2026
Patience in Tribulation
Rev. Kenneth Redmann Aug 30 16PentAE
Life has a way of testing our patience. When trials continue, prayers seem unanswered, and suffering becomes difficult to bear, we can find ourselves tempted to give up—or take matters into our own hands. But what does God call us to do when we are in the middle of tribulation?
In this week’s message, Rev. Kenneth Redmann reminds us of Paul’s words in Romans 12:12: “Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.” Whether you are searching for a Luthearn Church in Tampa or simply looking for encouragement from God’s Word, this message reminds us that we are never alone in our trials. God strengthens us through His promises, calls us to remain constant in prayer, and gives us hope through Jesus Christ.
May the meditations of our hearts and the words of my lips be acceptable to You, O, Lord. In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Patience Is Hard to Develop and Easy to Lose
Dear friends in Christ, most of you know that I TRY to do a little golfing. When someone asks me “Oh, are you a golfer?” I am very careful not to claim that I am really a golfer—I always admit that I TRY to golf. The fact is that I can identify with the guy on the golf range. Maybe you heard about him. He just sliced another one and can’t take it anymore. “That’s it! I’m done!” And with that he quits and walks away. OR, he “takes control” with renewed determination, he intentionally abandons everything he was taught about grip, or stance, or swing tempo and whacks away as hard as he can.
Dear friends in Christ, when we lose patience, we, too, are on the verge of giving up. OR we are on the edge of renewed stubborn determination that we can do it MY WAY! It puts me in mind of our middle daughter. She is her father’s daughter! When she was little, she was SO determined. She would say, “I can do it! I can do it!”
It is no secret. Patience is hard to develop and patience is easy to lose.
Patience in Tribulation Is a Gift from God
That is why Paul’s words are a blessing for us today. Did you catch it? Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer (Rm 12.12). Paul reveals that patience is a gift from God. It isn’t something we have from birth. It does NOT come naturally to us. In Paul’s letter to the Christians in Rome, the Holy Spirit reveals the bounty of God’s mercies. Formerly, we were enemies of God, but now, because of Jesus Christ, we are the people of God. God’s mercy not only forgives our sins, but it also transforms our lives. God’s mercy renews our PATIENCE IN TRIBULATION.
Paul knows that when tribulation visits, it is very easy to lose patience. Paul is speaking of the devil, the world, and our sinful flesh fighting against us, seeking to take away the comfort of our salvation. Being a Christian is difficult. Confessing God’s Word to a world that doesn’t want to hear it is hard. Showing love to one’s enemies, holding fast to what is good, practicing mercy, fighting for justice, living in peace with others—these are hard and, at times, we find ourselves saying, “I’m losing my patience.”
Dear Christian, we are tempted to give up and walk away OR to stubbornly do as we please. If you have ever found yourself falling into either of those errors, (like I have) listen to Paul, Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer (Rm 12.12).
GOD STRENGTHENS US IN TRIBULATION, OFFERING US PRAYER AND HOPE.
Patience in tribulation does not walk away but remains constant in prayer. One challenge to patience is the temptation to give up. We are tempted to surrender to life’s battle, to believe that nothing is worth this suffering, to feel that no one cares anyway and, therefore, we think, “Let’s just give it up!”
When Suffering Tempts Us to Give Up
The prophet Jeremiah, in our Old Testament lesson was at this point in his Christian life. Because of God’s Word, Jeremiah is a laughingstock. Jeremiah prophesies destruction, but nothing seems to happen. His loneliness leads to complaint and accusation against God! Jeremiah even questions God’s promises. Hear the Word of the Lord: “Why is my pain unceasing, my wound incurable, refusing to be healed? Will You be to me like a deceitful brook, like waters that fail?” Ouch! The prophet is bringing charge against the Lord!
Jeremiah Did Not Walk Away
Yet, at the pinnacle of his tribulation, Jeremiah does not walk away. Instead, he comes before God in prayer. He cries out to God for His mercy. God responds to Jeremiah’s suffering prayer with a promise of steadfast mercy. God will not be like a mirage—promising refreshing water only to be dry and empty.
Beloved in Lord, how often do we turn away from God in the midst of our suffering or trial or temptation? When is the last time you did so? Maybe you are in the midst of that “away from God” right now. We turn away from God when we cave into temptation. We turn away from God when we storm away from our spouse; when we diminish and demean the one we promised to love until death parts us. We turn away from God in the Church when we place our “pet project” above and ahead of God’s Great Commission to make disciples of all nations.
