A Renewed Sense Of Awe Series

A RENEWED SENSE OF AWE

Mark 4:35-41

(Antioch Baptist Church: Sunday, March 1st, 2026)

King David said in Psalm 19:1-2, “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge”. God’s creation is amazing, the sights and sounds of this world can be breathtaking. The skies above us, the nature around us, and the ground and waters below us reveal the all-powerful work of our Creator. However, we often fail to notice the beauty of God’s creation because we are focused on our tasks and responsibilities, or because we are distracted by the daily struggles of this life.

Every so often we get a glimpse of the majesty of God’s creation. We have the privilege of seeing a bright red sunrise or a beautiful golden sunset. When take a trip up into the mountains or travel down to the beach and we encounter various reminders of the reality that we belong to the Creator of the Universe. If even for a brief moment, it is beneficial for us to get away from the daily grind and stand in awe of God’s glory and His indescribable handiwork. Sometimes in those moments of serenity and solace we find a renewed sense of awe concerning God’s creation.

There are also moments in our walk with Jesus when we are reminded of just what an amazing privilege it is to belong to Him. We have a tendency to take our relationship with Christ for granted. We become so consumed with our daily lives that we forget about all of the amazing things that He has done, is doing, and has promised to do in our lives. In times such as these, it would help us to experience a renewed sense of awe concerning the power of Jesus Christ.

Our selected text covers a time when the Disciples experienced such a renewal. Though it was still relatively early in their walk with the Savior, they received a vivid reminder that they were not just walking with a good man, they were in the presence of God. I would like to examine this event that occurred on the Sea of Galilee and consider the thought “A Renewed Sense Of Awe”.

Jesus’ power over nature, demonic forces, and physical ailments has been on full display throughout the first four chapter of Mark’s Gospel account. Thus far, the Master has preached about the Kingdom, taught the crowds, cast out demons, cleansed lepers, helped Peter’s Mother-in-Law, and healed a vast multitude of sick people. He gave a paralyzed man the ability to walk, called the Disciples to follow Him, and spent ample time answering the critiques of the Pharisees.

On one occasion, after a long day of ministry and teaching various parables about the Kingdom of God, Jesus instructed His Disciples to get into a boat so that they could “cross over to the other side”. As these men journeyed across the Sea of Galilee a “great storm arose”. The boat transporting Jesus and the other boats that were with them were violently tossed on the water.

In the midst of this violent storm, when the Disciples felt that death was inevitable, Jesus was asleep on a cushion in the stern of the boat. Jesus knew His own power and ability, therefore there was no need for Him to fear the circumstances. This moment is also a fantastic reminder of the humanity of Jesus. After a long day of ministry, the Savior was physically exhausted.

The Disciples have already witnessed numerous evidences of the miracle working power of their Master. However, in a moment of great danger their fear overpowered their faith. We don’t know exactly how long they were in the storm before they cried out to Jesus, but Mark tells us that “the boat was filling with water” . At this point the Disciples were convinced that they were going to die.

Eventually, they went to Jesus and said, ““Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?”. In response to their plea for help, Jesus “arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace, be still!”. With three simple words “the wind ceased and there was a great calm”.

Afterwards, Jesus rebuked the Disciples feelings of fear that were prompted by their lack of faith. He said to them, “Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?”.These men had put their faith in Jesus to the point of forsaking all and following Him, yet in a moment of trouble they felt as if they had been abandoned by Him.

Though the storm was severe and the Disciples experienced a moment of fear and failure, this event produced the desired result. The Disciples saw indisputable evidence that they were in the presence of Almighty God! In response, they “feared exceedingly, and said to one another, “Who can this be, that even the wind and the sea obey Him!”.