Matthew 8:23-28 – What Does Jesus Expect Our Faith to Do? – Bible study

Matthew 8:23-27 What Does Jesus Expect Our Faith to Do? Notice the rebuke of \#26\. "ye of little faith?" It seems that the most common rebuke given to the disciples was their small faith. I found five times when Jesus used this term as a rebuke, everyone But why did Jesus rebuke them? What had Jesus expected that disciples faith to do for them here? They were on a ship in the sea. This was not a field of service. There were no demons to cast out, no sick to be healed, no sermons to be preached, no bread to be multiplied. Yet, Jesus certainly appears to be disappointed with them. QUESTION – What does Jesus expect our faith to do? I. Jesus expects our faith to give us the mind of God. A. Notice the progression of thought: 1. What was it that Jesus was upset with His disciples about? \#26\ Because they were fearful. 2. Why were the disciples fearful? \#25\ Because they thought they would die. 3. How would they know that they were not going to die in the storm? They would have had to have known the mind of God. B. Get this important principal – One cannot have faith in the plan of God if one does not know the plan of God. 1. Faith is not me imagining or inventing things for God to do. 2. Faith is me having access to the mind of God, to His will, His plan, and His purposes, so that I can trust in Him to do them. C. The Bible makes it clear that a child of God has access to the mind of God. 1Co 2:16 For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ. Joh 15:15 Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you. Joh 16:13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. 1. That does not mean that we will know everything. Why? a. Because Gods mind is infinite and we could not hold it all. (1) An limitless everything cannot fit into a limited anything. (2) Its just too big. b. Because God does not choose to reveal all things to His people. (1) \#2Kings 4:1-27\ A Shunammite woman did good to Elisha, and the Lord rewarded her by giving her a child; but the child fell ill and the mother ran to Elisha for help. 2Ki 4:27 And when she came to the man of God to the hill, she caught him by the feet: but Gehazi came near to thrust her away. And the man of God said, Let her alone; for her soul is vexed within her: and the LORD hath hid it from me, and hath not told me. (2) So it is with God. He does not reveal all things, but it is obvious from our text that these disciples should have known their lives were in no peril. 2. So we must have God s mind enough to reveal the things necessary for us to walk in faith. D. So how do I open the "mind of God?" 1. Through the Bible. a. The Bible is an open portal into Gods mind. (1) No soul has ever or will ever exhaust the limitless knowledge of God, of Gods will, or Gods power as revealed in the Word of God. (2) Why is that? (a) Because of the CONSTRUCTION of the Bible. i. The way God wrote the Bible, using commands, precepts, principals, as well as, parables, symbols, and stories. ii. God wrote the Bible that way to be a Living Book. aa. It is like a book of unlimited pages. bb. It simply cannot be exhausted. iii. It is not that the words of the Bible change in their meaning but that Living Book reveals its messages and meaning when the needful soul searches it. iv. The cannon of the Bible has been closed for nearly 2,000 years, but billions have turned to it to get the message they need for their situation and their hour. (b) Because of the COMFORTER of the Bible. i. The Holy Spirit is our Comforter and Guide. ii. He takes the Bible and applies its words to our life and situations. b. If you do not read, know, understand, and use the Bible, you will never be a man or woman of faith because you will never know what God is doing. 2. Through the Holy Spirit. a. I know I mentioned the ministry of the Holy Spirit in conjunction with the Bible , but we must understand that the Holy Spirit does not require the Bible to reveal the mind of God. 1Cor 2:12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. b. There is no truth God can not reveal through His Spirit. Ro 8:14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. Ga 5:18 But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law. Eph 3:3 How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery c. The Holy Spirit can do for us today far more than angels and visions did in the Old Testament. (1) He can reveal to us whatever God wants us to know. (2) The Holy Spirit can reveal any truth, any danger, any need, any opportunity, any method, any fact, anything! (3) Example: \#2Kings 6:8-11\ Kings of Israel and Syria were fighting one another. The Syrian king set up ambush after ambush only to have the king of Israel strike them preemptively. Finally the Syrian king asks his generals which of them is a traitor. 2Kings 6:12 And one of his servants said, None, my lord O king: but Elisha, the prophet that is in Israel, telleth the king of Israel the words that thou speakest in thy bedchamber. 3. Through time and experience. a. Time and experience are not the revealers of Gods mind. b. They are what is needed to learn how to be lead of the Word of God and the Holy Spirit to knowing the mind of God. (1) The Bible is a big book comprised of never- ending layers of truth. (2) The Holy Spirit is God. (3) Dont expect being lead of them to know the mind of God to be an easy, natural process. (4) The journey will be a difficult, supernatural process. c. But through time and experience, you can know the mind of God so that you can faith in the plan and will of God. II. Jesus expects our faith to give us the power of God. Matt 17:14 And when they were come to the multitude, there came to him a certain man, kneeling down to him, and saying, 15 Lord, have mercy on my son: for he is lunatick, and sore vexed: for ofttimes he falleth into the fire, and oft into the water. 16 And I brought him to thy disciples, and they could not cure him. 17 Then Jesus answered and said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him hither to me. A. Here we have a similar rebuke. 1. \#17\ The disciples are called "faithless." 2. Jesus condemns them for having no faith. 3. Why? Because they have no power! 4. The lad had a demon, and Jesus expected the disciples to have enough FAITH to CAST THE DEMON OUT. 5. Faith gives knowledge but faith can also give power. B. Should we be able to do mighty works for God? 1. What says the Bible? Joh 14:12 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father. Mr 16:17 And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; 18 They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover. 2. I know these Bible promises were directed primarily to the disciples. Even so, the hand of God is not shortened and the power of God has not be cut off. 3. You can debate whether the gift of miracles is a gift for today or not but there is definitely more power to be had from God than the church has today! a. Most churches, including our own, must clean out the spider webs before than use the baptistry. b. Many churches are over-extended on credit and under-populated in the pew. c. Evil definitely abounds on every hand. 4. With all of the evil that is in the world today, does God want us to be powerless before the onslaught of evil. a. Is our only recourse to take up arms and do violence against the forces of evil? b. If so, we are doomed for the Bible plainly teaches against that. c. True faith gives POWER. d. If Jesus rebuked His disciples for not having faith enough to cast out a demon, what would He have to say to us today? III. Jesus expects our faith to give us peace. A. Back at \#Matt 8:26\. 1. We said that Jesus expected the disciples to have knowledge enough to have known their lives were not in peril. 2. \#25\ They became fearful that they might perish. 3. \#26\ Jesus rebuked them as having no faith. B. Everything that I said about Jesus expecting His disciples to know the mind of God hinged upon a supposition. 1. That Jesus wanted them to know the mind of God and that knowing the mind of God would have given them peace. 2. That is a supposition and one valid enough to consider; but, as I already said, we are not always told the mind of God and even knowing the mind of God may not always keep us calm. a. This must have been the mother of storms. b. Some of these disciples were experienced fishermen, yet they had apparently never been in a storm like this. c. Even if they had known the mind of God, that does not mean that they would not have been fearful. C. Our faith can give us power to change our circumstances but it should also give us peace to endure them, whatever they are. Php 1:28 And in nothing terrified by your adversaries: which is to them an evident token of perdition, but to you of salvation, and that of God. Lu 12:4 And I say unto you my friends, Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. Lu 21:17 And ye shall be hated of all men for my names sake. Lu 21:19 In your patience possess ye your souls. D. Nothing undermines the cause of Christ more than fear and unrestnot even powerlessness! E. I suspect Jesus rebuked His disciples, not only for having having no knowledge and power but for having no peace either.