Perfect Peace Series

A. Philippians 4:7 (READ)

1. How many of you saw the movie “The Perfect Storm”?

ILLUSTRATION:

It was a GOOD MOVIE—ROTTEN ENDING. It’s a TRUE STORY, and sometimes TRUE LIFE doesn’t END the way we like. It starred George Clooney and Mark Wahlberg. For those of you who may have missed it, it was the story of an incredible storm of 1991 that struck the northeast coast. The story chronicled the fateful events that led to the SINKING of the fishing boat, ANDREA GAIL, and the LOSS of its SIX-MAN CREW, captained by BILLY TYNE—played by Clooney in

the movie. (PHOTO OF THE REAL “ANDREA GAIL”)

The “PERFECT STORM,” was actually called the “HALLOWEEN STORM OF 1991.” It was called the PERFECT STORM because of the extraordinary way it formed. Three massive WEATHER SYSTEMS came together in the northwest Atlantic Ocean. A massive COLD FRONT had moved south out of Canada. An EXTRATROPICAL CYCLONE had formed about 300 miles east of Nova Scotia. And the subtropical HURRICANE, GRACE, was moving north from the south. These three SYSTEMS met in the PERFECT PLACE, at the PERFECT TIME, to make the PERFECT

STORM.

It is reported that ANDREA GAIL faced repeated WAVES reaching around 75 feet. The winds would have been anywhere from 80-120 miles per hour. It is believed the ship was hit by two MONSTROUS, ROGUE WAVES, one at EIGHT O’CLOCK and another at MIDNIGHT that reached 100 feet or more—that’s the HEIGHT of a 10-story building. There was no way to PREDICT which

DIRECTION the WAVES would come as they FIERCELY pounded the SHIP.

We can’t even begin to imagine the level of FEAR and ANXIETY the six men of the ANDREA GAIL must have experienced before the boat SANK.

2. You don’t have to be in a BOAT out in the MIDDLE of the SEA to experience a PERFECT STORM.

a. The PERFECT STORM comes when PROBLEMS begin to POUND you from every DIRECTION.

COMMENT:

You LOSE your JOB, your HEALTH INSURANCE lapses, and your CHILD gets CANCER.

You get DIVORCE PAPERS in the MAIL, your CHILDREN are taken AWAY, and you are

EVICTED from your HOME.

Or, like the apostle Paul, “who is in PRISON for nothing he did wrong but preach Jesus, people are STIRRING up TROUBLE against him while in prison, and he’s waiting to be TRIED and possibly EXECUTED”- Philippians 1:12-21.

b. And, yet, in the midst of his PERFECT STORM, Paul writes, “…the PEACE of God, which transcends all understanding will GUARD your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

B. Along with the PERFECT STORM comes PERFECT PEACE.

1. The “PEACE” that Paul writes about is not achieved by HUMAN EFFORT. It is a GIFT from God.

a. In John chapters 14-16, just hours before going to the CROSS, Jesus prepares His disciples for the

impending STORMS that will come their way as a direct result of FOLLOWING Him.

b. He WARNS them that they are going to be “HATED by the WORLD, but to keep in mind that the world HATED Him first”- John 15:18.

2. Twice, Jesus told His disciples that He will be their PEACE in the midst of TROUBLES.

a. John 14:27- “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives.

Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”

b. John 16:33- “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you

will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

COMMENT:

Jesus is the “PEACE that transcends all understanding”. This PEACE is not the CESSATION of WARS and the ABSENCE of TURMOIL, but the PRESENCE of Jesus. The PERFECT STORM may be raging around us, but Jesus is our PERFECT PEACE that CALMS our hearts and our minds.

MESSAGE:

I. PEACE IN THE STORM- Mark 4:35-41 (READ) (Take a deeper look at the PHRASES in this story)

A. “Let us go over to the other side.”

1. Jesus had been SERVING all day long—TEACHING, COUNSELING, HEALING, CASTING out

DEMONS.

COMMENT:

Undoubtedly, He was EXHAUSTED and needed to GET AWAY from the CROWDS of PEOPLE, even if it was just LONG enough to CROSS to the other side of the SEA. Jesus LOVED people, but like anyone else, there were times He needed His REST.

Once they started SAILING across the SEA, Jesus goes to the BACK of the BOAT where He finds a CUSHION to lay His HEAD, and falls fast ASLEEP.

2. The SEA was very CALM when Jesus and the disciples began CROSSING, but then suddenly a FIERCE STORM began to DEVELOP.

B. “Teacher, don’t you care if we DROWN?”

1. One can only imagine what the disciples are going through as the WIND and the WAVES come