1. Introduction

   1. Context

      1. As we come to the close of Matthew 8 we are at the halfway point between the Sermon on the Mount and Christ's second sermon in the book. In chapters 8 and 9 Christ shows us the works of His kingdom, by healing the sick and demonstrating His power over both the natural and the spiritual world. Last week we heard Jesus' disciples marvel "Even the wind and waves obey Him!" and today we see that even the demons obey Him.

   2. Jonathan Edwards' Tri-World Vision.

      1. Hell. Scripture commonly names two realms of creation in close connection to one another – heaven and earth. It does so especially to direct our attention to God in heaven, that we would heed His word, be reconciled to Him, and finally live with Him in heaven. But there is a third realm of creation, hell. Jonathan Edwards is well-known for what has been called his "Tri-World Vision," his explaining the truths of Christianity by tracing the interwoven histories of the three realms of heaven, earth, and hell.¹ Though Jesus cast out demons at many other times, the events recorded in this passage give us a special glimpse into the character of hell, as it wrought its evil influence upon the lives of men on earth.

      2. Heaven. Terrible though this influence is, this passage teaches there is a power greater than the wicked spirits who inhabit hell and earth. Jesus is God, come from heaven, to reign in heaven and on earth, and even over the powers of hell! From this passage we should learn of the power of Satan, but also the greater power of Jesus Christ.

   3. Outline. We learn the power and character of Satan and his demons in the demons' request in vv. 28-31, and the power and character of Jesus Christ in Jesus' command in vv. 32-34.

      1. The Demons' Request vv. 28-31

      2. Jesus' Command vv. 32-34

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James: A Handbook on Holiness

The Rejection of Compromise

James 3:10-13

General outline:

1. The Way to Holiness: The Divine Perspective 1:2-27

   1. The Trial-Temptation Complex 1:2-18

   2. The Word of God 1:19-27

2. The Principles of Holiness: The Biblical Framework 2:1-26

   1. The Law is the Structure of Holiness 2:1-13

   2. Faith is the Dynamics of Holiness 2:14-26

3. The Implementation of Holiness: The Christian Experience 3:1-4:10

   1. The Obstacle to Victory: Human Impotence 3:1-9

      1. The Fact of Human Impotence 3:1-5

      2. The Root of Human Impotence 3:6-9

   2. The Nature of Victory 3:10-18

James 3:10-13

The Impropriety of Compromise

10 From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so.

The Impossibility of Compromise

11 Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water?

12 Can a fig tree, my brothers, bear olives, or a grapevine produce figs? Neither can a salt pond yield fresh water.

The Challenge of Compromise

13 Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom.

Discussion Questions:

1. V. 10 – Are we morally obligated to be consistently gracious in our speech? _______________

2. Vv. 11-12 – Springs and plants produce fruit “according to their kinds” (Gen. 1:11); according to their nature. From what kind of heart does blessing come? ___________ Cursing? ________ Which kind of heart does a Christian have? Consider Matt. 7:15-20.

3. Springs, figs, olives, and grapes provide us food & drink. How do words of blessing & cursing “feed” other people when they take them in? Consider Prov. 18:21. _____________________
   _____________________________________________________________________________

4. James says this inconsistency is impossible in nature. Is it impossible in the Christian? Consider John 15:1-17; 1 John 1:8-10; 3:6, 9; 5:18.

5. V. 13 – Notice the ministerial trajectory of a life-producing tongue: by the Spirit, a heart of wisdom speaks godly words humbly accompanied by works so others are blessed.

Note: You may download all study guides in one PDF file here.

The 4^th Commandment

The Issue of the 4^th Commandment

1. Put Simply

   1. Krabbendam: Love God on the DAY He has set apart

2. More generally:

   1. Our calendar needs to be brought into accord with God’s

      1. What are the most significant events on God’s calendar?

The Text of the 4^th Commandment
Exodus 20:8-11; Deuteronomy 5:12-15

1. Outline

Command

8 Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.

[Deut. 5:12 Observe/keep/preserve the Sabbath day, to keep it holy, as the LORD your God commanded you.]

Means of keeping the command

9 Six days you shall labor, and do all your work,

10 but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your male servant, or your female servant, or your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates.

[Deut. 5:14 ...that your male servant and your female servant may rest as well as you.]

Reason to keep the command

11 For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.

[Deut. 5:15 You shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the LORD your God brought you out from there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. Therefore the LORD your God commanded you to keep the Sabbath day.]

