2 Corinthians 6:1-13

The story goes that a reporter went to an old folks home to do a public interest story. But this was no ordinary old folks home. This was a home for retired stand up comedians. As the reporter walked up to the home there was a large porch full of rocking chairs. In the rocking chairs were old men and women just rocking away.

Suddenly one of the old men stopped rocking and he called out a number. At the sound of the number all the people on the porch started laughing. Then another leaned forward in his chair and called out another number and they laughed even more. Some almost fell out of their chairs. This kept going on with brief patches of silence.

The director of activities walked up just then and explained to the reporter: These stand up comics know every joke that has ever been told. So to save time they have given them all numbers. Instead of wasting time telling the joke, they just call out the number.

The young reporter said,"Let me try." So with a flourish he stood in front of the people on the porch and said, "25." No body laughed so he called out a few more numbers and still they did not laugh. Just then an old man put his hand on the young reporter's shoulder and said, "25." All the residents on the porch just laughed their heads off. Then he turned to the reporter and said, "It's all in the timing, son; it's all in the timing."

Timing is so important. It is hard to know just when to do things. When to you deliver the punch line? When do you stop cutting bait and start fishing? When do you pop the question? When do you settle down? When do you ask your boss for that raise? When do you tell your boss what he can do with his job? When do you talk to your kids about drugs? When do you say "I Love you?"

So much rides on the timing. If you say the wrong thing at the wrong time it will be taken wrong. The boss won't give you that raise. The girl may say no. Your kids may not listen. It could all go wrong if your timing is off.

So people often are unsure when to respond to the grace of God. They think, "If I give my life to Christ now I maybe mess thing up for my lifestyle." Or maybe they think I will wait for a time when I feel more spiritual. They might think "If I start taking my spiritual life seriously now, I might not be able to follow though and I may fail. They might think they are not ready, they are not good enough, or not spiritual enough or know the Bible good enough to serve God. They may even be worried that God is not ready for them!

By the way does anyone know what time it is? Yes, that may be true, but the Bible says that this is also the acceptable time! "Behold, now is the acceptable time; behold, now is the day of salvation." (2 Cor. 6:2) Not yesterday, not tomorrow, not when you feel more like it. Now is the acceptable time. Now is the time to respond to God's grace.

Paul says, "We entreat you not to accept the grace of God in vain."(2 Cor. 6:1) Paul was writing this letter to the Christians in Corinth. Paul had a rocky relationship with the Corinthians. They had said some thing and he had said some thing and they both had hut each others' feelings. But God was calling the Corinthians to work together with Paul to spread the Gospel. God by His grace had brought Paul and the Corinthians together and Paul is appealing to them not to ignore that gift. He was telling them now is the time to patch things up and make a go of it! Not later! Because God's grace is give to us now.

Have you ever had a rocky relationship with someone? We all have. Young people, do you ever have run ins with your parents? Parents, do you ever feel exasperated by your kids? Overall I had a good relationship with my father but there were some rough times. He thought I wasn't doing things right and I though it was none of his business. But we managed to patch things up long before he died and I am glad we didn't put it off.

Now is the acceptable time to patch up those relationships. It is never the wrong time to say "I Love You," or "I'm sorry," or "I forgive you." Now is the time not later, not when you get around to it, but now!

That is also true of our relationship with God. People of faith sometimes have a falling out with God. Perhaps it is over an event in their lives that hurt them. Maybe it is just a period of spiritual listlessness or depression. Maybe someone hurt them while speaking or acting in "God's Name." Maybe they have just fallen out of touch with God.

I entreat you do not accept the grace of God in vain. Now is the acceptable time. Patch up the relationship. Rededicate yourselves to knowing God and serving him. Give Christ a second chance. How may second chances has he given you?

Don't worry about the timing. God is ready! In fact he has been waiting for you to come around and say, "I Love You," or "I'm sorry," or even "I forgive you." Don't wait! If you do it might be too late! Time may run out! People die or move away. Opportunities pass. God has given us this time to do his will. Do not accept the gracious gift of today in vain! "Behold, now is the acceptable time; behold, now is the day of salvation." (2 Cor. 6:2)

Mark 4:35-41

Tom and Martha were terrified. They had just gotten back from the doctors'. The doctors said Martha probably had cancer. What were they to do? Martha thought of all that things that might happen. Even with the health insurance the expense of her treatments would be incredible. It could wipe out all the money they had planned to retire on. Could she stand to go through the pain of surgery and therapy. And what if she died, what would Tom do without her.

Tom, the practical one, thought about the process that lay before them. First there was the biopsy. Next would be surgery. Then maybe there might be radiation or chemotherapy. What would they say to the grandchildren when Grandma's hair fell out. How could they prepare them for the worse without frightening them too much.

