Mark 4:35-41
Facing the Storms in Life
On the same day, when evening had come, He said to them, "Let us cross over to the other side." 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. 4:35-36
And a great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that it was already filling. 4:37
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?" Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, "Peace, be still!" And the wind ceased and there was a great calm. But He said to them, "Why are you so fearful? How [is it] that you have no faith?" And they feared exceedingly, and said to one another, "Who can this be, that even the wind and the sea obey Him!" 4:38-41
Introduction – Glenn and the truck driving test
Glenn (member in our church) was taking the State of Texas bus driving test recently. The State Trooper was verbally asking him possible scenarios and how he would respond to each one.
“You’re driving a semi-tractor trailer rig loaded down with 40,000 pounds of bananas. You are traveling through the mountains of Colorado and headed down a very steep grade on the final leg of your trip. It’s been a long day and trip. You are exhausted from driving. You’re brakes overheat and no longer work. You have just passed up the only emergency area where you can safely stop the truck. After passing through a series of sharp curves you see a railroad track ahead with a long freight train headed to the place where you will crash into it. What do you do?”
Glenn thinks for a moment and says, “I’d wake up David.”
“Wake up David? Who’s David and why would you wake him up?”
Glenn says, “David’s my brother asleep in the back. He ain’t never seen a wreck like he’s gonna see this time!” (BTW, not a true story)
Everyone will face a storm or trial in their life. It’s not if but when we face the storms. There are three things about the storms in life. You will either be going into one, in the middle of one or just now coming out of one. The storms in life will come!
Jesus has just told his disciples to load up the boat and head across the Sea of Galilee. He had a divine schedule to keep. He was doing His Father’s business and God the Father would see them through.
A Promised DESTINATION 35-36
When Jesus tells us to go, we are to obey. We don’t know what lies ahead but we do know we have Him with us! And He always keep His promises!
Completion
Jesus and the disciples had completed their ministry for that day. It was late afternoon and Jesus had an appointment. He simply told the disciples it was time to go.
Invitation given
Scripture doesn’t indicate that they knew where they were going, they were just going! The destination was unknown and uncertain. God invites us to join Him in what He is doing. It then becomes a crisis of belief on whether we will obey Him or not. Fortunately, they did.
No Preparation for food or clothing
They took nothing with them. They weren’t prepared for the events that were about to transpire. But God wants us to trust Him in all things.
Other’s wanted to be a part of the Excursion
You might notice that other little boats attended with them. People want to belong and desire to follow Jesus even if it is at a distance.
There was great Anticipation
The disciples were excited because of the day’s events. There was an element of anticipation and expectation coursing through their veins. They were ecstatic that Jesus was leading them.
Illustration – Sure Destination
I heard about an 83 year old man who had lived his entire life as a bachelor. One day this man gathered his four nephews and announced that he was planning to be married. His nephews were in shock.
One spoke up and said, "Uncle are you getting married because this woman is beautiful?" He said, "No."
Another nephew asked, "Uncle are you getting married because this woman is a great cook?" Again he said, "No."
The third nephew questioned, "Are you marrying this woman because she is rich?" "Of course not," was his reply.
The final nephew said, "Uncle if your not marrying this woman because she is beautiful, or because she is a great cook, or because she is rich, then why are you marrying her?" With a wink he said, "I’m marrying her because she can drive at night !"
I like a man who knows what he needs. Do you intend on going to heaven? Do you know what you need in order to experience salvation and make sure that heaven will be your destination?
God’s promise is to lead you to the other side. Our purpose is to trust Him in faith.
A Plight of DESPERATION 37
Here they were in the middle of the lake and the winds began howling! There seems to be an indication that this was no ordinary storm. Of course, we don’t serve an ordinary Savior either!
Life is full of Surprises
This storm came out of nowhere. Storms on the Sea of Galilee are a common occurrence. The winds surge through the valleys surrounding the lake and can produce a violent storm in the blink of an eye.
Life has a variety of Storms
Every storm will be different. The storms in my life will be different than yours. Such is this storm. In Matthew 8:24 we find the word Seismos means earthquake. It appears that this storm is a tremendously vicious storm. Often, there will be storms of sorrow, suffering, sickness, sin and yes, even Satan. Storms are not limited. They do happen.
