Peace in a Busy Time

Pastor Phillips' Sermon

Sunday, November 26, 2006

[Video Clip regarding pressure.]

In this busy holiday season, sometimes that's the way it feels, everything piling on top of us, friends, family, and our work. Just the stress piling in on top of us. In fact, I got this e-mail just yesterday from a friend in Minnesota who had been caring for her neighbor who recently had a stroke. She writes, “Well, my friend is stable now but the news did get worse. Her oldest son, 59, was home over last weekend to visit her. He lives in Sturgis , South Dakota , and he arrived back home Sunday evening and got to see a new grandchild. The next morning, when his wife awoke, she knew right away that he wasn't breathing. We have been in shock. He was a great guy, a wonderful husband, a dad, and the best grandpa.”

That's how suddenly a storm could come upon us in life, a devastating experience, a challenging turn of events. And sometimes it seems like the holidays amplify those things. Our relationships that are already a little bit difficult become even more strained. The losses we've experienced seem even greater. And the stress we're experiencing at work seems unbearable. There seems to be no end in sight and it makes me think of how often the disciples would be overwhelmed and worried about things that Jesus didn't seem to be upset about. One such occasion is the story we heard in the gospel reading today. From a small boat, Jesus had been preaching to the multitude gathered on the hillside. When evening came, He desired to go to the other side of the Sea of Galilee to preach the gospel to the people there as well. Among the disciples, you remember, were the fishermen, Peter, Andrew, James, and John, experienced sailors who made their living on the Sea of Galilee . Jesus instructed them, “Go out into the deep water. Row across and we'll go to the other side.” Now the Sea of Galilee is surrounded by mountains, and it forms a great basin and violent and sudden storms are very common there. In fact, often the wind blowing from the south comes over this rocky cleft and a storm with a following calm can occur in rapid succession. This is the kind of storm that overtook the disciples and Jesus on that evening.

The storm raged and Jesus lay sleeping in the boat. The storm must have been severe, even more than usual, because these experienced fishermen and sailors were terrified and certain they were going to drown. Water was filling the boat and they, in desperation, rudely woke Jesus from His sleep and said, “Teacher, don't you care that we're going to drown?” In their desperation, in the storm that had come upon them, they called out to Jesus.

What are the things that are stressing you out? What are the storms in your life, the things that are challenging you and pressing on you right now? What is it that seems overwhelming to you? Wouldn't it be great if Jesus was right there in the boat with you? When the disciples were afraid, they cried out to Jesus. What a great comfort to have Him right there with them. You and I know we can talk to Jesus anytime, day or night, we can go to Him through prayer.

This 24-7 access to God reminds me of how we use our cell phones now days. Cell phones are great. Have you ever stopped to think of all the different situations you've used your cell phone? My favorite time is when our family goes to the mall shopping because I have two daughters and my wife and, typically, they go one way and I go another. I usually end up at some place like Scheel's and exploring all the outdoor things they have to sell. And they're off I don't even know where, but we agree rendevous at another spot at a given time but that hardly ever happens. So I just love it when I can take my phone out and I don't have to search for them or wonder where they are. I can just call them up. “Okay, I'm here. Where are you?” It's great. I love these things. Cell phones are great. Think of all the circumstances in which you have used your cell phone. Sometimes when I'm about to leave and travel for a little bit, I'll make a list of all the people I need to call and put their phone numbers right with it and I'll call while I'm driving. I know that scares you about my driving now. But it's a way to get something out of that dead time when you're just driving along and you can't do anything else. You can make phone calls and contact people and keep in touch. The other day, I was at the grocery store and I heard a scream and I pushed my cart down to the end of the aisle and I looked. And here a man had fainted and was passed out on the floor and two nurses were holding his hands and his son was right there and his daughter was on the cell phone. She was calling the paramedics, and they were there in a matter of moments. A testament to the value of cell phones.

In my ministry, when I know I'm going to be traveling or out of town or out of the office for awhile and there's a family that might need to get a hold of me, I always give them my cell phone to keep those wonderful lines of communication open so we can correspond. But one of the most telltale signs of the value of the cell phone is how you feel when you've forgotten it. Isn't that amazing? You get this sort of panic feeling. “Oh, I don't have it. What am I going to do?” For a minute, you panic. And then you either go right back and get it or you sit and ruminate about what you can't get done without it. And if you've ever lost your cell phone, now that's about the end of the world. Because you think of all the information that was in that phone that you lost and all the calls and messages you're missing until you replace it.

What does all this have to do with peace in our times of stress? Well, apply that use of a cell phone with all of its benefits to the concept of prayer. You can pray anywhere, any time, with no limit on minutes, and no dead zones. You can talk to God when you're scared, when you're lost, when you're stressed out at work, when the bills are piling up, when you're taking a test in school, or when you're sick or a loved one is sick. God is always available for you to call and always available to help. He always cares, and He always knows the best thing to do. Best of all, you can never forget God. No matter where you go, He goes with you. As it says in Philippians, “Do not be anxious about anything but in everything, by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your requests to God and the peace of God, which transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” The other day, I watched as my daughter held her cell phone and it seemed like every minute or so she was doing something on it. I kept asking her, “What are you doing now?” “Oh, I'm texting so and so.” “What are you doing now?” “Oh, somebody just sent me a message.” She's constantly playing with that thing. Just imagine if we were that tuned in to God in communicating with Him. If we were that concerned about telling Him what's going on in our lives and about hearing from Him and how He would bless us and guide us, imagine if we prayed as often as we use our cell phones and as long as we talk on them, what a difference would that make in our lives.