God Meets Us in the Midst of Our Suffering
God, in Christ, has come and endured our trials, suffering for our sin and opening the way of salvation to us. God’s great Good News to us is that because of Christ; because of His bloody Cross and glorious resurrection; He is in relationship with us. Imagine that! God, in Christ, invites our prayers, listens to our cries, and understands our anger when we are in the midst of suffering. God, in Christ, even gives us His Spirit to intercede for us.
In the darkest moments of our tribulation, therefore, we do not walk away but trust in God’s mercy and call out to God in prayer. We find PATIENCE IN TRIBULATION by being constant in prayer.
When We Try to Take Control
Secondly, PATIENCE IN TRIBULATION relinquishes the “I can do it!” self-sufficient, self-reliant attitude. With “I can do it!” attitude, we want to impose our will on the situation. We rely on our effort to bring an end to the suffering. Yet, earlier in his letter to the Romans, Paul reveals that tribulation in God’s hands is part of our Christian growth.
I was mentioning to someone recently that this business of Christian living is a “PROCESS.” Holy Scripture teaches us that through the endurance of suffering, we are formed in hope; our eyes are turned from this world to the future glory made certain for us in Christ.
Beloved in the Lord, this is precisely the situation that Peter and the apostles encountered as reported in our Gospel lesson. Peter and the others do not have in mind the things of God. Jesus had just invited them into the “inner circle” of how salvation must be accomplished. “I must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised” (Matthew 16.21).
And Peter took Jesus aside and rebuked Him! Never! Now just let that one settle in a little. [PAUSE] Peter rebukes the Lord, Jesus. How did that work out for him? “Get behind me, Satan!” (Mt 16:23a). Talk about—Ouch!
Jesus painstakingly teaches them—and us!
- Deny oneself, take up your cross, follow Me
- Lose your life for My name’s sake in order to save your life
- Gain the world? Forfeit your soul?
- The Last Day is more important than TO-day
Thus, THIS is how we think when we fix our mind on the things of God. Rather than be in control of one’s life; one lives in hope, losing one’s life and trusting in the ways of God. We have a cliché’ for this don’t we. “Let go and let God.” Now, even that truism can go too far. This morning in our Bible Class we will talk about the necessity of “not going too far.”
Our temptation, like Peter, is to deny the cross; that is, to denounce the “suffering” process and take control of our lives. This is when we need to call upon God’s certain and secure love. This is when God grants His unfailing and faithful promise. God is not a deceitful brook. God is not like waters that fail. God’s Last Day is greater than TO-day. God grants hope that does not disappoint. Even in tribulation, we know that we are kept by grace in the ways of God, therefore, we do not take control. We exercise PATIENCE IN TRIBULATION by rejoicing in hope and constant prayer.
PATIENCE IN TRIBULATION is like walking a tightrope and not falling on either side. In the midst of suffering, we do not walk away and we do not take control of the situation, relying on ourselves. Instead, we trust in God’s mercy shown to us in Jesus. He is our lifeline in the midst of tribulation. We stand firm in Him, speaking to God in prayer and rejoicing in the hope that He works all things together for our good—for all who love Him and are called according to His purposes (Cf Romans 8:28).
God grant it for Jesus’ sake. Amen.
20 And I will make you to this people a fortified wall of bronze;
they will fight against you, but they shall not prevail over you,
for I am with you to save you and deliver you, declares the Lord. [1]
[1] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Je 15:20). (2025). Crossway Bibles.
Zion Lutheran Church — A Christian Family Who Cares for You!
When patience is running thin, we have a choice. We can walk away, or we can try to take control and depend upon ourselves. But God gives us another way: to remain constant in prayer, rejoice in hope, and trust His faithful promises. Through Jesus Christ, we have a Savior who understands our suffering and remains with us through every tribulation.
If you are looking for a Bible Believing Church in Tampa, we invite you to join us at Zion Lutheran Church. Come worship with us, study God’s Word, and grow together as a Christian family.
Sunday Divine Service — 8:00 AM
Bible Study — 9:15 AM Sunday
Bible Study — 7:00 PM Monday
We would love to have you with us! You can also download the worship folder and follow along with the service.
Zion Lutheran Church — A Christian Family Who Cares for You!
2026
Built on “The Christ”
Rev. Kenneth Redmann
Aug 23 — 13PentAG
What does it mean to build our faith on Jesus Christ?
