"Leaving the crowd behind, they took [Jesus] along, just as he was, in the boat. . . A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. 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?’ He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, ’Quiet! Be still!’ Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. He said to his disciples, ’Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?’ They were terrified and asked each other, ’Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!’" -- Mark 4:36-41
People pray for all kinds of reasons. In times of fear or stress we come to God for comfort, for peace and assurance. We call out to God to do something about the turmoil of our private world, hoping that he can somehow quiet the raging storms of our heart, hoping that he can keep the churning seas of life from battering us to pieces, hoping that he can prevent the little boat of our soul from capsizing under the terrifying waves. And sometimes, we come perilously close to being overwhelmed. Sometimes it seems to us, as it did to the disciples, that not only does God not care, but that he isn’t even aware of the danger, that he doesn’t comprehend how near we are to drowning. It can seem as if God is indifferent to our plight, that he’s off taking a nap even as we’re assaulted from every side; that he’s resting, taking his ease, lifting not a finger to help us, while we’re struggling to survive. We’re straining at the oars, every muscle screaming in pain, but making no progress toward the shore. We’re bailing as fast as we can, but the water is coming in faster than it’s going out. The winds have torn the sail to shreds; the rudder has broken off. The sides of the boat are only inches above the waterline. And finally, in desperation and panic, we cry out, "Lord, where are you? Don’t you care if I perish? Can’t you see what’s happening? Wake up and help me!" The prayer of the disciples was not a calm, polite, "Lord, if it’s not too much trouble" kind of prayer. It was not eloquent, not carefully worded. This was not taken from a church prayer-book. This was a cry of desperation, a full-throated bellow, a panic-stricken yell: "Wake up! Save us!" Have you ever felt like that? Have you ever prayed like that? And what happened when the disciples prayed that prayer? Jesus answered. He rebuked the wind. He calmed the sea. He heard the prayer of his disciples. And in the same way, he hears and answers us when we pray like that. Listen to this promise:
"No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it." -- 1 Corinthians 10:13
God will never put us in a situation that is truly hopeless. He will never expose us to suffering or stress beyond our ability to bear. He will never lay a burden on our shoulders beyond our strength to carry. He will never permit us to be tested beyond our capacity to endure. No matter how bleak our circumstances appear, if we continue to seek him, we will find that his grace is sufficient; that his ability, and his strength are all we need. But this is true only if we respond to our troubles by looking to God in faith and prayer. If instead you rely on yourself, then the storms of life will be too much for you. Your resources will prove inadequate. You will be overcome. Sooner or later, something -- fear, or grief, or rage, or guilt, or sorrow, or hatred will prove too much for you. Sooner or later, one of the many kinds of suffering and temptation in this fallen world will be your downfall. And you will end up denying God, cursing him, abandoning your profession of faith, just as Peter did on the night Jesus was arrested. The only way for any of us to survive spiritually is to constantly return to God in prayer. Because although the Bible’s precious promises are true and certain; although they are guaranteed to all who are in Christ; they are not automatic. In order to receive them, we must pray. Prayer does not earn God’s blessing; it doesn’t merit the outpouring of His grace and power and strength into our lives. But prayer is the means by which we come to receive those blessings. Because prayer is an expression of our faith. And God is pleased by faith. God is honored by faith. God responds to faith.
The disciples found this to be true. At first, they were likely depending on their skill as sailors and fishermen, their knowledge of the sea, their years of experience weathering the storms of the Mediterranean. Many of them had been piloting boats through these waters all their lives. They knew the currents, the weather patterns. And so as the wind picked up, and the sky began to darken, and the water grew choppy, it was natural for them to rely on themselves. No need to wake the teacher; he’s been working hard all day; we can take care of this. And even as the storm grew more dangerous, they had no doubt of their ability to reach the shore. It wasn’t until they realized that they were about to go under, when they finally came to the end of themselves and saw that their skill and experience couldn’t save them -- it wasn’t until then that they finally cried out to the Lord and were saved.
Why did God let it go that far? Why did he put them in such danger? Why did he allow them to experience the terror, the fear, the panic? Because he needed to teach them two things. First, that they weren’t as all-powerful and all-sufficient as they thought. Notice that this crisis didn’t arise on the land; not in the fields or on a mountain. They weren’t threatened with destruction from a hurricane, or flood, or landslide, or earthquake. No, they encountered this trial in a boat, on the water, in an environment where they were as confident and sure of themselves as in their own living rooms. God had to show them that, even where they were most capable and most competent, they were still helpless apart from His power. As Jesus says,
"I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you." -- John 15:5-7
In order for us to receive what we need, we must remain in Christ; we must continue in fellowship and obedience to him. His word must remain in us; we need to be reading and studying the Scriptures. But most of all, in order to receive from God, we have to ask. We have to pray. "Ask whatever you wish," he says, "and it will be given you." Prayer is an acknowledgement of our need, of our utter dependence on God, our complete inadequacy apart from Him. If we hope to receive anything from God, then we must come to him with open, empty hands. But if in pride we are still holding on to our own ability and sufficiency, then we cannot receive anything from God. And if we persist in our self-reliance, then God may graciously and lovingly allow us to fail in the very area where we are most confident of our strength, in order to teach us that we can do nothing -- nothing! -- apart from Him.
