"WHO IS THIS/"
Mark 4:35-41
MK 4:35 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!"
MAIN TEXT
41 They were terrified and asked each other, "Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!"
ILL.- In his sermon, the new preacher at a church in Tennessee preached against gambling at horseraces. One of the deacons pulled him aside and said, "Folks didn’t appreciate that sermon. You see, a lot of race horses are raised in this part of the country."
The next Sunday the new preacher preached about the evils of smoking. That same deacon came to him and said, "There are many people around here who grow tobacco. You can’t preach about that."
The third Sunday the new preacher preached about the evils of drinking booze only to be told that there was a large still less than a mile from the church house where some of the church members worked.
The new, frustrated preacher said, "Well, what in the world can I preach about?" The deacon replied, "PREACH AGAINST THEM HEATHEN WITCHDOCTORS. THERE AIN’T ONE OF THEM WITHIN A THOUSAND MILES OF US."
INTRODUCTION
The disciples asked quite an interesting question here, “Who is this?” I have found that this is a question many of us need to have answered from time to time.
I have found that as our view of Jesus becomes more accurate, so does our view of ourselves and other people.
So, let me answer the same question that the disciples asked, “Who is this?"
I. A GOD WHO IS POWERFUL
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.
A. This was a very severe storm! Keep in mind who was in the boat…experienced fishermen who
had been through all kinds of storms at the sea.
B. Jesus was able to speak to the elements and calm the storm
Illustration Skepticism of the Miraculous
Nine-year-old Danny came bursting out of Sunday school like a wild stallion. His eyes were darting in every direction as he tried to locate either mom or dad. Finally, after a quick search, he grabbed his Daddy by the leg and yelled, "Man, that story of Moses and all those people crossing the Red Sea was great!" His father looked down, smiled, and asked the boy to tell him about it.
"Well, the Israelites got out of Egypt, but Pharaoh and his army chased
after them. So the Jews ran as fast as they could until they got to the Red Sea. The Egyptian Army was gettin’ closer and closer. So Moses got on his walkie-talkie and told the Israeli Air Force to bomb the Egyptians. While that was happening, the Israeli Navy built a pontoon bridge so the people could cross over. They made it!
By now old dad was shocked. "Is THAT the way they taught you the story?" Well, no, not exactly," Danny admitted, "but if I told you the way they told it to us, you’d never believe it, Dad."
1. DON'T LIMIT GOD! HE IS GREATER THAN ANYTHING YOU CAN THINK OF !He is greater than anything you can think of!
Illustration: On Christmas Day 1968, the three astronauts of Apollo 8 circled the dark side of the moon and headed for home. Suddenly, over the horizon of the moon rose the blue and white Earth garlanded by the glistening light of the sun against the black void of space. Those sophisticated men, trained in science and technology, did not utter Einstein’s name. They did not even go to the poets, the lyricists, or the dramatists. Only one thing could capture the awe-inspiring thrill of this magnificent observation. Billions heard the voice from outer space as the astronaut read it: "In the beginning God"--the only concept worthy enough to describe that unspeakable awe, unutterable in any other way. "In the beginning God created"--the invasive, the inescapable sense of the infinite and the eternal.
I. A GOD WHO IS POWERFUL!
II. A God Who is PERSONAL
MK 4:35 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…
A. This was a moment when Jesus wanted to get away from the crowd and be alone with His disciples
ILLUSTRATION:
ILL.-
Remember David before the giant Goliath? David was not afraid even though he was up against impossible odds. Why was he not afraid? Because he knew that God was faithful and would be with him.
Goliath said to David, “I’ll give your flesh to the birds of the air and the beasts of the field.”
And David said, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel... This day the Lord will hand you over to me...” I Sam. 17:44-45
And God was faithful to David. He made David’s slingshot hit the mark right on the forehead of Goliath.