1. Differences between Exodus & Deuteronomy

   1. Exodus: Right after exiting Egypt; looks back to creation week – “Remember...rested the seventh day”

   2. Deuteronomy: Right before entering Canaan; looks back to God’s act of redemption in Exodus & God’s subsequent command at Sinai – “Observe...commanded...remember...Egypt...brought you out...commanded”

The Reason for Keeping the 4^th Commandment

1. Its reasoning proceeds from the reason to the command to the means

   1. Central questions

      1. Perpetually binding? Creation ordinance or Exodus-ordinance?

1. 1. 1. Change & continuity from Saturday to Sunday legitimate? To what extent?

1. Reason: “The relationship within the rest”

   1. God’s calendar sets our calendar – we cannot forget our anniversary!

      1. The 4 greatest events in history: creation, Exodus, resurrection, 2^nd coming.

1. 1. 1. 1. Deuteronomy 4:32: For ask now of the days that are past, which were before you, since the day that God created man on the earth, and ask from one end of heaven to the other, whether such a great thing as this has ever happened or was ever heard of.

1. 1. God did not rest because He was tired, or in order to depart from creation, but in order to enjoy and be “refreshed” in His newly-made creation, in covenant relationship with it. This forms the pattern for man—man should enjoy and be “refreshed” in his covenant relationship with God on the Sabbath.

      1. Gen. 1:31: And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good.

      2. Gen. 2:2-3: 2 And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done. 3 So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all his work that he had done in creation.

      3. Ex. 31:17: in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested and was refreshed.

      4. Ex. 23:12: the seventh day you shall rest; that your ox and your donkey may have rest, and the son of your servant woman, and the alien, may be refreshed.

      5. Prov. 8:22-23: 22 "The LORD possessed me at the beginning of his work, the first of his acts of old. 23 Ages ago I was set up, at the first, before the beginning of the earth.

      6. Prov. 8:29-31: 29 when he marked out the foundations of the earth, 30 then I was beside him, like a master workman, and I was daily his delight, rejoicing before him always, 31 rejoicing in his inhabited world and delighting in the children of man.

The Biblical Commentary on the 4^th Commandment

1. Gen. 2:2-3 – origin must be traced back to creation

   1. God made the seventh day...

      1. “Rested”: a day with a pattern to follow

      2. “Blessed”: a day of spiritual fruitfulness & growth

      3. “Set apart”: a day dedicated to fellowship with & service to Him

   2. Ex. 20:11 underscores its Edenic institution

   3. Mark 2:27-28 says “the Sabbath was made for man;” this refers to creation & man in general, not just Israelites

2. Absence from creation to the wilderness journey

   1. But obligation could still have remained – parallel in creation ordinance of monogamous marriage not observed by patriarchs in Genesis. Cf. Matt. 19:4-8

1. Mosaic legislation

   1. Ex. 16:22-31 – the Sabbath was nothing new at this stage!

      1. v. 22 – “automatically” gathering extra on 6^th day

      2. vv. 28-29 – not a new law

   2. Ex. 20:8-11

      1. “Remember” - points to creation ordinance

      2. “Six days” uses a numeral, not an ordinal (ordinals are “first, second...sixth”). “Seventh” is an ordinal. Numerals are used to count; ordinals are used to order. So, the “seventh” day is not literally the “seventh” in the order of the week, but rather is only the 7^th in the order of counting. The creation week, not the commandment, made the 7^th day of the week the Sabbath. So the day was free to change to the 1^st day of the week upon Christ’s resurrection.

      3. The 4^th commandment is the capstone of the first 3:

         1. 1^st: Love God for who He IS: rest before & delight in God

         2. 2^nd: Love God for what He SAYS: communicate with God in Word & prayer

         3. 3^rd: Love God for what He DOES: perform works of necessity & mercy

   3. Mosaic case law

      1. Ex. 23:12 – Sabbath is for the refreshment of man

      2. Ex. 31:12-17 – Sabbath a sign that God owns & sanctifies us. Is holy for us, requires solemn rest, holy to the Lord. Death penalty for breaking it! Don’t build tabernacle without resting to worship!

      3. Ex. 35:1-3 – No fires on Sabbath = no work

      4. Lev. 23-25 – Cycle of sabbaths patterned after weekly Sabbath: seven feasts: Passover, Pentecost, trumpets (seventh new moon feast), Day of Atonement, Tabernacles, sabbath (7^th) year, year of Jubilee.

