#1 BECKONED TO THE OTHER SIDE?
By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
This is lesson #1 of a two part lesson...
Fodder for these sermons was adapted from a lesson by:
Zollie L. Smith, Jr., Executive Director of Assemblies of God US Missions
"You cannot legislate the poor into freedom by legislating the wealthy out of freedom. What one person receives without working for, another person must work for without receiving.
The government cannot give to anybody anything that the government does not first take from somebody else.
When half of the people get the idea that they do not have to work because the other half is going to take care of them, and when the other half gets the idea that it does no good to work because somebody else is going to get that they work for, that my dear friend, is about the end of any nation. You cannot multiply wealth by dividing it." Dr. Adrian Rogers, 1931-2005
TEXT:
Mark 4:35 And the same day, when the even was come, he saith unto them,
Let us pass over unto the other side.
INTRODUCTION:
This lesson is not about SOMEWHERE OVER THE RAINBOW!
Nor is this lesson about THE GREENER GRASS SYNDROME...
If you are not HAPPY HERE, YOU WILL NOT BE HAPPY THERE...
THIS LESSON IS ABOUT KNOWING GOD HAS THE OTHER SIDE ...
A PLACE WHERE THERE IS MORE ... MORE THAN WE HAVE KNOWN.
A GREATER PRESENCE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT...
A GREATER MOVE OF A HOLY GOD IN OUR DAILY LIFE...
THERE IS "THE OTHER SIDE" --- MAY JESUS HELP US GET THERE...
I. LOOK OVER THERE... THAT IS WHERE I WANT TO BE... ON THE OTHER SIDE!
I AM AT POINT A. I HAVE TRAVELED TO POINT B. YET I KNOW THERE IS MUCH
MORE THAN WHERE I AM... THERE IS POINT C? D? E? --- Z? THE Nth degree?
HOW CAN I GET OVER THERE?
Mark 4:35 And the same day, when the even was come, he saith unto them, Let us pass over unto the other side.
[36] And when they had sent away the multitude, they took him even as he was in the ship. And there were also with him other little ships.
[37] And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full.
[38] And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish?
[39] And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.
[40] And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith?
[41] And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?
A. BECKON:
An urgent call to attend...
Summon by a gesture.
To make a SIGNAL TO GAIN ONE’S ATTENTION...
To communicate, visit,
To make an announcement
To invite, or make an appeal,
B. JOURNEY:
How will I get from here to there?
To make one’s way...
The act of going from here to there.
Distance traveled in a specified time frame.
Pilgrimage
C. DESTINATION:
The place or goal to which a person or thing is going.
D. GOAL:
The object of a person’s ambition or effort.
In sports the area where one directs the effort to attain a score.
The thing intended.
Determination.
II. IF WE ARE MAKING PLANS TO GO TO THE OTHER SIDE WE MUST DETERMINE:
AM I GOING TO BE A SPECTATOR? A DICTATOR? A COMMUNICATOR?
A GOSSIP-TATOR? OR A PARTICAPATOR?
Mark 4: 36 And when they had sent away the multitude, they took him even as he was in the ship. And there were also with him other little ships
A. Have you ever noticed how many FAT ARM-CHAIR QUARTERBACKS there are?
There are a few people exerting every effort they have.
The team exercises and lifts weights. Then they practice endless hours.
They study the opposing team’s strategies and game plans.
They develop a purpose and come together to function as one unit.
The team listens to the coach and respects him.
Then on game day they come to seek the GOAL...
AND PRESS AGAINST THE OPPOSITION AND TRY TO WIN...
B. Then there are those that talk about:
The coach was too hard at practice and I quit...
You didn’t play my son... ?
Why did you do that... ?
There are many quick to CRITIQUE everything done?
C. We need some team members that will PARTICIPATE AND CO-OPERATE.
We need QUARTERBACKS, we need LINEMEN, we need WATERBOYS...
We need CHEERLEADERS...
D. Don’t forget that THERE WAS MORE THAN ONE BOAT OUT THERE...
There were little boats around the boat that the Master was in...
IF YOU WILL TAKE A STEP OF FAITH TO GO TO THE OTHER SIDE ---
OTHERS WILL FOLLOW YOUR SHIP...
III. IT IS AN IMPERATIVE COMMAND: LET US GO TO THE OTHER SIDE ...
WE CAN’T STAY HERE...
A. If we stay here --- we will be left behind...
Jesus has a plan for us to GO ...
Spell GO-d, spell GO-spel ...
Mark 4:35 And the same day, when the even was come, he saith unto them, Let us pass over unto the other side.
B. We can’t stay stagnant in one place...
Our families must learn, lean and love to develop with God’s plan.
IV. I WANT TO GO TO THE OTHER SIDE...
TO GET TO THE OTHER SIDE WE MUST HAVE FAITH!
DO YOU HAVE FAITH TO GET IN THE BOAT?