In Matthew 16, Jesus asks His disciples a question that reaches far beyond the moment: “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answers with the foundational confession of the Christian faith: “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
In this week’s message, Rev. Kenneth Redmann reminds us that the Church is not built upon a person, an institution, or human wisdom. It is built upon Jesus Christ and the saving Word of God.
As a conservative church in Tampa, Zion Lutheran Church holds firmly to the truth of Scripture and the confession that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God. And as a family-friendly church in Tampa, we welcome you to grow with us in faith as we hear the Word, receive His gifts, and encourage one another as brothers and sisters in Christ.
May the meditations of our hearts and the words of my lips be acceptable to You, O, Lord. In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Beloved in the Lord, believe it or not, by this time in our readings according to St. Matthew, the disciples have been with Jesus for over TWO years. From the very start of His ministry, it has been the Lord’s desire that these disciples, these hand-selected twelve, would come to know who Jesus is and understand fully His divine mission.
It was a challenge. It was then and it is today—a journey. There were times when the disciples seemed to “get” who Jesus was.
- Early on, Nathanael declared Jesus the Son of God, simply on the basis of Jesus telling him that He had seen him “sitting under the fig tree” from a long way off (Jn 1:49).
- After Jesus’ first miracle, turning water into wine at the wedding, the Bible records that His “disciples believed in Him” (Jn 2:11).
- And seeing other miracles, such as the calming of the sea and Jesus walking on water, the disciples worshiped Him saying, “Truly you are the Son of God” (Mt 14:33).
But today’s account is significant. Today, for the first time, a human being declared Jesus to be The Christ. It came when Jesus asked the personal question: “But who do you say that I am?” (Mt 16:15). We heard the bold confession. “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Mt 16:16).
What was true for Peter and the disciples is also true for you and for me and for all believers of every age!
The True and Foundational Confession of the Church Is That Jesus Is the Christ.
Jesus and the disciples have traveled to the very limits of what had been the land of Canaan. Jesus came alone with His disciples. Here He would reveal to them that He was the Messiah, the Christ, the Anointed One of God.
The region was populated by Gentiles. Idol worship dominated. Nearby, the town of Paneas was dedicated to the worship of idols, particularly to the Greek god Pan. The land was a rocky place with caves. Along with the worship of dead idols—this place was spiritually foreboding.
Jesus was concluding His Galilean ministry. The people who heard Him speak and saw His miracles had wondered and marveled.
Undoubtedly, the disciples knew what was being said about their teacher, Jesus. So, Jesus asks His disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” (Mt 16.13). Jesus uses His own name for himself, Son of Man, because He intends to tell them about His passion—about His pending suffering and death.
The answers the disciples reported were not necessarily bad or insulting. For example, Herod had not seen Jesus, YET, he thought Jesus was John the Baptist raised back from the dead. Elijah and Jeremiah are not bad answers. The people thought of Jesus as in the line of the prophets of the Old Testament. Also, just FYI, there are hints of the passion in these who are named: Elijah and Jeremiah certainly had suffered. John the Baptist was beheaded.
The question was, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” (Mt 16.13).
Today, many people think of Jesus as
- some important religious figure
- or as a kind of guru or teacher
- or as an example.
But that’s not enough! He is The Christ. At his birth, the angels told the shepherds, “For unto you is born this day . . . Christ the Lord” (Lk 2:11). Jesus must be acknowledged and confessed to be the Son of God. Jesus is the Son of God. The disciples needed to know. The mission could not move forward unless they confessed Jesus as The Christ. We need to know it and confess it if we are to be saved.
Jesus asks His disciples, “But who do you say that I am?” (Mt 16.15). All along He was leading up to this question. Jesus wants to know what they think.
Peter boldly replies, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Mt 16.16). Theologians generally agree that Peter here speaks for all the disciples.
Now, we know Peter’s reputation as being somewhat impulsive—maybe a little reckless. It was Peter who told Jesus “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water” (Mt 14:28). During Jesus’ passion, Peter refuses to have Jesus wash his feet, but then tells Jesus to wash all of him. Later, Peter says he will never deny Jesus. Sadly, we know how that turns out. At the high priest’s palace, Peter vehemently denies three times that he ever knew Jesus.
Beloved in the Lord, there is a bit of Peter in all of us. Thankfully, our Savior is patient with us and invites us to repent and say we love Him.
The Bible tells us that no one is able to say, “Jesus is Lord”, except by the Holy Spirit (1 Cor 12:3). Jesus tells Peter that his confession, comes by revelation of the Holy Spirit. Jesus said, “Flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven” (Mt 16.17).