         1. Rest remains central, but work only absolutely prohibited on Day of Atonement

         2. Rest always involves joy & rejoicing in every area of life: forgiveness, freedom from debt, slavery, labor.

         3. Rest remains spiritual (not merely humanitarian or agrarian) at its core; it is rest in the LORD

      5. Num. 15:32-36 – gathering sticks constitutes rejection of covenant; death penalty

      6. Deut. 15:1-16:17

         1. Resting one year out of seven expressed trust in God’s providence by... 15:1-18

            • Forgiving debts 1-6

            • Lending to the poor 7-11

            • Setting slaves free 12-18

         2. The Sabbath is about delighting in God as seen in... 15:19-16:17

            • Giving the firstlings of the flock to the Lord & eating meat before Him, because of His absolute ownership 15:19-23

            • The feast of Passover & Unleavened Bread, because sin is removed through blood 16:1-8

            • The Feast of Pentecost because firstfruits symbolize holy devotion to God 16:9-12

            • The Feast of Tabernacles because of God’s numerous blessings 16:13-15

            • The freewill offerings at these feasts 16:16-17

2. Historical Books

   1. Neh. 10:31; 13:15-22 – no buying on Sabbath, “the Sabbath” distinct from “the Sabbaths, the new moons, the appointed feasts.” Levites worked on Sabbath – guarded gates!

3. Prophetical Books

   1. Is. 1:13-14 – Hypocrisy, formalism, ritualism condemned

   2. Is. 56:2-6 – Sabbath-keeping brings blessing, honor, God’s presence, joy, God’s acceptance

   3. Is. 58:13-14: 13 If you turn back your foot from the Sabbath, from doing your pleasure on my holy day, and call the Sabbath a delight and the holy day of the LORD honorable; if you honor it, not going your own ways, or seeking your own pleasure, or talking idly; 14 then you shall take delight in the LORD, and I will make you ride on the heights of the earth; I will feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father, for the mouth of the LORD has spoken.

   4. Is. 66:23 – NT & New Earth worship will be from Sabbath to Sabbath

   5. Jer. 17:19-27 – Not keeping Sabbath brought punishment of Exile. Cf. 2 Chron. 36:20-21

   6. Ezek. 20:12-24; 22:8, 26; 23:38; 36:25-27 – Polluting Sabbaths brings punishment; New Covenant blessings described in terms of obedience to Mosaic law

   7. Ezek. 44:24; 45:17 – New Covenant worship will include rest that does not exclude a cycle of 7 days.

4. In the New Testament

   1. Pharisees’ view of 4^th Commandment

      1. Sought to earn salvation thereby

      2. It was a legalistic burden. Matt. 12:1-8; Mark 2:23-28; Luke 6:1-11; John 5:1-15

      3. When Jesus rejected their legalistic resting in favor of a rest that involved delight, worship, & deeds of necessity & mercy, they sought the death penalty. Matt. 12:9-14; Mark 3:1-6; Luke 6:11; John 5:16-18

   2. Jesus kept the 4^th Commandment

      1. He rested, delighted in His Father, attended worship & read Scripture/taught on the Sabbath (Luke 4:16, 31, 44), and did works of fellowship & service (above; Luke 14:1-24).

      2. He kept the Sabbath by doing His Father’s work. John 5:36

      3. In His rest, He gave saving rest to others on the Sabbath. Luke 4:17-21

      4. He did not end the seven-day cycle! Matt. 24:20: “Pray that your flight may not be in winter or on a Sabbath.” The cycle would continue until at least 70 AD. Cf. Acts 13:14, 27, 42, 44; 15:21; 16:13; 17:2; 18:4

   3. After Christ’s resurrection

      1. Normal practices of Sabbath observance began to take place on the first day of the week rather than the seventh.

         1. In John 20:19-23 Christ leads the first church service. He meets with them again eight days later in 20:24-29. The Lord of the Sabbath had changed the day by rising from the dead and sanctifying a greater day. Just as He changed circumcision to baptism, and the Passover to the Lord’s Supper, without explicitly stating the change was taking place, He made the change.

         2. On the first day of Pentecost, the first day of the week, the Holy Spirit was poured out on the church.

         3. Acts 20:7 – first day of week, worship service

         4. 1 Cor. 16:2 – offerings collected on 1^st day of week

         5. Rev. 1:10 – John calls this day the “Day of the Lord.”

   4. Paul’s epistles combat Judaizers’ works righteousness & retention of OT Sabbatical system

      1. Col. 2:16-17; Gal. 4:9-11

         1. Col. 2:16-17: 16 Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival or a new moon or Sabbaths. 17 These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ.

         2. “Sabbaths” is plural. This refers to the whole OT sabbatical system, including all of the feasts & holy days, and does not directly call the weekly Sabbath into question. (Lev. 23-25; 1 Chron. 23:31; Neh. 10:33; Ps. 81:3; Is. 1:13; Ezek. 45:17; 46:1-3; Amos 8:5) The sabbatical system was built to express the point of the weekly Sabbath, and as such is less central to, and less the substance of, the Old Covenant than was the weekly Sabbath. The parts of the system were shadows, symbols, meant to no longer be practiced when the substance came in Christ.

