DCLM Search The Scripture 4 September 2022 (Adult)

DCLM Search The Scripture 4 September 2022 (Adult) | Lesson 35 | Christ’s Power Over Nature 

DCLM Search The Scripture 4 September 2022 (Adult)

Deeper Life Search The Scripture 4th September 2022

ADULT STS LESSON 35 –  CHRIST’S POWER OVER NATURE

MEMORY VERSE: And they came to him, and awoke him; saying, Master, master, we perish. Then he arose, and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water: and they ceased, and there was calm” (Luke 8:24)

TEXTS: Matt 14:22-36; Luke 8:22-25

DCLM Search The Scripture 4 September 2022 (Adult) OUTLINE

The text gives an account of how Christ commanded calmness to the raging sea. The disciples were amazed that at His command, there was a great calm. This narrative is very revealing about a perfect persuasion of Christ’s deity as they said, “…Of a truth thou art the Son of God”.

The manifestation of Christ’s authority in calming the storm is instructive to contemporary Christians as it shows how God is able to bring peace in difficult times. It is therefore, needful for believers to exercise their faith in God when confronted with challenges of life. The storms that could seem to overtake them even in frightening and life-threatening situations could easily be taken away by God’s omnipotence. Jesus also manifested the power as a Mentor by sending His disciples ahead to every place He Himself would come.

The entire Bible, especially the gospels inspired by the Holy Ghost, shows that Jesus has power and gave them the privilege of experiencing supernatural miracles. In addition to calming the storm, He also manifested His authority over all sicknesses at several instances and contexts. It is a confirmation that with God, nothing shall be impossible. The manifestation of His power in all circumstances is still a possibility today regardless of the views of cynical communities and people (Psalm 62: 11; Isaiah 4:28-31; John 14:12). DCLM Search The Scripture 4 September 2022 (Adult)

1. CHRIST’S PATTERN OF REACHING SOULS
Matt 14:22,23; Luke 8:22; Mark 6:45

“And straightway Jesus constrained his disciples to get into a ship, and to go before him unto the other side, while he sent the multitudes away” (Matt 14:22). Christ gave the pattern of spiritual leadership with the vision to fulfil His earthly ministry. Here, He irresistibly urged His disciples to get into a ship and go before Him “unto the other side”. This signifies His approach of reaching as many as possible with the gospel of the kingdom of God.

Christian leaders should not be comfortable with the immediate success or ministerial achievements in one location but should broaden their vision and plans to reach all nooks and crannies of their world. He sent the multitudes away and moved to the other side because “…this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations” (Matthew 24: 14; 28:18-20; Mark 16:1620; Acts 1:8).

Therefore, believers must leave their comfort zones and develop strategies for the evangelisation of the world. We have the mandate to “Go… therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost” (Matt 28:19). While the disciples were on their way to the other side, Christ withdrew Himself unto a mountain apart to pray. This emphasises the importance of prayer.

DCLM Search The Scripture 4 September 2022 (Adult) Lesson 35

In his epistle to Timothy, Apostle Paul said, “I will therefore that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting” (1 Tim 2:8). There are instances in the Scripture where prayer is strictly enforced on all believers for ministerial breakthrough (Psalm 2:8; Luke 6:12; Eph 6:10, 18; 1 Tim 2:1-4).

Prayer is a means appointed by God in drawing and moving the divine hands for all-round blessings and breakthrough in gospel outreaches. While the disciples were on the right path in obedience to the Lord’s command, there was a storm against their journey. This reveals that being righteous and doing the will of God does not immune any believer from the storms of life. But the fact remains that God will deliver the trusting, prayerful believer.

The Scripture says, “Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all” (Psalm 34:19). Believers can learn a lot from Christ and His disciples in reaching sinners. One, It is a compelling mandate (Matt 28:19,20; Mark 16:15). Two, It is to cover the whole world. Three, It is a compulsory task. Four, It is time-bound. Five, It must be done in communion with God through the Son by His Spirit. Six, It is faced with challenges from powers of darkness. Seven, Victory and harvest of souls to the kingdom of God are certain.

DCLM Search The Scripture 4 September 2022 (Adult)

2. CHRIST’S PRESENCE IN THE STORM
Matt 14:24-33; Luke 8:23-25; John 16:33; 6:20; 14:1-3; Acts 23:11; 27:20,23,24; Isaiah 41:10

While the disciples were inside the ship, there was a raging storm. The situation was becoming hopeless and frightening. This made them suppose that Christ was a spirit when He appeared to douse the tension and calm their fears. Challenges of life can make believers to be full of doubts.