ILL.-
Remember the three Hebrews boys: Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego? King Nebuchadnezzar said to them, “Is it true that you do not serve my gods or worship the image of gold I have set up? If you do not worship it, you will be thrown immediately into a blazing furnace. Then what god will be able to rescue you from my hand?” Dan. 3:14-15
And they said, “If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O King.” Dan. 3:17
ILL.-
Remember Daniel in the lions’ den? He was put there because he would not bow his knee to worship King Darius.
Dan. 6:16 “So the king gave the order, and they brought Daniel and threw him into the lions’ den...” But God was faithful to Daniel!
Dan. 6:22 “My God sent his angel, and he shut the mouths of the lions. They have not hurt me....”
1. Jesus has a desire to be with you in a way that is beyond the moments you are gathered
with other people in a church service.
I. A God who is Powerful—
II. Personal
III. A GOD WHO IS PATIENT
{vs 37-39}
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 , "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.
A. 12 people who should have known better really blew it here, didn’t they?
1. Yet, Jesus didn’t hold their mistakes against them, He didn’t punish them or decide to
abandon them…He still intervened.
2. You see, it’s possible that Jesus can take our failures and have a greater purpose
behind them.
ILLUSTRATION:
In 1981, a Minnesota radio station reported a story about a stolen car in California. Police were staging an intense search for the vehicle and the driver, even to the point of placing announcements on local radio stations to contact the thief. On the front seat of the stolen car sat a box of crackers that, unknown to the thief, were laced with poison. The car owner had intended to use the crackers as rat bait. Now the police and the owner of the VW Bug were more interested in apprehending the thief to save his life than to recover the car. So often when we run from God, we feel it is to escape his punishment. But what we are actually doing is eluding his rescue....
B. I am looking at a number of people who have blown it before…including me. Look at what the
Bible has to say about us?
PSALMS 103:12 as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.
JOHN 6:37 All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away.
I JOHN 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
John 8:10-11 10When Jesus had raised Himself up £and saw no one but the woman, He said to her, “Woman, where are those accusers £of yours? Has no one condemned you?”
11She said, “No one, Lord.”
And Jesus said to her, “Neither do I condemn you; go £and sin no more.”
A God who is—1. Powerful,
2. Personal,
3. Patient,
IV. A GOD WHOPROVIDES {vs 40}
40 He said to his disciples, "Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?"
A. You may take this verse as being somewhat of a scolding from Jesus; but, I see it a little
differently. I believe Jesus was trying to keep the disciples from making the same mistake
again
1. Jesus wants to give you the same kind of support. He wants to help you to avoid making
the mistakes you have made in your past and enjoy the life He has designed for you.
When you buy A computer product, they tell you that they have Technical Support. Anytime you need help, just dial a number and help is there.
2. You see, Jesus work doesn’t end with forgiving you of your sins…He wants to PROVIDE
you with (TECHNICAL) support throughout your life!
We sing a song that says “Just Call Him Up, Call Him up , call Him up all the time because he
answers every time
Illustration:
ILLustration- Washington D.C., Sept. 9, 1974. Pres. Gerald Ford granted Richard M. Nixon “a free, full and absolute pardon” for any criminal conduct during his presidency. Ford said, “I feel that Richard Nixon and his loved ones have suffered enough.”
Brethren, regardless of whether or not we think Gerald Ford should have pardoned Richard Nixon is not the question. The point is: it was very gracious deed! It was an act of gracious forgiveness!
But as great as Gerald Ford’s forgiveness was, it is nothing in comparison to the forgiveness that we’ve been granted through Jesus Christ!
B. Sounds a lot to me like a family who understands God’s grace and how the Christian race is
run...
Conclusion
A. Jesus is a God
Who is POWERFUL,
Who is PERSONAL,
Who is PATIENT
and will PROVIDE for you.
B. Do you need His POWER in spite of the storm you are facing?
C. Do you want a PERSONAL relationship with Him.
D. Do you need His PATIENT forgiveness today?
E. Do you need Him to PROVIDE you with what you need to
live for Him?