Tom and Martha thought about the details, all the little things, but what scared them most was their helplessness. They had little or no control of the cancer. Even with the best doctors the best they could give were chances not certainties. This illness had attacked them with no warning and the only certainly was that their ordeal had only just begun.

Jack and Jane were frightened too, but for different reasons. Their marriage was on the rocks. A week before Jane had taken the kids and moved out. And here they were, sitting in the waiting room at the marriage counselor's office. They would have given anything to be somewhere else. The surroundings were peaceful, but inside their souls were in turmoil.

Despite the conflict that divided them, their thoughts and feelings were basically the same. Things could not go on like they were. Communication had broken down. And their yelling all the time was not good for the kids. Things could not go on, but each knew that they didn't want to face life without the other. The way things were going divorce seemed inevitable. More immediately there was the counselor. What if she took his side or her side, what would she say to them. What if the counseling verified their fears that they were just plain bad spouses and parents.

This turmoil had completely taken over Jack and Jane's life. It was like a whirlpool that had swept them up in its current. They couldn't see many hopeful signs. And there wasn't much they could do for themselves.

It is part of human nature to fear what we cannot control, and the disciples were certainly human. In the midst of that storm the disciples were genuinely afraid. Their small fishing boat was about to be swamped. They could almost see the headlines, "Galilean Rabbi and Disciples lost in Boat Accident." Their lives were in the balance, and there was little they could do about it.

They were afraid, but they were not paralyzed. Each of them was working to keep from going under. Some were manning the rudder. Others were making sure the sails were secured well. And the rest were probably bailing water with all their might.

Then someone looked around and there was Jesus. Asleep in the front of the boat. Here they were doing all they could to stay alive and Jesus was taking a nap. So someone said, "Jesus wake up. What's the matter with you. Don't you care that the boat is about to sink. Grab a pail and start bailing. Our lives depend on it." Then Jesus got up and yelled at the wind, "Be at Peace, Be still!" And the wind obeyed him and stopped.

Then Jesus turned to his disciples and said, "Why are you afraid? Have you still no faith?" "Why are you afraid?" The question cut right to the heart of the problem. They were afraid, afraid for their lives. And to them it seemed natural and logical to be afraid in that situation. They were about to die.

But Jesus called their assumptions into question. Why were they afraid? What was the cause of their fear? The storm? No, it was more basic than that. Jesus wasn't afraid of the storm and he expected that they had reason not to be afraid too.

They were afraid because they still did not have faith. They didn't realize really who it was who was in their boat. They didn't trust in God's power through Jesus to protect them. They thought that God might actually let them perish. They had more faith in their own ability to bail water than in God's ability to still storms. So instead of praying they bailed. And when they turned to God it was only because God was in the form of a man who could help them bail.

Our lives are filled with storms. They take many different shapes and sizes. Some are storms of illness, like the one that Tom and Martha faced. Some are the storms of relationships like the one that Jack and Jane faced. Some are storms of economics and position. The list goes on. Each person knows their own list of fears that take over their lives and create turmoil. There are many things that suddenly blow into our lives and completely disrupt them.

The one thing they all have in common is that we have no control over them. We have no control over when the economy is going to go bad, or when one country will attack another. We can't tell when illness will strike. Just like the disciples we're probably surprised by the sudden storm which threatened them. Once we are in a storm it seems that all we can do is try to ride it out keep our heads above water.

Then we remember Jesus' words to his disciples, "Why are you afraid?" And Jesus question cuts right to the heart of the problem. It calls our fear into question. It seems so natural to fear forces which we can't control. And Jesus' questions forces us to look at our fears and confess. "Lord, I must have forgotten. Forgive my lack of faith."

In the midst of life's storms we are frightened because our lives feel like a small fishing boat being tossed about by the sea. But if we would take a moment and look at the passenger manifest we might have our fears relieved. You see we are not alone on this ship of life. If you are a follower of Christ then he is on the ship with you. He was there when all the forces in this world were created. And because he is the Son of God he has the power to still all the storms of life.

The problem is that we get too caught up in our fears to realize this. We are too busy bailing water and trying to stay afloat. When we finally remember that he is aboard it is late in the storm. And we yell, "Jesus, you have been asleep. How dare you take a nap when my life is about to go under. Do you not care that we are perishing!"

Jesus cares all right. He died so that you would not perish. And if we turn to him in the midst of life's storms, we will see how much he cares. He will stand up in the midst of the storm. And he will speak to the forces that are tossing our life about and threatening to drown you. And he will yell, "Peace! Be still!" And the wind will cease and the waves will be calm. And you will find yourself standing there in the midst of a calm sea with the master of the wind and rain with you.

