This life is full of many trials and challenges and troubles at times. I'm not saying anything new. I think many of us, particularly those as we get a little older, we realize that's the fact, isn't it? The Bible says, Job actually, Book of Job says, man is born into trouble as the sparks fly upward. And as surely as the sparks fly upward, so man is born into trouble. And so as we get older, Maybe the younger ones here don't know so much about troubles, but we do. Often when you meet people, you don't know the trials they're going through, though. When I see your faces here, I see family resemblances. I've been here enough to know that. But I don't know the challenges in your life, the trials, the troubles, perhaps, the difficult situations that maybe are weighing heavy on your hearts, even now, as you're sitting here in these pews. But as you get to know someone closer, you read about, oh, this one has cancer, and that one has this problem, and there's these conflicts over here, and this way, and you start, in fact, we who are leaders of the church, we know, don't we, behind every family there's a cross, and sometimes many crosses. Sometimes many crosses behind the scenes. Sometimes we can share them with others, and many times they're crosses we can't share with others. and they're heavy in our hearts, then they don't come out right away in a conversation. They might not come out for several months before when we get to know someone. Man is born unto trouble as the sparks fly upward. What crosses are you carrying right now in your life? What trials, challenges, or circumstances that cause distress Maybe it's financial, you know, the economy isn't so good right now and you're looking into the future next year. You don't know how things are going to work. Make ends meet to afford the various costs of a family perhaps. Maybe it's financial. Or maybe it's health concerns. Of course, Henry Janssen and Brunia, we hear of these things and our hearts go out to the family, the family scene there. Maybe it's something deep, emotional scars from the past. some history you can't share or speak about to others, or family divisions and wayward children, or painful feuds among friends and family members that hurt. There's many things, right? I could make a list. We could go on and make a long list, and each one of us, God has seen fit to give us trials and crosses, each one. Have you ever wished that there was a delete button in your life, just press the delete button, just make it go away. I've had times like that, right? Just make it go away, that cross, that trial, just gone, like that, delete. You know, you have the alt undo, what is it, the undo button, right? Just go away, no longer there, all gone. What if we could just make our problems go away like that, with one word, gone? Jesus can, can't he? We just read about how he calmed the storm with one word. He just made it go away. Can Jesus make the trial in your life go away too? Gone, like that. You think so? He's Jesus, isn't he? I wanna look at this narrative with you Matthew, or Matthew that we've read together. Matthew 14 to 27, particularly verses, the account there of the storm, right? Verse 23 to 27. Jesus calms the storm. He made it go away, just like that. We're gonna look at the problem that arose, the question that the disciples had in this situation, and then the lesson that we learned from how Jesus dealt not just with the problem, but also the question. This is a very important narrative. Three of the Gospels actually record it for us, the story of Jesus calming the storm, Jesus in the boat on the waves and calming the storm. Luke gives it to us in Luke chapter eight, just after the parable of the sower. Mark gives it to us in chapter four, on his way to the other side where he's gonna heal a man with demons. Matthew here gives it to us after Jesus is busy healing Peter, Peter's mother and others, Jesus is healing people. And then he is busy, he's talking about discipleship. People come to him and he's talking about the cost of discipleship. And then Matthew gives us this story. Because Matthew is giving us themes. He's organized his gospel according to themes. And it's not without reason that Matthew Verse 23, Matthew 8, verse 23 says, the disciples followed Jesus. This is just after the account where others had all these excuses not to follow Jesus. So there's these people that have all these things and he says, let the dead bury their dead. They don't follow him, but the disciples followed Jesus, Matthew 8, verse 23. That's where Matthew gives it to us in his gospel. So Jesus is here in this account with his disciples, his chosen disciples, and they're together in a boat. These men had been called by Jesus. And unlike others, these men had followed Jesus into this boat. They'd followed him, they'd obeyed. Got into the boat, these seasoned