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, we have the revelation of Scripture. The prophets and apostles speak to us through the Bible. These Words of Jesus, of course, are in perfect keeping with the Words Peter later will write. Inspired by the Holy Spirit, Peter teaches us, “For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit” (2 Pet 1:21).
Martin Luther, in the explanation of the Third Article, begins by saying, “I believe that I cannot by my own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ, my Lord, or come to Him; but the Holy Ghost has called me by the Gospel.”
There are many Christians who find this hard to accept because, by nature,
- we want to do something for,
- have a part in,
- or take some of the credit for our salvation.
But we can’t! The Holy Spirit MUST and DOES: do it all for those who believe. The Bible says that “faith comes from hearing and hearing by the Word of Christ” (Rom 10.17). Therefore, by the preached Word and the Word that permeates in Baptism and the Lord’s Supper, we have forgiveness and faith in Jesus. By His power, we are able to confess that Jesus is the Son of the living God.
This confession, that Jesus, Son of God and Son of Man, is The Christ, is the foundation upon which the true Church is built. St. Paul tells us that the Church is “built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets” (Eph 2:20). It is in the Word of Christ that we are rooted and established (Cf. Col 2:6–7).
Jesus responds to Peter’s confession by calling him by his name and reminding him that his name means “rock.” Peter, as we have noted, speaks for himself and the apostles. The confession he makes is rock solid. The Church is not founded on any person EXCEPT Jesus Christ. By this confession that Jesus is the Christ, and by the witness and testimony of the apostles, Jesus builds His Church—His Bride.
Jesus also promises that He will later give the keys to heaven to the Church. And He did! When Jesus appeared to His disciples after His resurrection, Jesus, “said to them again, ‘Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.’ And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld’ ” (Jn 20:21–23). These keys we have received; they are the preaching of the Gospel and the proclamation of forgiveness to all who repent. They open up heaven to repentant sinners, and they bind the unrepentant.
Dear Christians, I need to say, that Hell, too, is locked, but in another way. The grave threatens with death and would hold all who enter it. But its gates cannot hold those who are Christ’s. Hear the Word of the Lord, “All of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death[.] We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life” (Rom 6:3–4).
By Jesus’ death on the cross and His resurrection three days later, Christ has freed us from death and the grave. The saying is true, “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” (1 Cor 15:55).
And finally, this: Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, make no mistake! The devil, the world, and our own sinful flesh threaten us constantly. They would have us give up and despair. But I say to you, do not despair!
In our prayers this morning we will pray for you—by name. We will pray for our dear church—Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church. We pray that our gracious God, who knows our every need, will come quickly to grant us precisely what He knows we need to benefit His Kingdom on earth and in heaven.
That is why the Son of Man has come into the world. Only the God-man, Jesus, The Christ, is the true Savior of the world.
Just as Jesus gathered His first disciples and showed them the way, He also calls, gathers, enlightens, and sanctifies us by His Spirit. He washes, feeds, helps us through life. Flesh and blood have not revealed this to us, but by the ministry of the Gospel we are His and live under Him in His kingdom. God grant it for Jesus’ sake. Amen.
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? . . . No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us (Romans 8.35, 37).
You Are Invited to Worship With Us
The question Jesus asked His disciples is still the most important question we can answer: “But who do you say that I am?”
He is The Christ.
He is the Son of the living God. He is our Savior. And our hope is not found in ourselves, but in Him.
If you are looking for a conservative church in Tampa where the Word of God is faithfully taught and Christ remains at the center, we invite you to join us at Zion Lutheran Church. Whether you are searching for a church home, returning to worship, or simply want to hear God’s Word, you are welcome here.
We invite you to worship with us this Sunday:
Sunday Divine Service at 8:00 am
Bible Study at 9:15 am
Bible Study at 7:00 PM Mondays
Before joining us next Sunday, be sure to download the worship folder so you can follow along with the service and prepare your heart for worship.
We look forward to gathering together as God’s people, hearing His Word, receiving His gifts, and encouraging one another in the faith.
Zion Lutheran Church — A Christian Family Who Cares for You!
2026
“Why Did You Doubt?”
Job 38:4–18; Romans 10:5–17; Matthew 14:22–33
May 13, 2025
Dear beloved members and dear friends of Zion,
If you’ve been searching for a Conservative church in Downtown Tampa where the Word of God is taken seriously and Christ is at the center of everything, I want to personally welcome you. Here at Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church, a Lutheran Church near Ybor Tampa, we gather as a family-friendly church in Downtown Tampa to receive the gifts God so freely gives.
