Believe 23 - Peace Series

BELIEVE 23: Peace

April 26, 2015

Mark 4:35-41

We all want to experience peace. More often than not when we talk about peace, we find it easier to eat a piece of pie, not experience the peace of God, and all too often, we think a piece of pie will give us real peace. But that’s not how it works.

Most of us are busy. Whether you’re in school, retired, working or anything in between, there is always something to do. Something needs to be fixed, someone needs to be taken care of. Sometimes that’s a good thing because that keeps us going. But there comes a point in time when we just want to rest.

But more than rest, I believe we’re really seeking to experience peace. Yet, peace isn’t something we can easily grab a hold of. It’s not tangible. In fact, no item in these last 10 weeks of Believe are tangible. Peace is very allusive. At the end of a long day you may want a few minutes of peace and quiet. That’s easier said than done when the phone rings, the kids won’t settle down and go to bed. How do you find peace when you can’t turn off your mind and fall asleep or you wake up in the middle of the night and your mind kicks into high gear?

What about when you know you need to have that difficult conversation with someone. You need to confront them, or confess to them. Where’s peace? The fear and anxiety of going to the doctor and hearing devastating news. The decision to care for your spouse or parent who probably needs long term care, but you’re doing it all. Where’s peace? A piece of pie sounds good, but it’s not going to help.

How do we experience peace when our children or grandchildren, or even our siblings are not handling life well and you’re taking on the burden.

Add to that the sinful world, the terrorism, the senseless killings, the drug use, the destruction of human life. It can cause us to feel anxious. How can we even be one nation when we are always battling one another politically?

Anyone in need of some good news this morning!?!?!

Let me tell you about a storm the disciples experienced. It occurred in the Gospel of Mark, in the 4th chapter. Jesus has been teaching and healing. As the day is coming to an end, let’s see what happened ~

35 On that day, when evening had come, Jesus said to them, “Let us go across to the other side.”

36 And leaving the crowd, they took Him with them in the boat, just as He was. And other boats were with Him.

37 And a great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was already filling.

38 But Jesus was in the stern, asleep on the cushion. And they woke Him and said to Him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?”

39 And Jesus awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.

40 He said to them, “Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?”

41 And they were filled with great fear and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?”

Have you ever been in a storm? Have you ever had something happen which was beyond your control, something in which the anxiety and fear were at an all time high?

You see, the disciples had never experienced anyone who had control over nature. Nobody ever told the wind, “STOP!” And it stopped. I mean who does that? But Jesus did! And something happened to the disciples. They saw something different, but more than seeing something, they were asked something.

40 “Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?”

Is that a question which Jesus could ask us when were in that crunch time. When we’re scared, when we’re feeling alone, when we feel uncertain about everything.

Jesus may seek to comfort us with those same questions. Why are you so afraid? Where’s your faith, child?

Could it be that we believe in Jesus, but we really don’t trust in His promises? Could it be that we think Jesus has abandoned us when we go through our difficult times? Is it that we’ve forgotten what Jesus offers? After all, if the Son of God was sleeping in the boat, then all should still be well. It didn’t concern Jesus. He was fine. He was wet, but He had no fear.

David has been described as a “man after God’s heart.” David had a number of storms in his life, some of which were his own doing. After David’s affair with Bathsheba, he was distraught.