First Christian Church in Earlington
Rev. Brian Morse
Traditional Worship: Sunday 9:30 am
Casual Worship: Saturday 5:30 pm
215 East Main Street, Across the street from the Post Office
383-5250
June 25th, 2006 -- Mark 4:35-41
35 On that day, when evening had come, (Jesus) said to them, ‘Let us go across to the other side.’ 36And leaving the crowd behind, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. Other boats were with him. 37A great gale arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that the boat was already being swamped. 38But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke him up and said to him, ‘Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?’ 39He woke up and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, ‘Peace! Be still!’ Then the wind ceased, and there was a dead calm. 40He said to them, ‘Why are you afraid? Have you still no faith?’ 41And they were filled with great awe and said to one another, ‘Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?’
I) Human beings face many storms. It doesn’t matter if you are a man or woman, rich or poor, young or old. Everybody faces storms that scare them. Everybody faces storms when all they can do is to stay in the boat with Jesus.
It is common in sermons to talk about the dramatic storms. We all have these storms. Yet, what is often missed are the storms that are less dramatic, but just as frightening. For instance, somewhere in a nursing home there is a lady who is facing the storm losing her dignity. She prays that she does not lose control of her bladder during the mid-day meal. She is scared, because it has happened before. Yet, she steps out in faith each and every day. She holds her head up high as she enters the dining room. She has dignity, because she trusts that Jesus is in her boat.
II) There are two things that are always true...and equally true. They are as follows:
NUMBER ONE: Jesus Christ is always with you. He is closer than you can imagine. His intimacy is even closer than that of a mother with a child in her womb. You may ask, “ Is Christ with non-believers?”. To the best that I can tell from scripture, yes. In Revelation 3, Jesus is knocking at the door wanting to be let in. When we accept Christ into our lives, and into our hearts, then we acknowledge his presence. That’s when the journey of discipleship can begin.
NUMBER TWO: Jesus Christ is the Ruler of the Universe. He is the Cosmic Ruler. He is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. In other words, he is God.
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Both of these statements are equally true. They are true all of the time. Jesus Christ is the Ruler of All, and he is closer to you than your best friend, lover, or mother.
III) Let’s look a little closer at this biblical text. It is a story of transition. Jesus has just finished preaching. His preaching contained many parables. Parables give people a taste, or a hint, of what the heavenly mysteries are. I believe that in the parables, Jesus provides a lens through which people can get some vague idea about things which are simply too grand for human minds to understand.
It is at this point that Jesus says to the disciples, “Let us go across to the other side.” The other side of what? The sea to be sure, yet much more. When the disciples make it across this sea, they will have come to a deeper understanding of who Jesus is.
Crossing the sea, he calms the storm. Upon arriving at the other side, they are met by a man possessed by an unclean spirit. Here they witness first-hand the amazing power of Christ....the amazing power of God.
The journey across the sea starts at evening. The disciples are crossing the sea in the darkness of night. Yet, in this darkness, they have with them the Light of the World. The windstorm begins...and grows. The disciples are terrified. ...... Jesus, is asleep.
The disciples wake Jesus up and say to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” They do not know it, but they have just said a prayer to God.
Jesus then rebukes the wind, and says to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” Then the wind ceases, and there is a dead calm. Jesus, recognizing that these disciples are still in the dark, says to them, “Why are you afraid? Have you still no faith?” And then verse 41 sums up the disciples feelings. It says, “And they were filled with great awe and said to one another, ‘Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?’”
IV) Who indeed? The disciples had seen magicians before. This is no magician. This was no magic trick. They had just witnessed a man, their best friend, command the weather. This man they call “teacher”, this Jesus of Nazareth, has command over the natural world. It is no wonder then that these disciples are in awe....frankly they are scared.
Before the magnitude of this event has time to sink in, the disciples find themselves on the other side. It is here where they encounter a man with an unclean spirit. Indeed, the man is full of demons. What happens? Just like with the storm at sea, Jesus takes command. He commands the demons to leave the man, and they do.
The disciples are seeing, yet still not quite understanding, that this teacher friend of theirs has dominion over both the natural world and the supernatural world. The thing that they won’t be able to understand until much later is that this man who is traveling with them, eating with them, laughing with them, and loving them....this man is the Lord of Lords. This man is the Son of God. He is right in front of their face, and yet, in so many ways he is completely beyond their understanding.
V) I invite you to use your imagination. Imagine that this story is a symbolic story for your life. Do you remember how it starts?
It starts after Jesus had been teaching and preaching. The disciples had heard about the power of God. Then Jesus invites to disciples to get in the boat with him and journey to the “other side”. On the way, they encounter a storm that, most likely, would have killed them. However, when they cry out to Jesus to save them, that is exactly what he does. Jesus reveals his power and authority over the natural world. Next, they make it safely to the other side. It is here that they encountered demonic forces at work. This is what allows them to see Jesus cast out the demons. They see him reveal his power and authority over the supernatural world.
In other words, the disciples heard the teaching and preaching. Then they took a step of faith. They joined Jesus on the journey to the “other side”. The teaching that they had heard with their ears became the reality that they were living. They were now with Jesus and seeing his amazing power and authority at work in their very lives.
Imagine yourself now. You are at church. You learn about the power and authority of Christ. But it is only “head knowledge” until you accept his invitation to join him in the boat. He asks you to come with him to the other side.
This boat, in a way, is your life. In this boat you will face many storms.....deadly storms. However, keep your eyes on Jesus. You will see the power and authority he possesses. By stepping away from the church pew, and stepping into the boat with Christ, you will go from “head knowledge” to seeing the power and authority of Christ with your own eyes....and in your own life.
When you get to the “other side”, you will encounter demonic forces. Yet, this will just give you an opportunity to see the power and authority that Christ has over all....including Satan himself.
The other side can mean different things. I do believe that it represents the eternal life that follows this earthly life. Yet, I also believe that the “other side” represents those times when you really experience Christ in a powerful way. Those “ah ha” moments. Those moments of grace. On the “other side” you gain a new and deeper understanding. On the “other side”, the dark of night turns into the light of morning.
BUT: First, you have to get into the boat. You have to accept Christ’s invitation to journey with him. He will give you a life of adventure. It will be a full life. You will see and experience the “other side”.
VI) Just before this sermon began, the choir sang Nearer, My God,to Thee. In a moment the entire congregation will rise and sing A Mighty Fortress Is Our God. Today’s Bible story reveals both of these truths. Christ is nearer to you than you can ever imagine. At the same time, Christ is more powerful than you can ever imagine. He is already the King of the Universe. He is none other than almighty God. Do you hear him? He is asking you to get on board with him. He wants to be your friend. He wants to take you to the other side. Are you going to let him?