"David and Goliath" - When I was growing up the story of David and Goliath was one of my favorite Bible stories. I guess it appeals to children. The hero of the story is a child who faced unbelievable odds and faithfully triumphs while the grown ups just sit around. I remember one time our children's choir put on a musical called "David and the Giant." All the boys wanted to be David, but I got the part. And Tom Putman, who was a seven foot tall adult, played the giant.

You know the story. The Philistines are making war upon Israel. Their land and livelihoods are threatened. And the Philistines have a secret weapon: Goliath - a giant of a man. His mere physical presence on the battlefield would make others tremble. So they used Goliath to taunt Israel and ridicule God. He would strut out onto the battlefield and proclaim that the whole war should come down to a one on one combat between him and Israel's best. None of the Israelites felt they could face him, then David a shepherd boy too small to even wear armor went out with just a slingshot. And Goliath the giant was slain by David a mere child.

But there is more to this story than just a small person overcoming odds. The story is really about faith. The Philistines or at least Goliath were trusting in human might. But so were the Israelites. They thought they could not face Goliath because he was so big. They thought that whoever would go out to face Goliath must wear armor to protect him. But the one who did go out could not carry their armor he had to go out with the Lord as his armor. David overcame Goliath not with a stone but with faith. David overcame not because he was bigger than Goliath but because his God was bigger than any Goliath.

This story has been a favorite of children and parents throughout the ages. I am sure that Peter and James and John and the other disciples of Jesus heard it when they were growing up. I am sure they imagined themselves to be the great David as a boy. They could picture the Philistine giant laughing at the people of God as an unarmored boy comes out to do battle. They could imagine themselves dodging the spears as they aimed their slingshot. They could imagine in their hearts placing their full trust in God in the face of a huge force. I can see them in their childhood as James got up on John's shoulders and Peter pretended to slay them.

Then one day the Son of David faced a Goliath of a storm. And I guess the disciples had left their imaginations at home that day. They could not imagine triumphing over the storm. In fact their thoughts were focused on perishing in the face of this giant storm's power. Then someone woke Jesus, probably so he could help them bail water. I can hear them now, "Jesus! We are about to die and you are taking a nap. Make yourself useful. Grab a bucket." But instead of a bucket Jesus lifted him voice and commanded the storm, "Peace! Be still."

Now some people imagine that Jesus raised his voice in a commanding way and yelled "Peace! Be Still!" But I imagine that Jesus spoke softly, maybe even in a whisper, "Peace. Be still." And at that moment the wind and waves stopped and the sun shone through. It wasn't the power of Jesus' voice that calmed the storm it was the power of the Spirit of God and dwelled in him that calmed the storm. There was no need for Jesus to raise his voice. He had created the wind and seas and he could very easily calm them.

I can think of other times when the followers of the Son of David faced a storm. We all face storms and trials in our lives. Often times those storms seem huge. Sometimes they are literal hurricanes. I remember when Hurricane Hugo hit the SC coast. The devastation seemed insurmountable.

My home church Bethany UMC in Summerville was in the middle of it. Another of Bethany’s members was in seminary with me at Duke. She was able to contact them and find out their needs. Bethany was a staging ground and coordination point for getting aid to some of the more isolated areas of Dorchester and Berkley counties. A church in Durham, NC arranged a truck and the items that Bethany needed were gathered and shipped to them.

The task seemed too large but in faith people addressed the needs of others. Many people would have just given up in the face of such a huge task. But the people of Bethany and many other churches just like them knew that God was larger than the task that they faced. That faith that enables the Davids of the world to stand up to the Goliaths is the faith the droves them. The same faith that led Jesus to calmly command the wind and sea.

What are some of Goliaths we face today? Can you name some of the huge social and spiritual problems of our world? Poverty, racism, abortion, drugs, apathy, teen suicide, child abuse and neglect, immorality, apathy, materialism, selfishness. What are the Goliaths you face in your life: addiction, debt, family problems, loneliness, anxiety, faithlessness. I am sure there are people here today that face all those problems and others. All these problems are huge. There is no way that we can possibly defeat all these enemies and there are many we didn't even name. These are giant problems that create storms of turmoil in people's lives.

This is a long way from childhood fantasies about David slaying Goliath. As a child in my imagination David defeated Goliath a thousand times, but mere imagination will not defeat these Goliaths. Our efforts are minuscule and our power seems so small compared with the power of evil. Is it childish and foolhardy for us to go out against the well armed powers of evil as small as we are?

No, it is not! Not if we go out in faith. God is bigger than the evils we face. God can defeat the giants that threaten us and calm the storms that frighten us. If we can only remember, like David, that it is not by our power but by the power of God that we defeat the enemy.

top of this page