A. Have we made the preparations for the journey?
2 Cor. 5:7 (For we walk by faith, not by sight:)
Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
B. Sure we have some sprinters... wow they can run fast...
Sprinters tend to run off and leave the group.
C. Then we have some STRAGGLERS, they can’t keep up with the group.
Will we practice SPIRITUAL ABORTION WITH THE SLOW LEARNERS?
D. As Jesus was in the boat --- HE HAD LEFT THE MULTITUDES...
Some lessons are not for the GREAT CROWDS and BIG NUMBERS...
Jesus had not failed because the crowd size in the boat had dwindled...
V. THE CAPTAIN OF THIS BOAT HAD MADE A VERY IMPORTANT DECISION...
BEFORE HE LEFT THE SHORE --- HE MADE SURE HE HAD JESUS ON THE BOAT...
A. Some are looking for STAR STATUS... It is all about Jesus... not stars.
John 12:32 And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.
B. JESUS IS A MAGNET ... HE WILL DRAW MEN UNTO HIMSELF...
John 3:14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:
C. We tend to want to build the church on PROGRAMS and PERSONALITIES?.
VI. OH, NO, WE ARE FACING DIFFICULTIES, PROBLEMS, CONTRARY WINDS, AND
DEEP SPIRITUAL CHALLENGES ... NOW WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO...
LET’S TURN THIS BOAT BACK AROUND... ARE WE GOING TO RETURN ???
Mark 4:37 And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full.
A. IT IS GOD’S PLAN FOR US TO GO TO THE OTHER SIDE...
THEREFORE MANY SUGGEST THIS WILL BE AN EASY SAIL FROM HERE TO THERE?
B. What are you going to do when the WINDS BLOW CONTRARY TO YOUR PLAN?
The storms will neither make you stronger or weaker ...
the storms will reveal which you are.
C. It is not how much water your boat is in ---
It is how much water is in your boat ... !!!
HOW CAN WE GET TO THE OTHER SIDE... THIS STORM WILL DESTROY OUR BOAT?
VII. THERE IS A SPIRIT OF FEAR, WORRY, TIREDNESS AND NEGATIVENESS THAT
WILL GET IN YOUR BOAT.
Mark 4:40 And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith?
A. FEAR HAS TORMENT...
FEAR FEEDS FEAR ...
Luke 21:26 Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.
B. FEAR: WHAT MIGHT HAPPEN?
C. FEAR CANCELS FAITH! FAITH CANCELS FEAR!
2 Tim. 1:7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.
D. FAITH IS A GUIDED MISSILE... FAITH EXECUTES THE WORD OF GOD...
VIII. SOMEONE QUIT LOOKING AT THE STORM AND WAKE UP THE MASTER...
A. Will we allow people to drown while we have the Master on board... ?
B. ANY BELIEVER ON THE BOAT COULD HAVE RELEASED THE WORD OF
GOD TO DO THE WORK OF GOD!
C. Maybe Jesus was not really asleep?
Maybe Jesus was TESTING TO SEE IF THE BOYS HAD LEARNED...
Mark 4:38 And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish?
IX. ALL MATTER IS BY THE SPOKEN WORD...
THE SPIRITUAL WORD BELIEVED AND LAUNCHED BY FAITH CONTROLS MATTER...
TODAY THE BELIEVER SEEMS TO ACCEPT THAT MATTER CONTROLS THE SPIRIT...
NOT SO... THE SPIRIT IS SUPREME!
THE SPIRIT RULES OVER MATTER...
A. Ask man and he will say: BODY --- SOUL --- SPIRIT ...
ASK GOD... GOD SAYS SPIRIT --- SOUL --- BODY ....
B. We have reversed GOD’S PLAN...
Mark 4: 39 And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.
C. MATTER DOES NOT MATTER... GOD CONTROLS ALL STORMS...
X. THE JOURNEY TO THE OTHER SIDE IS PREPARATION AND DEVELOPMENT
FOR MINISTRY ON THE OTHER SIDE...
A. We learn our lesson and then on the OTHER SIDE GOD HAS PEOPLE THAT NEED YOUR FAITH TO CALM THEIR STORM.
Mark 5:1 And they came over unto the other side of the sea, into the country of the Gadarenes. [2] And when he was come out of the ship, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit,
B. IF GOD DOES NOT CALM THE STORM,
GOD WILL CALM THE BELIEVER IN THE STORM.
Hebrews 6:19 Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil;
C. Let us over come the storms, the setbacks, the obstacles, the circumstances, the problems ---
STAY FOCUSED --- JESUS IS IN OUR BOAT ---
CONCLUSION:
LEARN TO ENJOY THE JOURNEY TO THE OTHER SIDE BY KEEPING JESUS
IN THE BOAT.
This is lesson #1 of a two part lesson...
Fodder for this sermons was adapted from a lesson by:
Zollie L. Smith, Jr., Executive Director of Assemblies of God US Missions