fishermen, but then something very unexpected happens. And that's where Matthew picks up the narrative in verse 24. Verse 24. When he was entered in the ship, his disciples followed him, verse 23, and behold, there's an attention-giddy word, right? Get your attention, listen, now pay attention. Behold, and behold, there arose a great tempest in the sea, insomuch that the ship was covered with the waves. Now, this word tempest, It's unnatural, actually. It's something big. It's even translated, actually, in Matthew's account of the crucifixion, there was an earthquake that's recorded. And it's the same word in the Greek, actually. Here it's recorded as tempest. In other places, it's recorded as earthquake. It's something out of the ordinary, something unusual, something very chaotic and bizarre, even, you might say. An earthquake or a tempest now in the water, this occurrence. Mark and Luke use a different term, a furious gust of wind like a hurricane or a whirlwind. Matthew calls it a tempest, something unexpected, unplanned and extraordinary. In fact, it's a great tempest. In the Greek, it's the word mega, actually, a mega tempest. So not just a small gust, it's a massive event that's taking place here that Matthew gives us account of. Something even maybe beyond natural. Something perhaps even demonic. This is the Sea of Galilee. It's not very large. I've never been there myself. I'd love to see it sometime. It's, what is it here, 21 kilometers by 13 kilometers is what it's said to be. And these disciples, so not a big lake, really. And these disciples are seasoned fishermen, are they not? I mean, many of them were, right? They were called out of this trade. Peter was there, no doubt, and others. And so here is something unusual for these seasoned fishermen, a mega tempest, something unusual, unnatural. And the boat is being swamped, covered by the waves, and the fishermen are terrified. Now, we've probably seen pictures of this, no doubt we've read this many times. You've maybe seen artists' rendering of this account. There's some famous paintings, actually, of this boat that's being overcome by the waves, and you can see the terror on the eyes of the fishermen, right, as they're trying to deal with this situation, this bizarre situation. Trying to steady the boat against the waves, maybe bailing out water. You could just imagine the situation, the chaos of it. Does it remind you of anything in the Old Testament? Think of Jonah, remember Jonah? Jonah, there was also a great tempest on the waves, and there was the fishermen were afraid. But this is different. This account is different because in that account, it was Jonah running away from God, wasn't it? But in this account, the disciples obeyed. These men were faithful. Unlike others, these men were faithful. They followed Jesus as he commanded into the boat. They were doing the right thing. And still, There's a tempest, a great tempest in their life, and they're afraid. Seasoned fishermen, overwhelmed by this unnatural storm. J.C. Ryle is very simple, isn't he? J.C. Ryle, in the Gospel of Matthew, listen to what he says. He says, how many have faith and love enough to forsake all for Christ's sake and to follow him wherever he goes, and yet, are full of fears in the hour of trial. These men, their faith is being tested, isn't it? And maybe your faith is also being tested by some trial the Lord has seen fit to bring into your life, a situation beyond your control, this mega trial in your life. Listen to the discussion now between Jesus and his disciples. Or rather, it's the disciples who are talking, right? Verse 25. And his disciples came to him and awoke him saying, Lord, save us, we are perishing. Actually, we perish. I think it's the King James. It's a continuing. We are busy perishing. This is happening right now. It's taking place. Jesus was asleep, sleeping. One of the few places that talks about Jesus sleeping, actually. Here he is, peaceful. Peaceful, resting. And you can just imagine the contrast, right? Jesus sleeping peacefully, and the disciples shouting, maybe over the wind and the waves, they're shouting, and they're terrified, right? And they try to awaken him. Maybe shaking with fear themselves, shaking him awake. He's peacefully sleeping. There's a contrast. And he said unto them, why are you fearful, O ye of little faith? Now just picture this, right? They're full of terror, these fishermen. Overwhelmed, wave after wave. And Jesus is calm. Doesn't Jesus understand the situation in which they are? Is Jesus out of touch with their reality? Does he not know Does he not care the trials we're going through, the test of our faith? You see, Jesus is calm, isn't he, in this situation, even though they're terrified. And this history parallels many of our life experiences at times, and we can all think, maybe if not now, we can think back in times when