Crossing Over 5 Series

CROSSING OVER 5

Scripture: Mark 4:35-41 - “That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, "Let us go over to the other side." Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. 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?" He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, "Quiet! Be still!" Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. He said to his disciples, "Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?" They were terrified and asked each other, "Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!"

Introduction: All of us have had times in our lives when we look around and realize that there are things in our lives that we would rather leave behind. Now I

am not talking about people specifically, even though there may be people that we need to leave behind on our walk with God.

Thesis: All Christian need to “cross over” the past, trials, and pain

Transition Statement: For the last several weeks we have been talking about “crossing over”, and that is a good motif or model for life. If you remember back last week I spoke briefly about life as a series of transitions or crossing over things. I want to end this series by trying to make some bigger sense out of the picture.

I. CROSSING OVER

A. Why is this so important?

1. Every event, every situation, every storm has made you what you are.

a. Everything has left its mark on you.

1) Births

2) Deaths

3) Divorce

4) Situations

5) Hurts

6) Angers….

7) Sickness

b. It has all shaped your life.

2. Now let me depart from that somewhat and tell you the full truth.

a. It isn’t the events that have shaped you - It’s your responses.

b. The way in which you have responded to the storms has been the key to who you are.

c. Some people would say that events shaped me –It is all their doing!

d. But I will tell you that your response has shaped who you became…

B. So Jesus tales us out on the Lake so that we can respond to the storm.

1. One purpose is so that we can see what we are (testing and proving)

2. Another purpose is so that we can choose another response!

a. Insanity – doing the same thing over and over and expecting a new response.

b. People are often trapped in cycles of abuse or problems.

c. I tell them that the only way to get out is to break the cycle

d. That really means choosing a new response.

3. Jesus wants us to choose a spiritual response so that we can grow.

a. Purpose is to get us to the other side – but the other side then becomes a change in our responses to the storm.

1) If you are still responding to the storm the same way – its time to change!

II. THE CONCLUSION OF THE WHOLE MATTER

A. All life on this earth is simply the practice field.

1. Transitions or “crossing over” is constant.

a. Birth – transition from life in the womb to life outside.

b. Driver’s license – transition from dependence on parents to independence

c. High School graduation – transition to be an adult…

d. Death of a parent…

e. Sickness…

f. Divorce…

g. Childbirth…

h. Job loss, retirement.

B. As a pastor and a chaplain I know that people become real open to the Gospel at those times.

1. It is because the transition creates a need in us.

2. The need to understand and respond to the storm.

3. It is at those times we search for answers.

4. The answer is, and has always been Jesus Christ.

C. So what do we make of all this:

1. Jesus really wants to accomplish some things in you.

a. What He is able to accomplish is up to our response to the Storm.

b. Our life becomes a story of how we respond.

2. How do we face the storm and do so faithfully?

a. That is the question we must all wrestle with.

3. Understand that we will travel from one storm to the next.

a. Life is a series of transitions or changes.

b. No one goes through life without some.

4. Faith means more than quoting scripture, feeling good, or doing right.

a. While all are good – faith may mean all 3 and then some.