         3. Col. 2:14 does not mean God’s moral law does not bind us, but that we are no longer condemned by it. The “record of debt” has rightful authority; the authorities in v. 15 are shamed because they did not have rightful authority. So the authorities in v. 15 are not God’s law! Are the items in v. 16 this rightful record or these spurious authorities? They are a combination of both! They are the good ceremonies of the law, used in an evil way.

         4. Hand & fingers: The fingers of obedience to the law have no power or unity without the hand of love to move them. No Judaizing legalism! But to the same degree, the hand of love has no grip if not through the fingers of obedience. No antinomianism!

         5. Note that Paul certainly honored the first day of the week (Acts 20:7; 1 Cor. 16:2) and Pentecost (Acts 20:16).

      2. Rom. 14:5-6

         1. Rom. 14:5-6: 5 One person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. 6 The one who observes the day, observes it in honor of the Lord. The one who eats, eats in honor of the Lord, since he gives thanks to God, while the one who abstains, abstains in honor of the Lord and gives thanks to God.

         2. A strong argument: V. 5 could seem to destroy the uniqueness of the one day out of seven.

         3. Convincing counter-arguments:

            • It is difficult to see how a person observing the first day of the week as a memorial of Christ’s resurrection would be called “weak!”

            • The weekly Sabbath is a creation ordinance, not part of the Levitical/Mosaic Sabbatical system of feasts & holy days

            • The NT itself gives the first day of the week special importance, as seen above.

   5. Hebrews 10:23-29

      1. Heb. 10:23-25: 23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, 25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.

      2. Gathering to take part in the special acts of worship is still commanded.

      3. Breaking this command brings God’s vengeance (vv. 26-31) akin to the death penalty in Ex. 31:13-15 for breaking the 4^th Commandment. Likely Heb. 25 is intentionally reiterating the obligation of the 4^th Commandment, with the significance, but not the practice, of its death penalty, in full view.

   6. Hebrews 3:7-4:11

      1. Because of Israel’s rebellion, at the border of Canaan God said “They shall not enter my rest.” (3:11) Yet He allowed those who believed to enter later. (4:7) This was possible because He had been resting from His creative work from the foundation of the world in order to delight in covenant fellowship with man (4:3). This rest initially denied to Israel was not merely the political, civil, worldly rest from enemies in the land of Canaan which God gave the people through Joshua, but is a greater rest—a spiritual rest; the covenant relationship within the outward rest—else it would have been fully given under Joshua and not offered again later. (4:8) Because God is still resting in order to delight in covenant fellowship with man, “there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God” to enter into “today.” What is required to enter this rest is to turn away from and rest from our works (4:10), not harden our hearts, but delight in God (3:8, 10; 4:7), and enter into covenant fellowship with Him (3:14) through faith (3:12, 19; 4:2-3) and obedience (3:12, 13, 15-18; 4:1, 6, 11).

5. Conclusion

   1. There is no reason to believe the Sabbath institution is anything but a creation ordinance.

   2. There is every reason to believe the 4^th Commandment is still in force today, with the understanding that the seventh day of the week was replaced by the first day of the week following the resurrection of Christ.

   3. Again, neither Judaistic legalism nor antinomianism will suffice! Observance of this day must be written on our hearts, and be the culmination of our cheerful and heartfelt obedience to the first three commandments.

      1. Negatively, this means abstinence from normal, everyday work, in order to worship God.

      2. Positively, this means:

         1. worshipful fellowship with God (1^st C!)

         2. intent listening to God in His word (2^nd C!)

         3. and cheerful labor for God in works of necessity & mercy (3^rd C!)

   4. Calvin strikes this balance well

      1. No legalism: Genevan Catechism & Institutes 2.8.32-34 – ceremonial sabbath system has been abolished; Lord’s day observance must not be Judaism

      2. No antinomianism: Sermon on Deut. 5 – “shop windows are shut on the Lord’s Day,” people “travel not after the common order and fashion of men,” and “If we employ the Lord’s Day to make good cheer, to sport ourselves, to go to the same games and pastimes, shall God in this be honored? Is this not the unhallowing of His name?”

