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(Read Luke 8:22-25)
This morning we continue our series “Grace that is Simply Amazing” by continuing to look at the importance of renewing your mind in order to accept and experience the grace of God. I hope you can see by now that God is a supernatural God, He births us anew into a supernatural life, and He expects us to embrace the supernatural to the point where it actually becomes natural for us. Once again, not because we earn it, deserve it, or work for it, but solely by God’s undeserved grace. God offers us a supernatural life by His grace and we access it with our faith.
In Matthew 8 Jesus finished up a session where He taught many parables. Afterward He said to His disciples, “Let’s cross to the other side of the lake.” So they got into a boat and started out in that direction. As they sailed across, Jesus settled down for a nap. Jesus had no concerns and He quickly fell into a deep sleep. But soon a fierce storm came down on the lake. The storm was so bad that the boat was taking on water. The Bible says that they were in “real danger.” Remember, several of the disciples were professional fisherman. They had spent years in boats, on the water, and they knew a real danger when they saw it.
Once the disciples could not take the fear anymore they woke up Jesus shouting, “Master, Master, we’re going to drown!” When Jesus woke up He did not address the disciples at first. He went out on to the boat, He rebuked the wind and the raging waves (speaking words of faith), and suddenly the storm stopped and all was calm. Once He was done, Jesus looked at the disciples and said, “Where is your faith?”
So what does this mean to you today? A few things:
1. Jesus fully expected His disciples to perform the supernatural acts He was performing. Their minds were not yet conditioned to accept or embrace the supernatural. They were okay with Jesus doing it, but they could not see themselves doing it. It is hard to receive what you cannot perceive.
2. Jesus was upset when the disciples did not rebuke the wind and the waves. Jesus was irritated with the disciples for waking Him up to do something He expected them to be able to do. Stop asking God to do what He has already equipped you to do. Whatever God equips you to do, He expects YOU to do; and whatever He expects you to do, He equips you to do.
3. Jesus was not asking the disciples to operate in their own power. God’s power comes to us by His undeserved and unearned grace. Jesus was fully God and fully man. He operated as a man to show us how we can live as men. Jesus relied on the Father for supernatural power and we can do the same.
4. Jesus never told the disciples that He was special and that they could not do what He was doing. At no point did Jesus ever say, “Hey guys, don’t try this at home.” Or, “I am able to do this, because I am the Son of God. You guys will never be able to do it.” No, Jesus expected the disciples to DO what He was doing.
5. Everything Jesus expected of the disciples, He expects of us. Just like Jesus expected His disciples (back then) to do what He was doing, He expects us (right now) to do what He did.
a. Jesus wants us to take the limits off of our limitless God.
b. Jesus was us to renew our minds to the point where we expect the supernatural to happen through us.
c. Jesus wants us to see ourselves becoming who we were born to be, and doing what we are called to do.
d. We don’t have to do it on our own – we do it by God’s amazing grace.
Closing Confession: Father, the more I study Your grace, the more I realize the supernatural power You have made available to me. I will never access Your power, until I renew my mind to the point where I can see myself doing it. By faith I declare that I will. I see myself the way You see me. I identify myself with the grace You have freely bestowed upon my life. Like Paul, my testimony is, “I am who I am by the grace of God. And God’s grace towards me shall not be in vain.” I will work hard for You father. I will pursue my purpose with bulldog tenacity. I will die to self daily. I will freely embrace all You want to do in, with and through my life. I will stop asking You to do what You have already equipped me to do. I will start attempting things You lead me to do, even when I know it is far beyond human possibility. As You lead me to see the humanly invisible, I will attempt the humanly impossible, and I will experience the supernatural. I will renew my mind to the point where the supernatural becomes natural to me, because it is only then that I will be able to live the way You want me to live, by Your grace. I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper.
