27:06,054 --> 00:27:09,062
that if we simply come
to you, you do love us,

498
00:27:09,062 --> 00:27:12,071
you will navigate for us,
you will get us through it,

499
00:27:12,071 --> 00:27:14,083
that you are
deliverer and savior.

500
00:27:14,083 --> 00:27:18,033
We love you, we worship you,
we thank you, and we thank you,

501
00:27:18,033 --> 00:27:21,000
Lord God, that we get
an opportunity to understand

502
00:27:21,000 --> 00:27:25,029
a little bit more of Jesus
as we enjoy the Scriptures

503
00:27:25,029 --> 00:27:27,083
here on the shores
of the Sea of Galilee.

504
00:27:27,083 --> 00:27:29,008
We're grateful for this gift.

505
00:27:29,008 --> 00:27:31,008
In Jesus' good name, Amen.

506
00:27:31,008 --> 00:27:31,058


507
00:27:31,058 --> 00:00:00,000