When Dysfunctional Meets God

1 SAMUEL 1:1-2

Theme: God does not require perfect conditions or circumstances in order to have a powerful impact in a life, home, church, community or nation.

Now there was a certain man of Ramathaim-zophim, of mount Ephraim, and his name was Elkanah, the son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephrathite: ² And he had two wives; the name of the one was Hannah, and the name of the other Peninnah: and Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children. (1Sam. 1:1-2)

FAMILY LIFE IS BITTERSWEET.    

Family dynamics in the twenty-first century and the family dynamics that have existed since the dawn of creation have not changed much.

    1.  Family Can Be a Great Source of Pain.

There is no group of human beings that harbors more anxiety, frustration, anger, and other forms of emotional pain than the family unit.

    2.  Family Can Be a Great Source of Joy.

On the positive side, there are no relationships that can bring more joy, happiness, peace, and other positive emotions than this God-ordained institution. And as most of us know, these positive and negative emotions are often mingled together and are sometimes difficult to untangle. Ironically, even "love" and "hate" seem to run on the same relational track.

    3.  Family Life Can Be Turbulent.

Family dysfunction is not a new phenomenon. It permeates the history of the Old Testament, demonstrating the reality of sin in the world. The Scriptures are honest and open about these realities. There are no “cover-ups.” Bible authors do not make God's people look good by hiding the facts. As we'll see in this study, Samuels family is no exception. The story of his birth unfolds during a turbulent family unit, and as we look at this story, we'll understand why.

FAMILY LIFE CAN BE COMPLICATED.   

    1. Complicated by Two Wives.

Samuel’s father was Elkanah and his mother was Hannah (1 Sam. 1:1-2). But the biblical text is clear that all was not well in this Jewish household before Samuel was born. It was a situation of multiplied pain, sorrow, fear, pride, conflict, frustration, and insecurity.  

    2. Complicated by One Barren Wife.

Elkanah had two wives; and to complicate matters, “Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children” (1Sam. 1:2). The situation on the surface seem to be the last scenario God would involve Himself in…at least from our perspective, right? None of us would have considered this the ideal family situation for God to work or to raise up a champion for His will.

God often tolerated polygamy in the Old Testament, but it was not His perfect will. Wherever it existed, the normal problems in any monogamous marriage are not only doubled but multiplied many times. This is the kind of home Samuel would be born into. God’s plan is still one man and one woman for one life together.

Matthew 19:4-6, And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female, [5] And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh? [6] Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.

1 Cor. 7:1-3, Now concerning the things whereof ye wrote unto me: It is good for a man not to touch a woman. [2] Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband. [3] Let the husband render unto the wife due benevolence: and likewise also the wife unto the husband.

God’s plan from the very beginning is still applicable and still works today.

Once again, God does not require perfect conditions or circumstances in order to have a powerful impact in a life, home, church, community or nation. He is not the God who conquers despite the pain; he can triumph through the pain. He still brings beauty out of ashes. His power is manifested in weakness. Our situation is not hopeless merely because we cannot see a reason to hope in our conditions and circumstances. Through our faith and faithfulness God can initiate movements, stir individuals, and raise up leaders to advance His most excellent will. Don’t loose hope because you are surrounding by pain, dysfunction, and complexity. Keep your eyes fixed on the Lord and trust Him to do God-sized things. He may desire to begin with you.

Jesus Will Show Up In The Storm

MATT. 14:22-33

Theme: Dynamic and triumphant living recognizes the presence and power of Christ, even in the storms.

Introduction: The violence of storms on the Sea of Galilee were notorious in Jesus’ time as they are now. A deep depression surrounded by high hills, the Sea of Galilee is shaped like a bowl half-filled with water. Strong winds funnel into this bowl and clash with rising warm air, producing sudden furious squalls.

During such a storm, the sea itself would be whipped into a chaotic frenzy. Experienced fishermen, the disciples recognized the danger they were in as waves flooded the boat. Disaster seemed inevitable…all hope of survival dissipated as the disciples grappled with an ever increasing tempest.  They were in a panic when Jesus appeared walking on the water.

There is an alternative to fearful responses in the storms.  Instead of fear there is faith in Jesus. Christ inspires the weary storm tossed believer to cast away the chains of despair and defeat to envision a life of faith and triumph. Faith is a response that pleases the Lord always. Faith that overcomes fears, obeys Christ’s commands, attempts the impossible, and experiences Christ great enabling power to triumph is God’s desire for every believer. In the incident of the disciples, it is the presence of Jesus that moved them from fear to faith.  Have you relied on the Presence of Jesus in your storm?  How can we be transformed by recognizing the presence of Christ during life’s challenges? How can we become “Storm-Walking Christians?”

Relevance:  Recognizing the Lord’s Presence in the Storm will inspire faith, generate security, embolden the timid to attempt the impossible, and avail Christ’s power to triumph over the storms of life. Fear, intimidation, mediocrity, pain, and frustration have stolen many believers desire to live the impossible life. Hardness has resigned them to the dull ‘boat life’—just surviving. Though they are storm tossed, thrashed, and often overwhelmed, they have come to believe the defeated life is normal. They have lost their sense of spiritual adventure and their dreams of winning over life’s challenges have faded into nothingness. They do not realize that acknowledging Christ’s Presence in the Storm is the difference between discouragement and dynamic living. What do you fear? Is it yourself...failure…success…sacrifice…the unknown…making mistakes…what people may say or think?