Beloved in the Lord, you heard the question. Jesus asks Peter, “Why did you doubt?” It is a question that echoes across all three readings today. It is the question the Lord presses upon Job from the whirlwind. It is the question Paul answers in Romans as he proclaims the certainty of faith that comes through hearing the Word of Christ. And it is the question that confronts us in our own storms, fears, and uncertainties.
This question is not meant to shame. It is meant to reveal. It exposes the fragile, sinful human heart, which so easily forgets the presence and promises of God. Yet it also reveals the steadfast mercy of the Lord, who meets doubters with His Word, His presence, and His saving hand.
I. The Storm Before the Storm: Feeding the 5,000
Matthew tells us in our Gospel reading, that Jesus “Immediately, . . . made the disciples get into the boat” (Matthew 14:22, ESV). However, remember that “immediately” prior to this command, something extraordinary had taken place. Jesus had fed the 5,000. The disciples watched Him take five loaves and two fish, bless them, break them, and multiply them until every person was fed and every person was satisfied. And, O, by the way, the disciples gathered up twelve baskets of leftovers.
They had just witnessed divine power—creative power—power to satisfy scarcity, hunger, and human need. They had seen a miracle that echoed the manna in the wilderness and pointed forward to the new covenant in the Lord’s Supper.
Yet Jesus sends them away immediately. Why? We learn from St. John that the crowd wanted to take Jesus by force and make Him their king. Jesus does not want His disciples to be stirred up by the wrong kind of expectation. Plus, if you remember, Jesus came to this desolate place to be by Himself to pray. John the Baptist had just been killed. So, Jesus sends them into the boat, into the night, into the storm. Jesus is teaching them something deeper than the miracle of bread.
Jesus is teaching them who He is.
II. Job’s Storm: “Where Were You?”
God’s servant, Job, knew storms as well. His calamities were overwhelming—loss of health, loss of livelihood, loss of his family. Job’s friends offered misguided advice, insisting that suffering must be punishment. Job cried out in confusion, frustration, and anguish.
And as we heard this morning, the Lord answered him—not with explanations, but with questions.
“Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?” (Job 38:4, ESV)
“Have you commanded the morning since your days began?” (Job 38:12, ESV)
“Have the gates of death been revealed to you?” (Job 38:17, ESV)
O, my! These questions may sound sarcastic and even cruel. Indeed, they are very humbling. They are corrective. They reorient Job’s vision. They remind him that the One who governs creation also governs his life. The One who sets boundaries for the sea also sets boundaries for suffering. The One who knows the depths of the earth also knows the depths of Job’s pain.
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, as much as Job suffered—Job’s problem was not that he suffered. His problem was that he doubted the Lord’s presence in his suffering.
And who could blame him?
Yet the Lord does not abandon Job. He speaks. He reveals Himself. And, ultimately, Job responds:
“I know that you can do all things… therefore I despise myself, and repent in dust and ashes.” (Job 42:2, 6, ESV)
Job’s repentance is not despair. It is the surrender of his doubt before the Almighty God. It is Job’s restored trust in God that had been smothered in suffering and grief and confusion and DOUBT. Do you get it?
III. Peter’s Storm: “Take Heart; It Is I.”
Back on the Sea of Galilee, the disciples are battered by waves. The wind is against them. They are exhausted, terrified, and alone—or so they think. Then Jesus comes to them, walking on the water.
The One who multiplied bread now tramples the waves. The One who created the seas, and ALL things, now strides upon them. The One who commands the morning now approaches in the fourth watch of the night.
And Jesus speaks: “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.” (Matthew 14:27, ESV)
The Greek phrase ego eimi—“it is I”—is the same phrase used in the Greek when God reveals Himself as I Am. Jesus is not merely comforting them to quiet their fears. He is revealing His divine identity.
You heard the account. Peter boldly challenges this ghostly figure, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” (Matthew 14:28, ESV) “Come!” Jesus replies. And Peter did! Peter steps out of the boat. Peter walks on water! For a moment, faith holds him. But then he feels the wind and sees the waves. He doubts. He sinks. “Lord, save me!”
And Jesus immediately reaches out His hand.
Immediately. Not eventually. Not reluctantly. Immediately.
“O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” (Matthew 14:31, ESV)
It can be said that this is not a scolding or a condemnation. It is, most certainly, a question that reveals the heart of faith. Peter doubted because he looked at the storm instead of the Savior. He doubted because he trusted his senses more than the Word. He doubted because he forgot the One who fed the 5,000, who walked on water, who is the great I Am.