Suppositions are like a canker that replaces faith with fear. The language of such is changed to negative. These can make friends appear as foes, helpers as hindrance and developers as destroyers. The uniform counsel of the Scripture is to look unto Jesus at such a time (Heb 12:1,2; 13:5,6).

The Lord assures, “When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee” (Isaiah 43:2). Christ’s walk on the sea is against gravitational force in natural law. Indeed, He is supreme over nature, kingdoms and authorities (Eph 1:19-23).

At His command, the rain falls; the sun, moon and all the constellations are subject unto Him. His deeds are the confirmation of His omnipotence from creation to redemption and till the consummation of all things (Psalm 135:6,7; Isaiah 41:4; 43:1113; 46:10; Dan 4:35). The Lord is always at hand to manifest His power in the life and situations that challenge the faith of saints. While the disciples were troubled, fearful and frightened in supposition, Jesus came as the Omnipotent to pronounce calmness and the wind obeyed. This is a confirmation of the Scripture that:

“He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still” (Psalm 107:29).

Peter who desired to walk on the sea like Christ soon became afraid when he looked away from the Saviour. Yet, His touch brought him up. Every believer should be assured of Christ’s abiding presence and deliverance in times of trouble. The Psalmist appreciated this fact and confessed thus: “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me…” (Psalm 23:4).

The presence of Christ establishes His sovereignty and assures us of overwhelming victory in all challenges of life. Therefore, we should not be discouraged or afraid when confronted with unpleasant situations because of His presence with us; two, His possession of us; three, His programme for us; four, His purpose for us; five, His protection for us; six, His promise for us; and seven, His power over us (Matt 28:20; 1 Pet 2:9; Acts 23:11; 27:24, 25; Heb 10:23; Eph 3:20). DCLM Search The Scripture 4 September 2022 (Adult)

These should give us the persuasive confirmation that through Him, we can do exploit. Like Apostle Paul, we should always be positive by affirmatively confessing that, “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me” (Phil 4:13).

3. CHRIST’S POWER OVER SICKNESSES
Matt 14:34-36; 4:24,25; 9:20,21; Mark 3:8-10; 2:1-12; 6:54-56; Luke 6: 19; Acts 19:11, 12; Heb 4:15,16

The explosion of different kinds of miracles through Christ which extends to healing of all kinds of infirmities is a confirmation of His absolute power over man and nature. This gives calmness instead of crisis, peace instead of pandemonium and life for the dead. It is an all-round healing: to the weak He restores strength; to the poor He bestows blessing and enabling grace to be fulfilled in ministry for all believers.

The power to do exploit in His name is for everyone who believes in Christ. “…But the people that do know their God shall strong, and do exploits” (Dan 11:32). God has promised through Christ to heal and keep us healthy. His promise cannot fail. As believers, we should appreciate the fact that God is an efficient Healer. He puts His own Omnipotence into operation when He heals and no disease can resist His power. Two, He is a practical Healer. His healing is not merely an internal, invisible healing which cannot be felt or verified. He gives practical relief and healing to the sick.

Three, He is a universal Healer. There are cases which every physician will decline to handle because they know that nothing can be done. But our God knows no such cases. There are no geographical or temporal limits to the manifestation and operation of His power. Four, He is a permanent Healer. No earthly physician will give his patient the assurance that the disease from which he has suffered shall never return to him. But it is not so with our heavenly Healer. DCLM Search The Scripture 4 September 2022 (Adult)

He undertakes to make His healing perfect and permanent as long as the beneficiaries keep the conditions of the healing covenant. Five, He is a glorious Healer. Most physicians are satisfied if they can restore their patients to the condition in which they were before the disease seized upon them. But the Lord is able to restore the sick, not only to the normal state before the sickness, but to one much better than that. What a great Physician we have!

Every believer must recognise that the Lord has given him power to heal the sick. He said, “Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you” (Luke 10:19). However, we need faith to appropriate these promises in our lives. To experience Christ’s power over the challenges of life, sinners must reflect on His word, repent and believe the Lord as Saviour while backsliders must come back to the Lord for full restoration.

QUESTIONS FOR REVIEW:
1. From our text, what convinced the disciples about Christ’s deity?
2. Itemise some pertinent lessons from the command of Christ to His disciples to get to the other side.
3. Identify the elements believers ought to deploy in the task of reaching sinful souls with the gospel.

1. What is the significance of the presence of Christ in a believer’s life?
2. How can contemporary Christians do exploits for the Lord?
3. Give examples of storms in a believer’s life.
4. How should believers handle storms?

DCLM Search The Scripture 4 September 2022 (Adult) | Lesson 35