we've gone through trials and we're just overwhelmed. As Isaiah says, oh afflicted one, storm-tossed, and not comforted. God's people at times feel such tempests raging in their lives. The storms of life are many, and we can identify with these fishermen, can't we? Times toiling under trial, or just the treadmill of daily life. One day after another, the slog of it all that isn't ending. or one disappointment after another after another that just keeps coming like waves crashing in on us. We had hoped it would be different. We had hoped the situation would improve. We had hoped, we had prayed, we had longed, we had trusted, and still, a trial, a disappointment, a seemingly impossible situation, unexpected and overwhelming, a mega trial, the dilemmas in life. And we're paralyzed perhaps by uncertainty or fear or caught in the storm of what to do and where to go. The fear of perishing. As the disciples, we're overwhelmed and afraid. So perhaps there are times in our life as well when we are overwhelmed and afraid. Have you experienced something similar? And perhaps you've followed Jesus. Unlike others, you've done the right thing. You've lived according to his word, at least you've tried. You've taken the high road. You've been the disciple that Jesus called you to be, at least as far as you could. Unlike others, perhaps, and yet, and yet all of this. Why? Is Jesus out of touch with our reality? Does he not care about the situation where we find ourselves? Is not Jesus, as it were, in the boat with us? And there's more here, too, actually. I mentioned it just briefly, but there seems to be something unnatural about this storm. It's a little lake, really, the Sea of Galilee. And something unnatural is happening here, this great tempest. The demonic forces, perhaps, as one commentary says, is trying to destroy Jesus in the boat. And perhaps there's also a demonic reality to some of the challenges, some of the fears that we face, temptations, trials, wickedness even, and the power of evil, so that we feel trapped in a storm too great for us. That's where these disciples are. That's the problem that they're facing. And I think many of us can identify with this problem. Why does Matthew tell us this story? Why does the Holy Spirit give us this account of Jesus here with his disciples in the boat? It's a nice story for the children, right? It holds our attention as we've gone through it now. We can tell it to others. That's fine. Let's not get distracted by the story itself, though. There's a purpose here. Because Matthew has a purpose. The Spirit, through the gospel of Matthew, is giving us teaching. And the purpose that Matthew always teaches with is this. He always wants us to know more about who is this man, Jesus Christ, and how are we to follow him. Matthew always is dealing with Christology, who is the Christ. and he's dealing with discipleship. How should his disciples, how should we, as his followers, follow him in our lives? And so Matthew, as he tells us, the story ends on the climax of the story for Matthew, verse 27. Look with me at verse 27. But the men marveled. So this is, okay, this is after Jesus rebukes the wind and waves. We'll get there, okay? We'll get there. But after that, this is where Matthew is taking us. But the men marveled, saying, what manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him? You see, it's not the storm, the problem, that Matthew is concerned about. Matthew puts the question in the minds and the hearts and the lips of these disciples, and he has them ask it to us, as it were. They must have been asking this after this happened. And he wants this question to kind of guide us into the text. to really see the purpose that the Holy Spirit has for us as we study this story together this evening as well. The men marveled, saying, what manner of man is this? So what happens? The problem is evident. The trial is there, right? What does Jesus do when he awakens? Well, he awakes from a peaceful sleep in the midst of the storm. He then corrects his disciples' anxiety. And then he rebukes the evil storm, doesn't he? This evil storm he rebukes. And how do the disciples respond? Astonishment, surprise, amazement. And they ask this question, what kind of person is this that even the winds and the sea obey him? And that's the question Matthew wants us to ask of the text as we look at this text. So before we go further, let's answer the question of these disciples. What kind of man, what manner of man is this? Who is Jesus? And then once we have an answer to that question, then we answer the question, how do we follow him? So who is Jesus? Three answers, three aspects of Matthew's question that are answered as well by this text. You see, the disciples knew Jesus already. After all, they were called by him and they were following him. They knew him. But they knew him in part, because