God Is Big Enough To See Me Thru The Storm Series

INTRODUCTION

• SLIDE #1

• How BIG is your God? Is He only big when times are good and situations easy?

• The NIV Application Commentary reminds us:

• We can easily claim to be courageous when everything is calm.

• We can have faith in God’s deliverance when we do not sense any urgent need to be delivered.

• When we come under extreme pressure, however, the courage and assurance that Jesus even cares for his own, let alone preserves them from ultimate danger, can fade fast.

• Mark wrote his Gospel for communities facing intense stress and a raging storm of persecution.

• There will be times in life where it seems hopeless, where it seems like there is no escape.

• When facing those times, we tend to circle our wagon and prepare for doom and failure.

• What do you do when things go awry? Who or what do you turn to when the ocean of life starts to sink your boat?

• The disciples are with Jesus as He is teaching the crowds some parables, He has been teaching all day. HE is on the Northwest shore of the Sea of Galilee, at Capernaum.

• Jesus is in a boat that He is using as a teaching platform on the edge of the shore of the Sea of Galilee.

• SLIDE #2- Capernaum.

• The boat Jesus is on is a fishing boat that was typical of the time.

• SLIDE #3

• It was about 26.5 feet long, about 7.5 feet wide, and 4.5 feet high. One could get about 15 fishermen in one of these boats.

• SLIDE #4

• Here is an actual picture of Jesus on the boat to give you some sense of scale.

• SLIDE #5

• Actually here is a real boat found in 1986 I believe, on the Northern shore of the Sea of Galilee about 5 miles south of Capernaum. It dates to the 1st Century. Who knows, given the dating and location, maybe Jesus was on this boat?

• Isn’t it amazing to think about that?

• THESE MEN ARE GOING TO FACE A CHALLENGE, A CHALLENGE THAT WILL TEST THE BOUNDS OF THEIR FAITH AND THE SIZE OF THE GOD THEY SERVE!

• How BIG is your God? Our God, the creator of all things, is big enough to see you through the storm.

• LET’S BEGIN in Mark 4:35-37

• SLIDE #6

• Mark 4:35–37 (HCSB) — 35 On that day, when evening had come, He told them, “Let’s cross over to the other side of the sea.” 36 So they left the crowd and took Him along since He was already in the boat. And other boats were with Him. 37 A fierce windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking over the boat, so that the boat was already being swamped.

• As we test the boundaries we set for the size of the god we serve, let first realize…

• SLIDE #7

SERMON

I. Everyone will face storms in life.

• It is now evening and Jesus asks the disciples to cross over to the other side of the sea with Him.

• They were going to head to the North Eastern shore into the area of Decapolis.

• Here is what we need to understand in these verses, anyone and everyone will face storms or times of testing and difficulty.

• These men are going to be in the boat with none other than Jesus Himself!

• What could possibly go wrong?

• When people or preachers try to tell you that if you follow Jesus, you will not experience troubles, suffering or pain, they are selling you some swamp land.

• These men at the invitation Jesus were going to go on a trip with Him, more or less, He was going to lead them into the eye of a storm!

• SLIDE #8- Sea of Galilee

• TO understand what is happening we need to realize that the Sea of Galilee is about 600-700 feet below sea level. It is surrounded by mountains.

• On the Northeastern shore line is Mourn Hermon, which rises to about 9000 feet above sea level.

• In the evening, the cold air sweeping down from the mountain hits the warm air rising from the Sea of Galilee, this combination can make for some treacherous weather, storms can hit quick and hard.

• The men on the boat were experienced fishermen, they knew storms could come fast.

• This storm was hitting them hard; it was flooding the boat. One would think experienced fishermen could handle a storm, yet panic was setting in.

• The disciples who were fishermen knew that the sudden squalls were a threat on the sea of Galilee, but that did not make it any easier to cope when they appeared.