Faith & Fear

Note: The main source of my textual study is Preachers Sermon and Outline Bible on Mark 4:35 - 41

Title: Faith and Fear

Theme: To show how fear can keep us from having faith in God

Text: Mark 4:35 – 41

Introduction

Where have they been? Parables.

Before this Jesus had been teaching parables. It was not uncommon for him to go back forth across this sea from town to town teaching.

Most of the teaching in Mark 4 had been about parables. Jesus wanted to give them some practical training.

Not just hear it but be doers of the Word. Jesus knew that they would face many storms in their life. He wanted to establish something in them so that when there was questions during storms they could look back and say, no I remember what Jesus did in the other storms.

As in the storms in our life, what keeps us going is who God is and what He has done.

Mar 4:35-41

(35) On the same day, when evening had come, He said to them, "Let us cross over to the other side."

(36) Now when they had left the multitude, they took Him along in the boat as He was. And other little boats were also with Him.

(37) And a great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that it was already filling.

At its widest points it was only about 13 miles north to south, and 8 miles east to west. It would not be called a sea today because of its small size. There are several important facts to note about the Lake.

1. The Lake was known by several names: the Sea of Galilee (Matthew 4:18; Matthew 15:29; Mark 1:16; Mark 7:31); the Sea of Tiberias (John 6:1; John 21:1); the Lake of Gennesaret (Luke 5:1); and simply the "Sea" (John 6:16-25) or the "Lake" (Luke 5:2; Luke 8:22). In the Old Testament it was called the Sea of Chinnereth (meaning heart shaped, Numbers 34:11; Deut. 3:17; Joshua 13:27) or Chinneroth (Joshua 12:3; 1 Kings 15:20).

2. The Lake was surrounded by some of

The idea in the Greek is something like the fury of a hurricane. Such violent storms were regular occurrences on the Sea of Galilee

"The ship was covered with the waves" (Matthew 8:24).

"They were filled with water, and were in jeopardy" (Luke 8:23).

(38) But He was in the stern, asleep on a pillow. And they awoke Him and said to Him, "Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?"

But note something: while all the turmoil was going on, Jesus was in the back of the ship sleeping. He was, so to speak, at rest—at peace with Himself and with others and with nature itself. He was completely without guilt or shame, completely at peace with God. He rested perfectly in the care of God. Therefore He was able to rest through the storm.

Thought 1. The storms or trials of life often come suddenly and violently. And too often Christ seems to be far away, asleep. What we need during the storms of life are the same rest and peace, trust and confidence in God, that Jesus had.

Cause of the Storm

This is a storm is something that the Jesus knew ahead. This did not take Him by surprise, what is amazing is that He is the one who led them here.

Sometimes the Lord will lead us to and through storms to make us stronger.

Sometimes we don’t know why the storms are happening with just know the storms are there. Actually it is easier to deal with storms that we know have a cause. Even storms that we cause through sin or disobedience, at least we have a reason.

The hardest storms are those we don’t understand.

Jesus was asleep

Not only was they in a storm they did not understand but Jesus was asleep.

There was no response.

Sometimes we feel like Jesus is asleep. We can’t get His attention. We cry, we yell, we claim, we get bold , we still hear nothing.

Yet many times it is not that God is asleep but asleep in us. As He was with the disciples He is with us.

Thought 1. Note these significant lessons.

1) Imminent danger can drive us to Christ, but we need to remember three critical things.

a) We can wait too long. We can die and slip into eternity before we know it.

b) We run a terrible risk in waiting. We overlook something: a person who decides to wait until the last minute is not all that sincere about Christ, and Christ knows it.

c) We waste a lifetime of living - really living in all the fulness of life. Abundant life comes only through Christ—the life that brings unbelievable confidence and assurance, security and self-worth, love and joy, peace and rest.