Life offers no Solution
I believe the disciples tried to remedy the situation by trying to get out of the storm. These were no ordinary men though. They were experienced fishermen. They knew how to navigate the waters. But even this storm was more than they could handle. So they cried out to Jesus to help them.
Doesn’t that sound just like us? Look at the financial mess our country is in right now. We hear Congress calling on us to bail-out the boat! That’s just what we need. Another opportunity for Congress to tax us more! Let’s give them another trillion dollars to waste. Hope! Change! It’s the American way to fix it ourselves.
Personal Illustration
Several of you know about the Chamber’s house burning down several years ago and how God led them through it and blessed them beyond their imagination.
Many of you have heard about Barry P’s heart surgery and then the controversy of the two black churches burning. The NAACP and Black Panthers demonstrated in Greenville until the culprit was caught and the truth came out.
Many of you know Luke and Emily Panter’s plight. She suffered an aneurysm and survived what doctors said 99% of people never make it to the hospital alive.
With the recent election of our President and Congress, God is not caught napping! He knows what is happening and He is in full control regardless what men may think!
There will be storms in life. Some are unexpected. Most are unwelcome...but ALL are necessary. God wants you to trust Him and grow in spiritual strength.
And finally, we see…
A Powerful DEMONSTRATION 38-41
Jesus never fails. He is with us until the end of the age. Matthew 28:20
They questioned His Ability
Some deny His humanity and some His deity. They nearly always questioned His abilities. But remember who He is!
They witnessed His Authority
He is God! he stilled the storm and said, “Be muzzled!” It is a term that will be used in the next passage in Mark where Jesus quiets the demonized men in Gerasa.
He revealed His Veracity
Jesus is Truth and the disciples recognized it. They were shocked at His power. He is God!
What do you do in the storms of your life? Does your character show faith or fear? Is Jesus an integral part of your life?
Who we are and what we believe is revealed in the storms and crisis of our lives!
Illustration – Suffering Boy Given an Extravagant Gift
In his book Everybody’s Normal Till You Get to Know Them, John Ortberg tells of a young man named John Gilbert. At age five, John was diagnosed with Duchenne’s Muscular Dystrophy, a genetic, progressive, debilitating disease. At age 25, the disease finally claimed John’s life.
Every year John lost something. One year, he lost the ability to run, so he couldn’t play sports with the other kids. Another year he could no longer walk straight, so all he could do was watch others play. He lost the ability to do all the outward things that we think of that make us human. Eventually, he even lost the ability to speak….
John Gilbert suffered far more than what most of us can imagine during those years. Groups of students humiliated him because of his condition and because he had to bring a trained dog to school to help him. A bully used to torture him in the lunchroom where there were no supervising teachers. No one ever stood up for him; maybe they were afraid for themselves; who knows?
"What a silly species we are," John writes. "We all need to feel accepted ourselves, but we constantly reject others."
But John had other moments in his life, too. Once he was invited to a National Football League fundraising auction. When it began, one item in particular caught John’s eye: a basketball signed by the players of the Sacramento Kings professional team. John so desperately wanted that ball that when it came up for bid, he felt his hand raise up in the air. Not having the funds to participate, John’s mother quickly brought it back down.
They watched the bidding go up and up and up. It rose to an astounding amount compared to the value of the ball and especially compared to other items at the auction. Finally, a man made a bid that no one else could possibly match, and he won the prize.
The man walked to the front and claimed the basketball. But instead of going back to his seat, the man walked across the room and gently placed it into the thin, small hands of the boy who had desired it so strongly. The man put that ball into hands that would never dribble a ball down a court, never throw it to a teammate, never fire it from the foul line. But those hands would cherish it for as long as they lived.
"It took me a moment to realize what the man had done," John writes. "I remember hearing gasps all around the room, then thunderous applause and weeping eyes. To this day I’m amazed! Have you ever been given a gift that you could have never gotten for yourself? Has anyone ever sacrificed a huge amount for you without getting anything in return… except the joy of giving?"
John Ortberg, Everybody’s Normal Till You Get to Know Them (Zondervan, 2003), p. 197; submitted by Gino Grunberg, Gig Harbor, Wa