you see, as the Gospels progress, we see the disciples coming to a greater realization who this man Jesus is, right? And we see that in all the Gospels, Peter makes this confession later on, thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. And as the narrative continues, as they're walking with Jesus, they're coming to know him more and more. And this narrative as well, you see Matthew is teaching the same. Who is this man who is with these disciples? They knew him as a miracle worker, a healer, a compassionate Messiah-type figure, but they were still getting to know him. In fact, they even knew him enough to know that he could help them in this trial, didn't they? They went to him, Lord, save us, we are perishing. They went to the right place with their trials, with their concerns, but they were only beginning to understand who he is. And we see Jesus here in the storm with his people. Actually, we see him in two ways. Jesus is with his disciples in the midst of their trial. And there's something beautiful about that, isn't it? When we're going through the challenges of life and we feel the presence of our Savior, in almost a tangible way, the Lord is with us. He is guiding us. We can trust Him. The world doesn't understand this, but we who know Him, who are, rather, let me say, are becoming closer to Him and getting to know Him better. He is with us, and there's something very precious about that. The Lord is with us. But these disciples had to learn more, because Jesus was with them. But there was so much more to his life than that. You see, Jesus wasn't just there to be with them in their trials. Jesus has come to suffer and to die for them. And there's a difference, isn't it? It's not Jesus just with us in the midst of the trial. It's Jesus taking our place in the storm. And that's really what the gospels are slowly revealing to us as we page through the narrative of Matthew and the others. We're learning that Jesus is more than just Emmanuel with us. He is the great high priest, the Lamb of God who dies for us, who takes our place, the substitutionary sacrifice, the atonement. He suffers in our place, not just a few little trials like wind and waves. He bore the wrath of eternal God and and the hellish agony that was poured out upon him, the storm, the fury, the wrath of Almighty God. Jesus bore that storm for us. And so these disciples still need to learn something, don't they? Not just Jesus with them, but Jesus for them, the great high priest, the suffering substitute, the Lamb of God, Jesus' priestly work. Many people go through life just praying to a Jesus that is with them. But we need more than that. We need a savior who has died for us. Many people pray to a God in heaven as if he's just a great therapist to counsel us and a shoulder to cry on perhaps, I say it reverently. Someone to listen to our cares and concerns as we go through the problems of life. But that's never enough. We need a Savior who takes our place, who bears the curse of our sin, who dies condemned for us. To earn a righteousness we don't deserve and to take a guilt that we have earned by our sinfulness. Only later would the disciples really learn the answer to the question they ask. What manner of man is this? You see, he's more than a man. He is a God-man mediator, divine and human, dying on the cross for his people, not just with them, Emmanuel, but for them, the Lamb of God, who taketh away the sin of the world. What manner of man is this? The disciples are beginning to understand the answer to that question. That's the first aspect of the answer that Matthew is giving us here and elsewhere in his gospel. And the second, not just Jesus our high priest and lamb, but Jesus our great teacher, the prophet teacher, who is busy teaching his disciples how to follow. That's an amazing aspect of this narrative. So the disciples are afraid, they're terrified. And they come and they wake Jesus, right? They wake him. Lord, save us, we are perishing. They're terrified, they're afraid. So Jesus wakes up from his sleep, and how does he respond? How does he respond? Does he rebuke the wind and the waves? Actually, no, not yet, right? While the wind and the waves continue to rage, Jesus has another problem. You see, the wind and the waves was the problem of the disciples, but Jesus has to address a different problem first, a more important problem. at least as Matthew presents it in his gospel. O ye, why are you fearful, he says, O ye of little faith? You have no need to fear. I am with you. You have no need to fear. I have power over the storm, over the trial that you're facing. Come, learn from me, see my example, no, even more than that. I have victory over this power. You see, Jesus is busy first correcting the weak faith of his disciples. As the great prophet teacher, patient correction, loving correction. As God's word