God Is Caring Series

God is Caring

Mark 4:35-40

He Cares by Saving you

He Cares by Growing you

He Cares by Comforting you

Intro

Slide

Good morning. I hope that everyone enjoyed a great thanksgiving. We all have much to be thankful for.

This week was a blessing for us because we had all of our kids home for the first time since mid-August. I praise the Lord for the blessing of seeing all of them grow up, with the boys in college and Melanie getting ready to get her Driver’s license, and enjoying how the Lord has matured them in their faith and in their life.

There are always good things and bad things about your kids growing up. When they were younger it was easier to show them affection without them being embarrassed.

But even though it was easier to do that then, it was sometimes harder for them to understand that you cared about them during those times when they did not get what they wanted.

Maybe you didn’t let them stay overnight at a friend’s house who you knew was not a wise decision maker.

Or

Maybe you make them do their homework and go to school when it is hard and they don’t want to

or

Maybe you did not let them go somewhere that to get there may be a little dangerous, but they don’t understand this world like you do.

When you stop and strive to explain the reasons, they still don’t get it and all they can say is “You Don’t Care about me!”

Those words hurt, because the reality is that you do care about them. And it is because you care about them that you want them

making good decisions,

getting a good education and,

for them to be safe.

And you want them to understand so you try to explain, but you realize, even as you were their age once, that they will not understand until they can see a bigger picture of life and only then will they be able to understand that going through some of the difficult things now, will help them to truly live life better for the long term.

So you have to be the bad guy in their eyes, but you are willing to do that because you care about them and truly do want the very best for them.

Transition

I would venture to say that there are those of us here that have gone through this same thing as adults with God.

Maybe we have been in a situation or circumstance that is so difficult and challenging to us that we just can’t understand how we could be going through this and have God still care about us.

Perhaps we have prayed about it and nothing seems to be changing. Finally, we get to a point where we cry out,

“God don’t you care about me!”

Don’t you care about what is going on in my life right now?

Have you ever felt that way? I have. And not only have I felt that way, there are people in the Bible who have felt that way.

We see Psalm writers expressing these feelings (Psalm 44)

We see some of the prophets feeling this way (Habakkuk 1:2-4)

And we even see the disciples feeling this way.

Transitioning

Turn with me to Mark 4:35-40.

Slide

This morning we are going to continue in our series called “Who is God?” and we are going to see that even though there have been many people who have felt this way, God really is Caring. He cares about us greatly and is working things out for our good.

This morning we are going to look at some specifics of How God has cared for us, and I want to relate a personal circumstance for you to see how in the midst of difficulties, in the midst of hardship, God has cared for me and my family so that you too might be able to gain a better perspective on how God is caring for you, as well.

In our text this morning, Jesus has just finished speaking to a large crowd by the sea. And then it continues in

Mark 4:35-40

35 That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, "Let us go over to the other side." 36 Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. 37 A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. 38 Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, "Teacher, don't you care if we drown?"

39 He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, "Quiet! Be still!" Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.