Let me ask you a question: In what area of life are you most sure of your ability? Where do you need God’s help the least? Perhaps it’s in your profession or trade. Computer programming. Or carpentry. Or accounting. Or nursing. You’ve been trained and educated, you have years of experience and accomplishment. Or perhaps your confidence is in your moral integrity. You know that there are some things you are simply not capable of. Theft. Adultery. Murder. Alcoholism. Truth be told, you feel a little superior when you hear of someone failing in one of these areas, because you know that you could never stoop to that level. You may not be a saint, but you would never do that. Or perhaps your confidence lies is in the strength of your faith. Peter was like that. When Jesus predicted that the disciples would abandon him, he objected: "Even if all fall away on account of you, I never will." (Matthew 26:33) And yet, only a few hours later, this man who was so confident of his courage and faithfulness to Christ was cursing, and swearing, and denying that he had ever met Jesus. Let me warn you that, just as the disciples were nearly overcome by that storm, so all of us are at risk of being overcome in the very areas where we consider ourselves strong. As Paul warns us, "Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed that he does not fall." (1 Corinthians 10:12). And as Peter (a wiser, and sadder Peter) writes, "Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour." (1 Peter 5:8). We can’t rest on our laurels, we can’t look to past victories as evidence of our invincibility. We must watch and pray. Because when we stop praying, when we stop relying on God’s power and strength, that’s when we are most at risk of falling.
Let me give you some personal examples. There are some areas in the ministry that, objectively considered, I think I do fairly well. There are some days when I’m tempted to think, "I can do this. I have the training, and the experience, and the skills to pull this off." But the day I start resting in my abilities, my knowledge, my understanding and eloquence, is the day that God stops blessing my preaching and teaching. My sermons can be philosophically deep, and theologically sound, and exegetically correct; they can be illustrated with gripping stories and humorous anecdotes -- but if the Holy Spirit isn’t working, if God’s power is not flowing, then they will accomplish nothing. They will instruct no one, convict no one, encourage no one. They will be, as Paul says, a "resounding gong or a clanging cymbal". In other words, just so much noise. That’s why every week, when I sit down to study and write, I pray, "Father, please give me a word for these people, whose spiritual care you have entrusted into my hands. They don’t need my words, they need your word. May your Spirit guide me and teach me and direct me." That’s my only hope of success. Or when I go to counsel someone, if I’m relying on my wisdom and my insight, then I might as well not bother. Because those things are not sufficient. Only God’s power can comfort the grieving, strengthen the weak, enlighten the confused, lift up the discouraged, grant repentance to those in sin. No matter what I say or do, only God can reach someone’s heart. That’s why I need to pray, and why you need to pray for me.
It’s the same at home. If I began to think that the strength of my marriage was due to my intelligence, or goodness, or charm, or my intuitive understanding of women, then I would be a great fool. It’s due to the grace and power of God. The same with our children. The same with every other area of my life, or yours. It’s only by the grace and power of God that we experience any good thing. As James reminds us, "Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers. Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows." (James 1:16-17) God is the source of all good things. But if we want him to bless us, we have to ask. What did Jesus say again? "If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you." (John 15:7)
Now, let’s return to those disciples in the boat. If Jesus had the power to end that storm, then didn’t he have the power to prevent it in the first place? Yes, of course. So why didn’t he? Why did he allow his beloved disciples to experience the terror, and confusion, and panic of that storm? And for that matter, why does he allow storms in our lives? Because his purpose was not to make their lives pleasant and trouble-free. His purpose was to transform their lives, to make them into the kind of people who can know God, and fellowship with God. And in order to accomplish that, he had to redirect their trust and confidence, from themselves to Himself. He had to demonstrate to them, in a way they would never forget, their inability to save themselves. And even more important, he had to show them that where they were weak, he was strong. They needed to learn that he had the power to deliver them, even when everything they could see or hear told them that all was lost. They needed to understand that if Jesus had power even over the wind and the waves, then there was literally nothing he couldn’t do in their lives. We need to learn that same lesson. There is no power in heaven or earth that Christ cannot and has not overcome, not even the power of death. And so, whatever your situation may be, however hopeless it may seem, no matter how great and powerful the forces opposing you, Jesus is far greater. He is vastly more powerful. And by trusting in him rather than ourselves, we triumph with him. As He promises us,
"In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." -- John 16:33
And John tells us that, "[E]veryone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God." -- 1 John 5:4-5
Through Christ, we are not overcome by the storms we face in this world. On the contrary, by our faith we overcome the world. Does this mean that no harm will ever come to a Christian? No. What it means is that no trouble can come to us without God’s express consent, in order to accomplish his good purposes in and through us. And it means that no sorrow, no struggle, no loss can ever separate us from our Savior, not now and not ever.
"Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? . . . No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." -- Romans 8:35-39
Now, before we finish, I’d like to direct your attention to another story of a ship in danger. It comes from the book of Acts, and it describes one of the journeys of the apostle Paul, when he was being taken as a prisoner to stand trial in Rome.
"Before very long, a wind of hurricane force, called the "northeaster," swept down from the island. The ship was caught by the storm and could not head into the wind; so we gave way to it and were driven along. We took such a violent battering from the storm that the next day [the crew] began to throw the cargo overboard. When neither sun nor stars appeared for many days and the storm continued raging, we finally gave up all hope of being saved. [Then] Paul stood up before them and said: "Men, I urge you to keep up your courage, because not one of you will be lost; only the ship will be destroyed. Last night an angel of the God whose I am and whom I serve stood beside me and said, ’Do not be afraid, Paul. You must stand trial before Caesar; and God has graciously given you the lives of all who sail with you.’
When daylight came, they saw a bay with a sandy beach, where they decided to run the ship aground if they could. They hoisted the foresail to the wind and made for the beach. But the ship struck a sandbar and ran aground. The bow stuck fast and would not move, and the stern was broken to pieces by the pounding of the surf. [The centurion] ordered those who could swim to jump overboard first and get to land. The rest were to get there on planks or on pieces of the ship. In this way everyone reached land in safety." -- taken from Acts 27
There are some similarities between this story and the first one. We have a ship caught in a violent storm, so that those on board fear for their lives. God has taken a personal interest in the safety and welfare of those on board. He assures them, through an angel, that they will be saved. But there is one crucial difference. In this story, God doesn’t put an end to the storm; in fact, the storm rages furiously until the ship is destroyed. So what’s the point? That God doesn’t always work in the same way to protect and provide for his people. Sometimes he calms the storm, as he did with the disciples. Sometimes he changes our circumstances. Sometimes, things work out well, even better than we could have hoped. And when that happens, we rejoice and thank him for his mercies. But sometimes things don’t work out. Sometimes our circumstances don’t improve; they may even get worse. Sometimes the storm doesn’t stop; instead it grows more and more fierce, until everything comes to pieces. Does that mean that God has abandoned us? No. By no means. Because in both cases, the people were saved. It’s just that, in one case, God saved them by ending the storm, and in the other, he saved them by bringing them through the storm. So which is it going to be in your case? I don’t know. Which is better? Whichever one God does in your life is better, because He knows best. We can’t insist that God work in our lives the way he has in someone else’s. Because his plans for us are different than his plans for them. But we know that he loves us and will take care of us, no matter what. He will protect us, he will provide for us. He will guard our hearts. He will give us peace and joy. And He will bring us safely to shore, even if we have to swim all the way there holding on to a broken piece of wood.
Some of you this morning may be facing what to all appearances are insurmountable difficulties, unresolvable problems, hopeless circumstances. You’re in that boat out on the open sea, the waves sloshing over the gunwales, the wind howling, the darkness so thick you can’t even see the shore, much less reach it. And on top of it all, God seems unconcerned, indifferent. You feel hopeless, and you’re right. Your situation is hopeless, unless God intervenes. Unless you acknowledge your inability to save yourself, unless you confess your sin and self-righteousness, unless you cry out in prayer and turn to Christ in faith. If you do that, he will heed your cry, he will come to your aid, for he is powerful and mighty to save. And he loves you, more than you can imagine. Won’t you do that today? Come to Christ. Abandon your pride, your self-sufficiency, your stubborn self-reliance. Confess your sin. Accept his forgiveness. And let him bring peace and calm to your heart.
Some of you, on the other hand, are enjoying relatively smooth sailing. Clear skies, calm seas, gentle breezes. And that’s great. Be thankful for God’s blessings and mercies. But be careful: guard your heart against spiritual complacency. Continue to be diligent in the spiritual disciplines of prayer and bible reading. Keep seeking the Lord, keep striving to serve God with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength, so that when the storms do come, you’ll be ready. And be faithful to pray for those in the church body who are going through trials. Pray that God will encourage them and strengthen their faith; pray that he will draw them close to himself and comfort them. Pray that he will protect them against all the attacks and lies and temptations of the evil one. Pray that he would replace their fear, and panic and distress with peace, and hope, and joy. Pray that even when other things in their lives have become bitter, Christ would be exceedingly sweet to them. And pray that God would bring them, and you, safely to the shore.
(For an .rtf file of this and other sermons, see www.journeychurchonline.org/messages.htm)