The Application of the 4^th Commandment

1. Command: “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy”

2. Means: Rest in order to worship: “the seventh...you shall not do any work”

   1. Work

      1. Encompasses all activities of the 6 days

      2. Is productive & reigning - “be fruitful, and multiply, fill the earth, and subdue it. Have dominion...”

      3. Is completely ceased on the 7^th day

   2. Worship

      1. Special, not general, acts of worship

      2. Is implicitly what the whole 7^th day is for, since it is not for work

   3. The relation between 6-day work & 7^th day worship: It’s necessary to “rest in order to worship”

      1. Certainly integrated:

         1. Worshipful work: Rom. 12:1 implies that our 6 day work must be full of worship; it must be worship-ful.

         2. Work-full worship

            • Required:

              • Activity: “Keep” in the 4th commandment

              • Return whole of life to God: Our resting from labor in order in worship to return that labor and its fruits (note the offering) wholly and completely to God who gave it to us (Gen. 4:3-5; 22; Ex. 29:18; 31:17--God was refreshed in His creation, cf. Prov. 8:31; Ps. 103:1-5; 116; 2 Chron. 32:25; Rom. 11:36; 2 Cor. 8-9; 8:5; Phi. 4:18-20; Rev. 4:9-11)

            • Permitted:

              • Works of necessity & mercy: Christ’s harvesting (Matt. 12:1-6 - necessity) and healing (Matt. 12:7-13 - mercy) on the Sabbath

              • Tiring effort: Paul’s 24 hours of no sleep on the Sabbath in Acts 20:7-11

      2. But also distinct:

         1. Work enables worship. This remains the goal of works of necessity & mercy. Ex. 16:23-30; Josh. 6:3-4, 2 Kings 11:5, 7, 9; 1 Chron. 9:25; 2 Chron. 23:4, 8; Neh. 4:9, 16; 7:3; 13:22; Matt. 12:1-13 and 1 Cor. 11:33-34.

         2. Work is presented in worship. See “work-full worship” above.

         3. Worship enables work. Is. 58:13-14 (with Ex. 31:14-15; Lev. 25; Is. 56:2; Jer. 17:24-27); Eph. 4:11-16.

         4. Worship is lived-out in work. Rom. 12:1’s “therefore.”

         5. Work glorifies God indirectly; worship glorifies God directly.

      3. So, you can’t work and worship at the same time. If the sabbath requirement is still binding today as argued above, we must rest the whole day in order to worship the whole day.

3. Works of necessity and mercy

   1. Biblical data

      1. OT examples:

         1. Army marched around Jericho 7 days – Josh. 6:15

         2. Levites worked to support worship – 1 Chron. 9:32

         3. David ate showbread – 1 Sam. 21:6

         4. Guards guarded the temple gates 7 days – 2 Kings 11:5, 7, 9

      2. Jesus’ example & teaching: harvesting & healing: Matthew 12:1-14; Mark 2:23-3:6; Luke 6:1-11; 13:10-17; 14:5; John 5:9-11; 7:22-24; 9:14-17

   2. Defined

      1. Works of necessity: tasks necessary to enable you or someone else to take part in public & private Sabbath worship

      2. Works of mercy: tasks merciful toward someone in dire need such that it would make you a hypocrite to neglect helping the person on the Sabbath, because your neglect would be out of accord with the nature of the worship of that day; it is more in accord with worship to help the person than to let them suffer.

      3. These works are worship-centered and worship-enabling

4. What Activities Are Appropriate?

1. 1. Public worship

      1. The word, prayer, and the sacraments

   2. Private worship

      1. Group & individual times in word, prayer, songs, edifying conversation

   3. Rest

      1. “Keep” implies activity is at the core. Sleeping all day is not an option.

      2. “Rest” implies work would prevent worship; the sleep necessary to enable worship is allowed.

      3. “Marathon” Sundays? No, if beyond a person’s capacity (“rest!”). Yes, as God grants the ability (“keep!”)

   4. “Worldly employments?”

      1. Allowable: Police, firefighters, utilities, hospitals, gas stations, milking, phone calls

      2. Not allowable: vocational, public, educational works

      3. Gray areas: Harvesting, public transportation, mail, 24/7 industries - steel, chemical, laboratories

   5. “Worldly recreations?”

      1. Not allowable: Sports, restaurants; profit, pleasure, prattle

      2. Gray areas: Garden, pool, park, games, TV, radio

      3. Sports:

         1. Fellowship is commanded on the Lord’s Day, so games that promote fellowship are allowed

         2. It must be Christian fellowship. Fellowship centering in God’s word, prayer, & praise is central; fellowship utilizing games is peripheral

         3. Paul does not condemn sports, but treats them as a good profession or occupation

         4. So, sports: unorganized sports qualify as fellowship; organized sports qualify as weekday work

         5. Watching sports? If truly Christian fellowship, yes; if merely your own pleasure, no. Is. 58:13!

   6. Buying/dining out

      1. Deut. 5:14 - “that your male servant...may rest”

      2. Neh. 10:31; 13:15-22 implies that not only selling, but buying, was wrong because opposed to keeping the Sabbath holy.