Dr. Martin Luther said, “Christians fight best on their knees. Whatever good may be done is done and brought about by prayer. In human affairs, we accomplish everything through prayer. What has been properly arranged, we keep in order. What has gone amiss, we change and improve. What cannot be changed and improved, we bear. Overcoming all trouble and sustaining all the good by prayer.” The story in Mark's gospel continues, “After Jesus was awakened by His disciples, He simply got up and rebuked the wind and the waves.” Now ordinarily, if somebody was speaking in a serious tone to the storm raging outside, you'd think they were out of their head. But this is Jesus, the Son of God, and when He speaks, it is with all authority on heaven and on earth. And everything must obey. Even the storm, even the wind, even the waves. It's not like when we speak or when our leaders speak and you can take it or leave it. When Jesus gives a command, there is no ignoring it. He speaks and the wind and the waves obey. He is the personal living God who intervenes in our lives with demonstrations of power and authority. He is the God who hears our cries and acts on our behalf.

Throughout history, God has responded to His people when they call for help. He chooses to reveal Himself and, when He does so, the forces of nature must submit to His will. When He led the Israelites out of Egypt , the Red Sea parted at His command. God hears our prayers and He acts. The response of Jesus to the cry of the disciples was to speak. The impact of His voice is amazing. God still speaks today. Sometimes, we may hear Him audibly but we can always hear His voice when we read our bibles. As we cry out to Him, we can hear His response by searching His word, the same voice that stilled the wind and the waves, the same voice that called into existence the entire universe, the same voice that speaks words of love and mercy rings out through the scriptures promising to be with us always, even to the end of our days. When we worry about the health of a loved one, when we can't seem to catch up on our bills, when the stress of our job keeps us from sleep, we can find comfort in the steady, calm voice of our Lord in scripture. As we read in Psalm 23, “He leads me beside still waters.” God provides rest for us. God provides peace for us. His solid word calms the storms in our hearts. As the old hymn says, “How firm a foundation, oh saints of the Lord, is laid for your faith in His excellent word. What more can He say than to you He has said who unto the Savior for refuge have fled. Fear not. I am with you. Oh be not dismissed, for I am your God and will still give you aid. I'll strengthen you, help you, and cause you to stand, upheld by my righteous omnipotent hand. When through fiery trials your pathway will lie, my grace all sufficient will be your supply. The flames will not hurt you. I only design your dross to consume and your gold to refine. Throughout all their lifetime, my people will prove my sovereign eternal unchangeable love and then, when gray hairs on their temples adorn, like lambs will still in my bosom be born.”

The bible is given to us by our loving God to reveal His words and comfort and truth. And through His word, God speaks to us in the midst of our storm stilling the wind and the waves that threaten our safety.

Four weeks ago, our family has gone through a tragic loss and we continue to go through this loss. Mark Gelina, my wife's cousin's husband, was killed in Iraq . Mark was a lieutenant in the Marines and he was a leader of a team that performed many dangerous missions. We just received an e-mail picture of Mark and his team. Mark's the one on the left and, boy, were they an impressive group. But now Mark's no longer with us. It was a sad loss for us and it continues to be so. Mark left behind a wife and several small children, and our family attended the viewing two weeks ago and the funeral the next day. When Mark's 7-year-old son heard about his daddy's death, he said, “Now Dad won't get to see my football trophy.” You see, the little guy had won the trophy playing football while his dad was over in Iraq , and he looked forward to sharing that with his father when he came home. When we went to the viewing, the little boy put his trophy in the casket next to his dad. His family is in a storm of grief, and the sad part is they don't have the strong foundation you and I have. As they react to their pain, they don't know that Jesus loves them and has opened the way to heaven for all who believe. And so our prayers go out to them that, as their boat is sinking and they are close to going under, they will call out to Jesus and be saved. And our prayers are they will hear the voice of Jesus and His powerful word and their storm will give way to peace and hope.

Another old hymn describes the hope that is ours, “My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus' blood and righteousness. No merit of my own I claim but wholly lean on Jesus' name. On Christ the solid rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand. When darkness veils his lovely face, I rest on His unchanging grace. Every high and stormy gale, my anchor holds within the veil. His oath, His covenant, His blood sustains me and the whelming flood and when all supports are washed away, He then is all my hope and stay. When He shall come with trumpet sound, oh may I then in Him be found, clothed in His righteousness alone, redeemed to stand before the throne. On Christ the solid rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand.”

Please pray with me. Heavenly Father, when the storms of life come upon us, help us to know we can always talk to you, cry out to you from the depths of our hearts and you will hear us and we can always hear your voice speaking words of strength and comfort through your word. Bless us and keep us in your loving care. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Copyright 2006 Gloria Dei Lutheran Church