Master Of The Storms

MASTER OF THE STORMS

Mark 4:35-41

INTRODUCTION

A. HUMOR: HONESTY IS NOT ALWAYS THE BEST POLICY

1. Today is Shirley and Ben's 30th wedding anniversary. After exchanging kisses and presents, Shirley said to Ben, "I have an important question to ask you." "So ask me already," said Ben.

2. "Please tell me," asked Shirley, "and be honest, please tell me how do you think I look after 30 years of marriage with you?"

3. Ben looked at Shirley for a while, then replied, "You're A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K." "And what, may I ask, does all that mean?" asked Shirley, looking puzzled.

4. "It means," replied Ben speaking slowly, "that you're ... Adorable, Beautiful, Cute, Delightful, Elegant, Foxy, Gorgeous, and Hot."

5. On hearing this, Shirley's face lit up. And smiling, she said, "Oh, that's so romantic, Ben. But tell me, what about the I, J, K? What do they stand for?"

6. Ben replied, "I'm Just Kidding!" [Note: Please don't worry about Ben. The swelling under his left eye is going down.]

B. TEXT

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. 40 He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?” 41 They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!” Mk. 4:35-41.

C. VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hj0cVBYKaEg

TITLE: “MASTER OF THE STORMS.”

I. DESTINED FOR STORMS

A. PARABLE

From the earliest days of Christianity, this account has been thought to also be a parable of the Church, which is destined for storms. (Tertullian, Ignatius).

B. “Let us go over to the other side”. Mk. 4:35.

1. Jesus had told them to go forward; it was His will.

2. The Church can’t fail, though the tempests toss it.

3. It will arrive at its destination, victoriously. The Gates of Hell shall not prevail against the Church!

C. TRIALS WILL COME

1. In this account:

a. A Great tempest arose, Vs. 24

b. Waves washed over ship repeatedly.

c. Ship became almost filled with water.

d. The disciples, though good sailors, were terrified.

2. “Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you” I peter 4:12.

3. Purposes:

a. To test the metal we’re made of.

b. To give us the opportunity to rise up in faith.

c. To drive us to God.

4. Joke – “Christians are like tea bags: you never know what kind you are until you get into hot water.”

II. CHRIST WAS ASLEEP DURING THE STORM

A. DOES JESUS CARE? SOMETIMES IT SEEMS LIKE GOD IS ASLEEP

1. Sometimes it seems like, when our trials hit, that Christ is asleep. We don’t hear His voice; we see little of His face; His eyes appear closed.

2. Mk. 4:38, “Master, don’t you care if we drown?” Sometimes we doubt God’s love for us. But Jesus was in the boat.

3. In pioneer days, a father sent his son alone to school, though he had to walk through thick woods. The boy felt vulnerable & afraid. But over time fear left him. One day, a bear approached him. Suddenly a shot rang out. His dad stepped out of the brush. “I followed you every morning, and waited, hidden, every afternoon. I’ve been with you the entire time”.

B. THEY CRY TO THE SAVIOR

1. Mighty distress often leads to mighty prayers.

2. How slack, complacent, compromising the church has been until the Lord has allowed some persecution.

3. The Lord didn’t hear the sound of the storm, He heard their cry for help; ours too.

4. ILLUS. A man visited a sheep farm in Australia during sheering time. He asked the shepherd if he’d ever seen anything noteworthy about the sheep. He replied, “Yes! Watch this”.

He took one little lamb from the weaning pen (where the little sheep are encouraged to get off milk and begin eating grass) and took it to a pasture with thousands of sheep. The noise of all those sheep bleating and baahing was almost deafening. He placed the little lamb down and walked away.