IV. Why Did Peter Doubt? Faith as Gift and Growth
Peter’s doubt is not surprising. Like Job, Peter is a man in process. Faith, the free gift of faith, is given by the Holy Spirit in a moment—punctiliar—as Paul teaches:
“So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.” (Romans 10:17, ESV)
Yet the life of faith, our faith journey—if you will, is also a continual formation, a daily dying and rising, a growth worked by the Word of God. The Bible says, Therefore let us leave the elementary teachings about Christ and go on to maturity…(Hebrews 6:1a NIV)
Peter’s life demonstrates this beautifully.
1. The free gift of Faith Begins by the Word
Peter follows Jesus because Jesus speaks: “Follow me.” (Matthew 4:19, ESV) The Bible says, Immediately, they left their nets and followed Him.
As world acclaimed theologian Francis Pieper writes: “The Word of God is not a dead letter, but truly the power of the Holy Spirit.” (Pieper, Christian Dogmatics, Vol. I, p. 108–109)
2. Secondly, in Peter’s faith journey, we see that Faith Falters When Our Eyes Leave Christ.
In our reading this morning, Peter walks on water because Jesus says: “Come.” (Matthew 14:29, ESV) And he does! But when Peter feels the wind, when he takes his eyes off Jesus, he doubts. He sinks in his doubts and fears.
The Word creates faith; fear distracts from it.
3. Faith Grows Through Revelation
By now, Peter has seen and heard and experienced numerous faith-building revelations. So much so, that when Jesus asks, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?”, Peter confesses: “You are the Christ. The Son of the Living God!” (Matthew 16:13, 16, ESV)
Jesus responds: “Flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven.” (Matt 16:17, ESV)
Faith grows because God reveals Himself to us through His Holy Word.
4. Faith Is Unassuming
By that I mean that we can easily impose OUR will over the direction that faith would lead us. Again, we learn from Peter’s faith journey. Jesus was teaching His disciples that He must suffer and die. Peter and the disciples did not like that prospect! Peter said, “Far be it from you, Lord!” (Matthew 16:22a ESV)
Do you remember how Jesus rebuked Peter? “Get behind me, Satan!” (Matthew 16:23, ESV)
Faith is unassuming in that we can still impose our stubborn human-will over it.
5. Faith Falls Under Fear
Peter was so fearful that he, too, would be crucified that he denies Jesus three times. Yet Jesus, prior to Peter’s triple denials told Peter, “I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail.” (Luke 22:32, ESV)
Christ sustains our faith even when our fears suffocate our faith.
6. Faith Is Empowered by the Spirit
At Pentecost, Peter preaches boldly: “This Jesus, whom you crucified, … God raised him up.” (Acts 2:32, ESV)
The doubter becomes the preacher. The Word has done its work.
V. God Secures His Children by His Word
Turning again to Pieper:
“God preserves His children by His Word, for the Word is the almighty, creative, and sustaining power of God Himself. As the Word called the world into existence, so it calls faith into being, keeps it, strengthens it, and brings it to completion.” (Pieper, Christian Dogmatics, Vol. I, p. 112–113; Vol. II, p. 27–28)
This, then, is our comfort: When, not if, we doubt, God’s Word secures us. When, not if, we falter, Christ’s hand rescues us. When, not if, we fear, the great “I Am” speaks peace.
VI. The Gospel Predominates: Faith Comes by Hearing
“Faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.” (Romans 10:17, ESV)
Christ meets us in the storm. Christ speaks into our confusion. Christ reaches out His hand. Christ is the great I Am. And faith comes by hearing Him.
God grant it for Jesus’ sake. Amen.
No, in all these things, we are more than conquerors through Christ, who loved us (Romans 8:37, ESV)
Come and Worship With Us
When doubt comes, when fear rises, and when the storms of life seem to overwhelm us, Christ does not abandon His people. He speaks His Word. He reaches out His hand. He strengthens our faith and reminds us that He is with us.
If you are looking for a Conservative Church in Tampa, a Lutheran Church near Ybor City, or a Family-friendly church in Tampa, we invite you to join us at Zion Lutheran Church. Come hear God’s Word clearly, receive His gifts faithfully, and be strengthened in the faith that comes through hearing the Word of Christ.
Come and worship with us this Sunday. Bring your questions, your fears, your doubts, and your burdens. The Lord meets His people with grace, truth, and mercy.
Zion Lutheran Church — A Christian Family Who Cares for You!
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