says elsewhere, maybe in Isaiah, we can read those verses here. Isaiah 41, fear thou not, says Isaiah to us. Fear thou not, for I am with thee. Do not be dismayed, for I am thy God. I will strengthen thee. I will help thee, yea, I will uphold thee with my right hand of my righteousness. How many times have you faced a trial, perhaps overwhelmed by the circumstances, not knowing where to turn, and you go to the Lord in prayer, maybe, and pour out your heart before him? You see, these trials are used by the great prophet teacher in our lives. to teach us to live by faith and not by sight. The problem is not the storms in life. No, no, they were ordained. You see, we want to find that delete button, don't we? We just want to say, go away. If it would just disappear, that trial in my life, just go away. But Jesus is allowing these trials in our lives because as the great prophet teacher, he is teaching us to trust in him in the midst of the storm, So even as the storm continues to rage, Jesus is busy teaching his people, his disciples, to live by faith. J.C. Ryle continues, how many have grace enough to turn to Jesus in every trouble, crying, Lord, save us, and yet not grace enough to lie still and believe in the darkest hour that all will be well? Can you say that right now with a trial in your life, if you're facing one? In the Lord all will be well. The waves are still coming over the sides of the boat, right? It's still happening in this narrative. Overwhelming again and again perhaps, but Jesus speaks. Why are you afraid? Can't you trust me a little longer? Can't you give over to me whatever that trial is, whatever that disappointment, whatever that cross? Can you trust me with it? Jesus, the prophet teacher. What manner of man is this? He is the great prophet teacher that uses even the trials in our life to work good for us and for others. And then the third answer to the disciples' question, Jesus Christ, our King and Defender. Remember, there's a bit of a demonic element, it seems, in the text. The devil is trying to destroy Jesus. in the boat. One of the commentaries says the devil is trying to destroy the church of Jesus' followers. Because it was the church leaders, right? The disciples that were following Jesus. And yet, Christ has come to defeat the devil, to crush his head. His power is unshaken. He has power over the storm. He has power over the problems. He has power over the winds and the waves, and even the demonic forces that seem to have whipped this nature into a frenzy. And he uses evil for good. And so, just listen to the words of Matthew, verse 26 again. Then he arose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. That word rebuked, it's like a father speaking to a naughty child, right? Naughty boy, stop it now, stop it. Just picture that, right? The winds and the waves and the turmoil, and Jesus, naughty waves, stop it now, right? Or perhaps the demonic forces behind these waves, he rebuked them. Devious forces of nature causing this trouble, like a parent speaking to a child, he rebukes them. And there's an amazing result. Again, immediately, it makes the disciples amazed, doesn't it? Amazed. One word. You see, with one word, Christ had spoken this creation into existence. Let there be light. And there was light. And now with one word, he rebukes the demonic elements. And all the chaos ceases. All the demonic forces that had whipped nature into a frenzy must obey. And there's a great calm. Actually, it's the same word again. The mega calamity, the mega turmoil, this terrible storm suddenly becomes a mega calm. Total contrast is what Matthew is showing us here. Total contrast. And this is no surprise because in the Old Testament we see often God's power over the sea. Many places, God's divine power over the sea. It's no wonder the disciples also are amazed, right? Because these seasoned fishermen have never seen anything like it. And so they ask the question, what manner of man is this? Well, the answer is clear to us, isn't it? He's more than a man. This is the God of the Old Testament, a man who is God, who has power over the forces of nature, and all, even the winds and the waves obey him. He rebuked the winds and the waves, and there was a great calm. Can Jesus rebuke the trial in your life right now? He can. He might. And he might not. Because he still might need that trial a little longer in your life to teach you more about how to live by faith in that sight. Maybe he's still using that trial a little longer to cause you to trust him to get to know him better as it were, to know him as not just with you a person to pray to, but the one who has died for you, who has taken God's wrath in your place. Maybe he's using that trial to teach you more. Why are you fearful, O you of little faith? I got the future. in total control, all things will work out for good. Can't you believe