1. Larger Catechism

   1. Duties Required – WLC 116

      1. The fourth commandment requireth of all men

         1. the sanctifying or keeping holy to God such set times as he hath appointed in his word, expressly one whole day in seven;

         2. which was the seventh from the beginning of the world to the resurrection of Christ, and the first day of the week ever since, and so to continue to the end of the world;

         3. which is the Christian sabbath, and in the New Testament called The Lord's Day.

   2. How sanctified? WLC 117

      1. The sabbath or Lord's day is to be sanctified by

         1. an holy resting all the day, not only from such works as are at all times sinful, but even from such worldly employments and recreations as are on other days lawful;

         2. and making it our delight to spend the whole time (except so much of it as is to be taken up in works of necessity and mercy) in the public and private exercises of God's worship:

         3. and, to that end, we are to prepare our hearts, and with such foresight, diligence, and moderation, to dispose and seasonably dispatch our worldly business, that we may be the more free and fit for the duties of that day.

   3. Sins forbidden – WLC 119

      1. The sins forbidden in the fourth commandment are,

         1. all omissions of the duties required, all careless, negligent, and unprofitable performing of them, and being weary of them;

         2. all profaning the day by idleness, and doing that which is in itself sinful;

         3. and by all needless works, words, and thoughts, about our worldly employments and recreations.

1. Introduction

   1. What do you do when you are afraid? Cry out for help? Blame other people? Move to protect yourself? In The Sound of Music, Fraulein Maria gives the heartwarming advice,

      1. When the dog bites, when the bee stings, when I'm feeling sad
         I simply remember my favorite things
         and then I don't feel so bad.

   2. There is some value in "the power of positive thinking," and God even tells us to think on "whatever is lovely," but "raindrops on roses" will not actually protect you from real and present danger! Ultimately the one who protects you is Jesus, who is rightly called the Lord, and your Savior. You can know this is true because even the winds and waves obey Him.

   3. Outline. God reminds us of our peril and fear in vv. 23-25, and points us to depend on Christ's power and grace in our time of need in vv. 26-27.

      1. Our Peril and Fear vv. 23-25

      2. Christ's Power and Grace in Our Time of Need vv. 26-27

2. Body

   1. Our Peril and Fear vv. 23-25. God reminds us of our peril and fear in vv. 23-25.

      1. Text

         1. 23 And when he got into the boat, his disciples followed him.

         2. 24 And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by the waves; but he was asleep.

         3. 25 And they went and woke him, saying, "Save us, Lord; we are perishing."

      2. Peril

         1. Got into the boat

            • In v. 28 we learn that Christ's purpose in traveling to the region of the Gadarenes or Gerasenes, which was in the tribe of Gad east of the Jordan, was to heal two demon-possessed men. The fact there were pigs and pigherders means this region had a significant population of unbelieving Gentiles, because Jews did not eat pigs. And on the way to this region known for evil, probably a mile from the shore, a fearfully violent storm rises up and comes upon them!

         2. A great storm

            • Their worst fears became a reality. This storm is a beginning of the difficulties Christ promised His disciples would undergo. Storms and the ocean are frightening because they can place us at great peril. During some storms at night here in Caney I have lain awake truly afraid that I wouldn't hear the tornado warning when the tornado comes. The power of the wind, of lightning, of waves, is greater than any man. We understand the danger of deep water at an early age—which end of the pool was the scary end when you were 4 years old? The deep end!

            • The depths of the ocean and the power of its waves inspired a special fear in the people of the Ancient Near East. Storms and the sea represented to them the cosmic forces of evil and their root in Satan and his demons. The Canaanites believed Yam was the god of the sea, and that there was a serpent-like sea monster named Rahab who was a picture of the power of Yam. But Yahweh has shown throughout history that He is the true God of the sea, and He demonstrated this when Jesus calmed the winds and the waves.

              • Psalm 89:9-10 teaches this truth:

                • You rule the raging of the sea; when its waves rise, you still them. You crushed Rahab like a carcass; you scattered your enemies with your mighty arm.

              • And Job confessed in Job 26:12, 13,

                • By his power he stilled the sea; by his understanding he shattered Rahab. By his wind the heavens were made fair; his hand pierced the fleeing serpent.