Thesis Statement: To become “Storm-Walking Christians” we must Hear Christ’s Command, Attempt the Impossible, and Experience His Power.

Message:

Hear Jesus’ Command in the Storm (Matt. 14:29).

            Jesus always gives a directive in every storm situation we find him in the New Testament. His command is either to the storm or to us.

   A.  Sometimes He Will Speak a Command to the Storm to Afford Us His Peace.

On one occasion, Jesus spoke directly to a storm, saying, “Peace, be still!” (Mark 4:39).  Mark 4:38-41, And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish? [39] And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. [40] And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith? [41] And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?

            During some storms the Lord sees fit to perform a miracle to deliver His people from the imminent danger. Christ demonstrated His deity by rebuking this storm and establishing an immediate calm.  But notice two basic reasons why the Lord would intervene miraculously.

1.      To Demonstrate His Amazing Absolute Power to His Followers– to Show Himself Strong! 

a.       The disciples’ response after the miracle reveal this purpose, “What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him? ” this miracle stunned and impressed them with the power of Christ to command and control the natural elements.

b.      There is no need to fret or fear, there is no warrant for any measure of alarm, Jesus can command the storms and they MUST obey!  2 Chron. 16:9, For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him. The Lord wants us to live constantly under the impression of His sovereign ability!

2.      To Show that He, the Lord Jesus, is our True Safe Harbor in the Storm!

a.       Nothing in this world can provide us with a sense of complete security. To be alive is to be vulnerable.

In fact, our everyday lives are filled with sources of stress and anxiety. To overcome our insecurity, we may turn to forms of defense, or rely on the protection of others for safety. Often we seek to become as self-sufficient as possible. In this way, we hope to become immune to the dangers that surround us.

But no matter what precautions we take, we will never find the inner peace we long for by building up our own defenses. Eventually, the chaos of the world will break through the barriers we have erected, and we will have no place left to hide.

        All the defenses in the world can't provide real security. Only by turning to God and relying on His power can we find the surpassing peace that is a refuge in any storm.

b.      David gives expression to the inner peace that comes from trusting God in Psalm 56:3–4. “What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee. ⁴ In God I will praise his word, in God I have put my trust; I will not fear what flesh can do unto me.”

   B.  Sometimes He Will Speak a Command to the Believer to Transform our Lives. Matt. 14:28-29

          
When Jesus walked to His disciples on the stormy sea, He gave a command to Peter, “Come!”  But why did the Lord honor Peter’s rather impulsive request? What can we learn?

1.     His Command Helps Us Overcome Our Fears. (v. 26)

a.     Jesus’ presence in the storm inspired Peter to exercise fearless faith in spite of his weariness (14:28).

b.     Peter discovered power to overcome his fears and even attempted the humanly impossible (14:26-27).

c.     But notice that he did so only with Jesus’ command to “come.”  (14:29)

d.     Peter could walk on the water because he had faith in Christ’s word, “Come” (vs. 29).  Christ’s words and commands are His enablement!  We can do anything He commands us to do because with His command is His life changing empowerment.  Peter’s faith triumphed over his fears, because he listened to the voice of Christ!  “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” (Rom 10:17).

e.     But when Peter forgot this source of power and stopped looking unto Jesus (Heb 12:1-2), he began to sink. The secret of overcoming the fears associated with the storms and doing the impossible is simply to believe the Word of God and keep looking to the Son of God.

2.     His Command Brings Us Closer to Himself.   Vs. 28, “Bid me come unto thee on the water.”

a.     Peter did not say “bid me walk on the water;” because he was not interested in merely performing a miracle. His security is in Christ, therefore he desires to be with Jesus. His request is not born of a desire to make a spectacular show, but pure impulsive love.  He was responding in the storm the way we all should–that is to come closer to the Lord.

b.     In your storm tossed hours, be assured that Jesus will either rebuke the storm (including dealing with a troublemaker), or He will call you to act in the midst of the storm.  He desires to strengthen, purify, or otherwise change us. Listen for His command! 

c.     Remember, even when life hurts, the Lord desires to bring you closer to Him.

Conclusion: Jesus will show up in the storms we must face. Yes, it is our responsibility to recognize His presence and power in the Storms! This will position us to hear His empowering and life-changing command in the storm. Jesus will not have us petrified by our storms, but empowered to overcome them and act in concert with His will.
Christ will help us grow also through the storms. This was one of His primary purposes for the storm, to help the disciples grow in their faith. After all, Jesus would one day leave them, and they would face many storms in their ministries. They had to learn to trust Him even though He was not present with them, and even though it may have seemed as though He did not care. Even in the storms He cares deeply for His people.
Jesus came with unexpected help and encouragement during the disciples’ time of desperate need. Their need was real; their fears were real. But in the presence of Jesus, our fears must give way to real faith.