me a little longer? Can't you trust me? You see, the only one who can really press the delete key on the trials in our life is Jesus Christ, right? The king of the universe. But he has designed these trials for our good. But here it was time, and he rebukes. the wind and the waves as the disciples' defender and king. What manner of man is this? He is Jesus, the great high priest, the final prophet, and the king, then in his humiliation, but now in his exaltation. organizing all the affairs of human history for the outcome of the success of his mission, the history of redemption all climaxing in the triune glory of God, when every knee will bow before him, every tongue will confess that he is the Lord of this universe. Can you trust him? Do you know this man who is God? And is your life characterized as one that is learning to know him better and to trust him more, even in the midst of trial, even in the midst of uncertainties about the future and challenges and dilemmas perhaps that you face? That was the problem, not the winds and the waves, but the weak faith of the disciples. And this is the man who is God, who is teaching these disciples a lesson of faith? Are you learning to trust Him more and more as a disciple to follow Him? We've seen the problem, we've seen the question, now the lesson. Why does the Holy Spirit give us this history? Well, like I said, Matthew is teaching us about Jesus Christ. This is who he is, the man who is God. And not only that, he's teaching us, he's inviting us, he's calling us to follow this man. It's as if, even now, the Lord, through his word and by his spirit, is speaking personally to each one of us here gathered this evening, young and old, even the children of this church. He is inviting disciples to come know who this man is. His name is Jesus. Come follow Jesus, this man who is God. This amazing Savior who dies in our place to take away our sinfulness. your naughty hearts, he forgives, he washes us clean. Come follow Jesus, this man who is God, the great prophet teacher. He will teach you, he will train you, he will guide you in the way of righteousness. He will disciple you every step of the way until the end. Come follow Jesus, my friends, this man who is God. Not a king in his humiliation, limited by his humanity, but a king in his exaltation now with all power. ruling the universe, directing the affairs of our lives in every detail of this universe. Can you follow this man who is God? That's discipleship. The Spirit is inviting us to come and follow. The Spirit desires us to know him better and to follow him more closely. Each believer, as we are led by faith alone to trust in him. A few lessons as I conclude now, five, four lessons I want to share with you from this narrative. The first I've touched on already, I'll be brief. The Holy Spirit gives us this story, this history, to teach us more about Jesus. And as we meditate upon this man who is God, as we gaze upon his glory veiled here in human flesh and weakness, we are transformed into his likeness. He's more than just a perfect example or a good man, a moral example for humanity, as the liberal scholars might say. He's more than just the highest prophet, as the Muslims teach. He's more than just the creator of the universe and the judge of the world who will come again on the last day, as we know from, at least in part, from general revelation. This man is our mediator, prophet, priest, and king. This man is divine and human, the suffering savior, the great prophet, and the eternal king. Do you know him? And do you want to follow him more closely? trusting in his grace alone. That's the first lesson. Secondly, the disciples and us as well by extension are being taught to live by faith. J.C. Ryle says this, perhaps we never know the weakness of our faith until we are placed in the furnace of trial and anxiety. And that's true, isn't it? Many of us would probably recognize that, would admit that. It's when we were faced with the trials that we recognized there was much more room for growth. In some ways, the discipleship of Jesus is like a one-room schoolhouse. Each level, you keep learning the same lesson again and again, don't we? And yet to a greater extent and a deeper depth of spirituality, we're learning this lesson to live by faith, to trust the Savior. The Spirit is discipling us. to live by faith. And God often takes away the solid ground from under our feet, doesn't he? Maybe that's why he sent you the trial that you're presently facing. Or maybe there are trials coming in the next few days, or in the next week, that we will be called to face, to follow Christ. We don't know. I preached this sermon in my home church in South Africa. And that very week, the very next day, one of my members was faced with a great trial. And he phoned me, I talked to him on the phone a couple, two days later, and he