            • Against the background of pagan fear of the sea as an evil power, Genesis tells us that at creation "The earth was formless and void," tohu and bohu, chaos and emptiness, but "the Spirit of God hovered over the face of the deep." (Gen. 1:2) God created all things out of nothing, giving them form and filling the void, and God looked on everything He had made, and behold, it was very good.

            • After men sinned and fell Satan is able to use the power of the sea to do great evil, but God remains the Lord of the sea. God created the great sea creatures pictured by Leviathan, whom man cannot master, but whose master is God. God saved Noah from the flood. God parted the waters of the Red Sea under Moses. David cried out that the waters were over his head. Jonah sank down to the bottom of the sea, where the bars of Sheol nearly closed around him. Peter began to sink but Christ walked on the water. Because Christ has conquered death and Hell one day these perils will be no more. According to Rev. 21:1, in the new heavens and new earth there will be no more sea.

            • But we still face these perils today. The OT saints called the bottom of the ocean the depths of Sheol, the place of the dead. Today we still call it "Davy Jones' Locker." Submariners fear the deepest depths where the intense pressure can destroy a ship, and divers say "Down at the depth of 100 feet, lives an old man named Oxygen Pete."

            • Mariners from every age know these fears, from the prophet Jonah to Paul shipwrecked on Malta to Coleridge's Rime of the Ancient Mariner, to the movie The Perfect Storm. Man cannot defeat the power of the sea.

         3. But He was asleep. But the God-man lay asleep amidst the storm with nothing to fear.

            • Psalm 4:8 says,

              • In peace I will both lie down and sleep; for you alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety.

            • Christ has this peace to give, but his disciples did not have it. Christ went to sleep to test His disciples' faith.

      3. Fear

         1. Lord, save us!

            • But His disciples have more fear than faith. They called Him "Lord," believed He could save them, and begged He would. But they believed they would die. They say, "We are perishing!" Quite naturally, their peril led to fear.

   2. Christ's Power & Grace in Our Time of Need vv. 26-27. Their fear was natural, but it was not right. It was not right because God Himself was with them in the boat, and in the storm. This is the God who is greater than the sea, greater than the power of sin, and death, and Hell. The disciples had yet to learn what Christ taught in Matt. 12:40-41, "Just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth....Behold, something greater than Jonah is here."

      1. Text. And so Jesus said to them,

         1. 26 And he said to them, "Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?" Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm.

         2. 27 And the men marveled, saying, "What sort of man is this, that even winds and sea obey him?"

      2. Christ's Rebuke. We should learn from this Christ's power and grace in our time of need. Jesus responded to His disciples' request by rebuking them as their gracious Redeemer, then rebuking the storm as its powerful Creator.

         1. Rebuked disciples as their gracious Redeemer

            • Why are you afraid?

              • Christ rebuked His disciples not for disturbing Him with their prayers, but for disturbing themselves with their fears. He didn't ask them, "Why do you ask me for help?" He asked, "Why are you afraid?"

            • Little faith

              • He tells them the true cause of their fear by calling them "O you of little faith." There is a godly fear of calamity which keeps us from being what the Bible calls a "fool," but there is also an ungodly fear of storms, natural disasters, and other threats and difficulties. An ungodly fear does not trust God's sovereign lordship and providential care as a foundation for our life that cannot be shaken. An ungodly fear believes there is an evil more powerful than God. An ungodly fear does not believe Christ has fully paid for your sin and so earthly travails are no longer the punishment of God's wrath but the discipline of your loving Father. John teaches us "There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love." (4:18) Do you fear the wrath of God when you run from the lightning? When you lie awake when the wind roars around your house? Then ask God to forgive you for your sins, and believe His promise that He is faithful and just to forgive your sins and cleanse you from all unrighteousness. Then even if the storm takes your life the Lord will preserve your soul.

              • Do you believe He will? That is the faith of a Christian. The one who knows Jesus Christ says "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me!" (Psalm 23:4) "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. 2 Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea, 3 though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling." (Psalm 46:1-3) Our God holds the tempest in His hand (Prov. 30:4); He hurls the tempest to the earth (Is. 28:2; Jonah 1:4) and you will fear it, but He is our shelter from the storm (Is. 4:6; 25:4; 32:2). "When the tempest passes, the wicked is no more, but the righteous is established forever." (Proverbs 10:25)

         2. Rebuked storm as its powerful Creator. Though Christ rebuked His disciples for their lack of faith, He did grant their request! He did so by rebuking the storm as its powerful Creator.

