Calming the perfect storm
Part 1
Opening:
1. I am indebted to Bill Johnson, a pastor in Redding, California for some of these thoughts as well as getting me to change my message last evening.
2. As I re-read his book I was again challenged how God intends that we, in conjunction with him, take authority over our destiny while we are upon the earth.
3. Many things will come against us in life and there are several responses we can take.
a. We can take what life hands us and try and make the best of it
b. Get mad, depressed, throw up our hands
c. Or we can try and discern what is going on around us and with the aid that God has given us, draw upon the kingdom principles and employ them here.
In other words, we will employ heavenly principles in an earthly world.
What do you think will happen when the spiritual collides with the earthly?
The healing of lepers, the blind, raising the dead, are the effects of heaven in an earthly realm.
No sickness, no death, no poverty exist in heaven. When we pull that realm into this one, all that is inferior falls away.
Text: Mark 4:35-40
A. Was Jesus in a bad mood or what when he got after his disciples for unbelief in the passage we just read?
1. He could berate them because he already called and ordained them as the following passage show.
a. Mark 3:13-19 says he appointed the 12 to send them out to preach, to heal the sick, and to have authority to cast out devils
Mark 5:35-40, is when he calms the storm for them
b. Then in Luke 6:12-16 he ordains them to be apostles – ones sent
Then in Luke 8:22-25 he calms the storm for them
2. It would have been heartless to berate them for their unbelief without first giving them the tools to overcome with.
3. It is the picture of a father teaching his children, now simply do what I have been demonstrating and giving the tools for you to do.