said, Pastor, that was the storm of my life. That was the storm of my life. And by grace, he has actually faced that trial quite well, actually, at least from my perspective. The Lord gave him grace to face that trial. We don't know what the future holds, do we? We don't know what the future holds, but we know that Jesus will use every trial for his people to bring them closer and to strengthen their faith. The Spirit is discipling us to be better followers of Jesus. And third, This memorable life lesson is given to us by the Holy Spirit as well in this account. As Jesus calmed the disciples' fears, so he also speaks peace into our own hearts. By his word and spirit today, we are comforted and counseled and encouraged to continue trusting. It's interesting, when these disciples were in their most difficult circumstance, they were terrified, like I said, in this text, it's made clear. They went to the right place, didn't they? They had followed, unlike others, they had followed Jesus into the boat. Unlike others, they had trusted Jesus and were obedient. And now, when they're in the midst of the trial, even here, we see how the Lord was working in them, and they went to the right place. with their fears. They went to Jesus, they awoke him and told him their situation. Ryle again, wonderful, you should read that section in Ryle, really. Ryle makes three applications from this. He says, first of all, we should take our trials to Jesus. Do not trust in our own ability. Sometimes you sit there and you're thinking through the whole situation and trying to solve the problem, right? play the little chess game in your minds, or try to move this way or that way to deal with whatever the problem is, the complexity that God has seen fit to give us. I like these disciples perhaps at first, they toiled on trying to overcome or deal with this situation, but no, give up on yourself quickly. As Ryle says here, we should take our trials to Jesus. Whatever it is, whatever the issue, whether it's family problems or whether it's maybe addictions, or maybe something else in our lives that get us to doubt. Though Jesus may appear to be sleeping, he is not out of touch with our reality. Not this Savior. He has always proven himself to understand our needs and to answer our prayers even before we ask them at times, already having a plan in place to do so. We should take our trials to Christ. We should awaken Christ with our prayers. I love the imagery that Ryle gives us there. We should awaken Christ with our prayers. Maybe that's why he appears to be sleeping, if we can use that analogy. He will not ignore us forever. Though it may seem as if he's out of touch with our reality, he will hear. And so bring your fears, bring your challenges, financial troubles perhaps, health concerns, Maybe deep emotional scars, how to face this next day, depression, or whatever else the case may be. Bring our trials to Jesus. Awaken Him with our prayers. Awaken Him with our cries for help. And tell Him our fears, whatever we're facing. Because he is listening, he is aware, he is the man who is God on the throne, and he will strengthen our faith as he has promised if we are his disciples. Why are you fearful now? What trial is it that Jesus has seen fit to give you? What anxiety, what trouble? The Messiah, Jesus Christ, is inviting us to follow him. and he will work faith in our hearts. He's busy disciplining us to trust him in every circumstance. Amen. Let's pray together. Holy God, we pray that thou wilt continue to work in the hearts of thy people, greater faith, greater trust, and even in the midst of the greatest trials, mega storms perhaps, that Thou wilt give us mega faith to hold on to Thy promises, to believe, no, even just faith like the grain of a mustard seed. Give us faith, we pray, to trust Thee in every circumstance. Lord, we don't know what a week brings. We commit the week ahead of us to Thee. We pray that Thou will be with us in every circumstance, that Thou will remember the cares and concerns perhaps that we are facing here amongst us, maybe even the hidden crosses, Lord, Help us to cast our cares upon Thee, knowing that Thou carest for us. And help us as brothers and sisters in this church to care for each other even, to lift up each other to the throne of grace. Lord, I pray especially for those who do not yet know the gracious comfort of our loving Lord, Jesus Christ, that they may come to see Him for who He is by faith, to believe His reassuring promises that he is not just with us, but for us. Lord, work this faith, this saving faith, in the hearts of all of us here, even the children, too, we pray, that we may all know Jesus more and more and learn to follow him more closely in our lives. Bless us, we pray. Bless these means of grace that we've been part of this day for thy glory. And these things we pray in Jesus' name, amen.