            • Notice "How easily this was done, with a word's speaking."¹ Notice also "How effectually it was done. There was a great calm, all of a sudden. Ordinarily, after a storm, there is such a fret of the waters, that it is a good while ere they can settle."²

            • God calms our fears. The same power that calms the sea calms the tumult of the peoples. God can calm our fears through faith in Jesus Christ because He is our Creator. Psalm 65:7 says He is the one who by His almighty power both "stills the roaring of the seas" and "the tumult of the peoples." Jesus saves us from both the perils we face and the fears they bring.

            • The application of this passage should be coming into clearer view. God calms our fears through faith in Jesus Christ. And when we are in fear that faith should drive us to seek God's protection through prayer. Christ's willingness to grant His disciple's request should give us good reason to "come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need." (Hebrews 4:16) Those who have asked for the eternal salvation Christ gives may freely ask for temporal deliverances. Turn with me for a minute to Jonah 2, which teaches us to pray this kind of prayer of faith. The account in Matthew bears many similarities to Jonah's experience in Jonah 1 and Paul's in Acts 27, and I recommend you read those two chapters this afternoon. But give attention to Jonah 2; if the disciples had not yet learned what Jonah learned, we must not go home today without learning it.

              • 1 Then Jonah prayed to the LORD his God from the belly of the fish, 2 saying, "I called out to the LORD, out of my distress, and he answered me; out of the belly of Sheol I cried, and you heard my voice. 3 For you cast me into the deep, into the heart of the seas, and the flood surrounded me; all your waves and your billows passed over me. 4 Then I said, ‘I am driven away from your sight; Yet I shall again look upon your holy temple.' 5 The waters closed in over me to take my life; the deep surrounded me; weeds were wrapped about my head 6 at the roots of the mountains. I went down to the land whose bars closed upon me forever; yet you brought up my life from the pit, O LORD my God. 7 When my life was fainting away, I remembered the LORD, and my prayer came to you, into your holy temple. 8 Those who pay regard to vain idols forsake their hope of steadfast love. 9 But I with the voice of thanksgiving will sacrifice to you; what I have vowed I will pay. Salvation belongs to the LORD!" 10 And the LORD spoke to the fish, and it vomited Jonah out upon the dry land.

            • Pray! "Salvation belongs to the LORD!" Even from the blackest terror at the bottom of the sea your prayer will reach God in His holy temple. If God heard the prayer of the pagan Ninevites, He will hear the prayer of His beloved children in distress. Call out to Him in prayer, and He will help.

            • Pray in faith! And pray in faith. Jonah believed He would see God's temple again. When you fear the tornado outside your door, the waves swamping your boat, the terror of the noonday or the pestilence that stalks by night, do you believe that whether you die now or live to see the next day, no matter what may come, after this peril, you will see the Lord? The steadfast love of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting for those who fear Him. Trust Him even when you call out to Him out of fear for your life.

      3. Response.

         1. The disciple's problem was both their peril and their fear, so Christ rebuked both their fear and their peril. But He did not only speak the words of the rebuke; He also worked the response He sought. He calmed the storm, and He calmed His disciples. The "great storm" became a "great calm," and "you of little faith" became great believers. They marveled because it was a miracle. They admired Christ, their faith greatly strengthened, asking "What sort of man is this?" They admired Him because "Even winds and sea obey Him!"

         2. Christ's Power. Do you admire Jesus Christ for this same reason? Your Savior is the Lord of heaven and earth. Say with the Psalmist, "I know that the LORD is great, and that our Lord is above all gods. Whatever the LORD pleases, he does, in heaven and on earth, in the seas and all deeps. He it is who makes the clouds rise at the end of the earth, who makes lightnings for the rain and brings forth the wind from his storehouses." (Psalm 135:5-7) Remember that He was Lord of the waves at creation. "At your rebuke they fled. You set a boundary that they may not pass, so that they might not again cover the earth." (Psalm 104:7, 9) He was Lord of the sea in the Exodus. "At the blast of your nostrils the waters piled up; the floods stood up in a heap; the deeps congealed in the heart of the sea." (Exodus 15:8)

         3. Faith. And for this reason He gives true peace to those who trust by faith in Him, even a peace that passes human understanding. "You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you. Trust in the LORD forever, for the LORD GOD is an everlasting rock." (Isaiah 26:4)

         4. Prayer. So we must come to Him in prayer, as His disciples did. "Therefore let everyone who is godly offer prayer to you at a time when you may be found; surely in the rush of great waters, they shall not reach him." (Psalm 32:6)

3. Conclusion

   1. When the dog bites, when the bee stings, what will you do? We have revised one Rogers & Hammerstein song to make a Christian prayer before our fellowship meals; we should change another one into a Christian prayer when we fear for our lives.

When the dog bites, when the bee stings, when I'm feeling sad,
I pray to my Savior who created all things,
And then I don't feel so bad.