Who Wants to Be With Jesus?

on Matthew 8:23-34... 

Jesus quiets a storm at sea, 

Jesus evicts demons from two men. 

• Teaching section of Matthew (chapters 5, 6, and 7, the Sermon on the Mount) comes to end, what happens after teaching? LIVING.

• Who likes having kids, raising kids? 

Is it great? Is it easy? Is it always enjoyable?

Hershey Park with my 9-year-old daughter... 

story of her first roller coaster ride. 

And 9 times in a row on the “Wild Mouse” which is not very fast but if you're more than a hundred pounds, hurts.

Certainly, having a child has taken me beyond my comfort zone many times.

But... do you ever take child past their comfort zone?
Do you as parent ever lead your child beyond where they're comfortable?

Yes, of course, it's how we learn, really learn.

And it's how we take children where they need to go... into maturity.

When you lead people beyond their comfort zone, what are you? A monster, or responsible?

When you leave people IN their comfort zone, what are you...

• Regarding following Jesus, which do you think Jesus will do: leave you in your comfort zone, or lead you into and through storm (and beyond comfort)?

Jesus sees crowds and orders to sea (8:18) where there's a storm (8:24)

and Jesus is right there in the midst. 

God may lead children into storm, but God will not abandon children.

Hold on to Dad's hand in the midst. In amusement park and in life.

• What about demons?

Matthew and others use as illustration of the power of Jesus.

The fear in their day: demon possession.
The fear today: cancer.

I have no doubt that today the story would be about Jesus cancer.

And Jesus has authority over. And Jesus leads into and goes with.

• Bottom line: Go with Jesus. Hold his hand. He goes with you.

• Hymn 512 Stand By Me