Mark 4:35-41 “God’s Got This Give God The Glory”
1. Storms arise in many places and have horrific effects.
• storms have names like Irma, Sandy, Katrina, Agnes, did you notice that must storms are named after women . These storms are some of the most devastating in history.
• Hurricanes were once named after saints, in WWII soldiers named storms after their wife's
• Men were not off the hook we got named for category 5 storms like Harvey, and Andrew. The recovery for these storms will take years and the memories of these storms effect people for the rest of their lives.
2. Storms remind us of Chaos, Evil, and Death
• In biblical day storms on the sea were a threat to people's lives and livelihoods.
• their idea of the sea itself was horror calamity. Represented the unknown -- the dark deep, the place where the terrible sea monsters waited to devour.
• The sea was the place from which some people never returned.
• In Genesis the sea represents chaos. It destroyed all humanity except 8 souls
3. Today’s lesson the Disciples are in a Hurricane which creates Chaos
• The chaos begins Fear, panic and desperation comes over these fishermen, who have clearly never experienced this type of storm (vv. 35-37). 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
• note Mark tells us that in the midst of all the chaos, Jesus is in the stern of the boat
• The disciples, meanwhile, are in a panic "Wake up!" they yell over the howling wind. "Don't you see that we're dying here? Don't you care?" (v. 39 paraphrase).
4. How Jesus responds with the Hurricane?
• Jesus wakes Up, He Stood UP fearlessly,
• He Spoke Up Boldly39 He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!”
• Basically told the Disciples Faith Up 40 He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?”
• Mark, as well as the other gospels, makes it clear: Jesus has command over the wind and waves, over chaos and calamity and over evil and despair.
5. Where is Jesus during the hurricanes? “The Bible says He was in the boat”
• "Always remember, Jesus is in the boat with you," Jesus basically says, “I've got this."
Many people this Sunday are facing serious storms with memorable names. They're afraid,
• People are facing Hurricanes named Cancer Jason Underwood’s Father radiation chemo
• Bonnie and Jim facing Surgeries one hurricane after another
• Karen faced a hurricane called allergic reaction that almost took the life of Chuck
• Juanita faced a hurricane surgery to prevent being paralyzed Others are facing Hurricanes Called Divorce
• Are we as Carr Memorial facing a hurricane called Financial Crisis we need to have the offering reach 2700 weekly to meet budget
• Lynn and Charles facing Hurricane Pulmonary Hypertension with Charles
• In the UMC we are facing an Hurricane called “Human Sexuality”
• How will we deal with LBGT Lesbian, Bisexual, Gay, Transgender Community
• This gets real like the following Granma refused to go to her grandsons wedding to another male She so regrets it she shared in circle of grace.
• Story of Cherokee or Atwell, “You Got this Give God the glory”
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6. Finally, my granddaughters were playing in a softball tournament in Pulaski VA couple weeks ago. Average ages of the girls are 8-10 years old I believe. I was very impressed that the girls would say prayer right before the game. The girl’s game was really tight and the other team went up by one point. The game was low scoring because both pitchers were on fire this day. I started noticing the girl on the mound kept pointing one finger in the air after the beginning of each inning right before she pitched. Then, I heard the folks setting in the area where we sit on the team my granddaughter played for would occasionally say, “You got this Cherokee” and one parent said, “Give God the glory”. So I started watching Cherokee also they called her Atwell as she approached the pitching mound after their inning of batting stopped. Atwell or Cherokee walked one long straight line over the mound then walked cross way making a form of a cross then before pitched one finger held straight up in the air and she would look up. As soon as she did this a family member or friends would holler, “that’s right Cherokee, He’s got this give God the Glory”. The girls were down one point and came back tied the game and won the tournament.
Remember Church Jesus is in the boat with us when the hurricanes come “Gods Got This, Give God the Glory “.
