Be at Peace, Jesus Loves you!
Text: Mark 4:35-41
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?
Often the problems of life can be compared to a storm, ..........Take notice to
Why the disciples.....should have been at peace......and why we.....should be at
peace also.......the disciples asked Jesus......Teacher do you not care if we
perish????......There are times when we wonder.....does anyone care????
The Bible.....God’s word reveals.......the human predicament......
Life’s experiences confirm this predicament....The society in which we live......
Seems only to add to it and......people seem uncaring about it.....
The church...... has even been called into Question.......
This leaves only.....JESUS!!!!!! Does he Care??????
Yes.....Jesus Cares......Jesus loves you......Jesus is with you.....no matter...
In what direction...... the storm may toss you... in your life.......
Illustration:
one day......Charles Spurgeon was walking through the English country side......
Walking with him.....was a friend.....As they strolled along.....the evangelist......
Noticed a barn...with a weather vane on it’s roof.......
At the top of the vane were these words..... “God Is Love”........
Mr. Spurgeon remarked to his companion......that he thought.....this was a rather
inappropriate place for such a message......
“Weather vanes are changeable”,.... he said, .....“but God’s love is constant.”.......
“ I don’t agree with you about those words, Charles,”.....replied His friend.....
“You misunderstood the meaning......That sign is indicating a Truth......
Regardless of which way the wind blows,......God is love.”
You see God is constant......no matter what life throws at you.......Jesus is with you
If you know Jesus as your personal savior....He will always give you peace....
And He will never leave you....Jesus cares about you.....like he cared about His
disciples........
That day on the water ......when the storm tossed about the disciples.......in there tiny
fishing boat....while Jesus slept......they should have realized that.....they were in the
perfect will......the perfect will of God......
You see....Jesus had told them to cross the lake.......
Mark 4:35
35 ¶ And the same day, when the even was come, he saith unto them, Let us pass
over unto the other side.
The disciples were acting on a divine word......They were acting on the divine word
of God......They had acted on that same divine word before....
Luke 5:4-8
4 Now when he had left speaking, he said unto Simon, Launch out into the deep,
and let down your nets for a draught.
5 And Simon answering said unto him, Master, we have toiled all the night, and
have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net.
6 And when they had this done, they inclosed a great multitude of fishes: and their
net brake.
7 And they beckoned unto their partners, which were in the other ship, that they
should come and help them. And they came, and filled both the ships, so that they
began to sink.
8 When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, Depart from
me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord. ( Expound )
Peter had acted on Christ’s word before.......Peter had seen the power of Christ.....
Peter had acknowledged...... Jesus as Lord.......
Yet these disciples were not at peace......We are willing to act on God’s Word......
Yet we are often..... not at peace.......
John 5:8-9
tells us of another man who acted on the words of Jesus......
5 And a certain man was there, which had an infirmity thirty and eight years.
6 When Jesus saw him lie, and knew that he had been now a long time in that case,
he saith unto him, Wilt thou be made whole?
7 The impotent man answered him, Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled,
to put me into the pool: but while I am coming, another steppeth down before me.
8 Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk.
9 And immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed, and walked:
and on the same day was the sabbath. ( Expound )
This man....... at the pool of Bethesda.....acted on the Word of Jesus Christ......
We have acted on the word of Jesus......when we accept Him ....as our personal
savior.....
Today......as in that day......Jesus is with us.......Jesus was already in the boat......
Jesus is already in your life......in your world.... in your home.......In this Church......
We as Christians should not be fearful..........If.....we are in the right position.........
II Timothy 1:7
7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a
sound mind.
Paul is telling us that.....God has given us the power... the power to overcome fear...
Fear is not a gift from God.....Fear is a manifestation of the Devil.....fear keeps us
from accepting the truth.....the truth of Jesus Christ......(Expound on Fear it blinds us)
We are to be kept in the right position......to overcome fear.....we are to be in a
position....... to be in........ and receive the LIGHT!!!!!!
We must be at peace......and we can only know peace through repentance.......
I John 1:7
7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with
another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.
We must not be preoccupied with the world........the world of sin......
The world of sin......blinds us from the light.....the light of Jesus Christ.....
We must remove sin from our lives......like a cataract on our eye...
Sin can blind you from the light of Christ.......
Matt: 6:19
19 ¶ Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth
corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:
20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth
corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:
21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
Is the treasure in your heart.....the treasure of Jesus Christ????
Or is your treasure that of the world??????
You need to be with Jesus Christ.....for He is the true treasure.......
The disciples had there treasure with them.......Yet...they made one mistake......
They overestimated...... the size of the problem facing them.........
They thought.... they were about to perish....
they thought the storm .....was going to consume them.....They thought ...
that the power of the storm........was greater than that of Jesus Christ......
In a storm .....the roll indicator on a ship.......is the center of attention.....
If the ship rolls too far......to one side or another..... the ship will capsize......
In life....... we can often let a storm capsize us.....we too....often overestimate
......the size of the problem......in front of us......wether it be financial....are
relationships.......our work......or just things that we have failed at in our lives......
notice Elisha’s servant...... and his initial failure..... to see the power of God.......
II Kings 6:15-17
15 And when the servant of the man of God was risen early, and gone forth,
behold, an host compassed the city both with horses and chariots. And his servant
said unto him, Alas, my master! how shall we do?
16 And he answered, Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be
with them.
17 And Elisha prayed, and said, LORD, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may
see. And the LORD opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold,
the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha.
Elisha’ servant.....was so consumed with the problem in front of him......he did not
see the work of God all around him......sometimes we cannot see past our own
trouble or.....we simply Exaggerate our problems...this is a common human
trait........we are a self centered creation......we only see what we want to see......It
reduces our energy.....Energy that would be better spent.......better spent on worth
while concerns.......like serving Jesus Christ....our redeemer....we can serve Christ..
By serving others.....lets start today.....tell someone about the good news...... of
Jesus Christ......
You know.....during this horrific storm.....in the lives of the disciples....they did do
one thing right.......
They went to the right person........they went to JESUS......
We should always go to Jesus......not just with our needs.....but also with our praises
Jesus has promised.......Jesus has promised to always be with us......
Not when things are bad............
Not when things are good.........
Not just once in a while......Jesus has promised to be with us.........ALWAYS!!!!!!!
Matt 28:20 b
I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
He promised never.....never to leave us.....
Hebrews 13:5 b
for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.
When you know Christ as your personal savior......His very presence in your life......
Makes all the difference.......
Acts 27:22-25
22 And now I exhort you to be of good cheer: for there shall be no loss of any
man’s life among you, but of the ship.
23 For there stood by me this night the angel of God, whose I am, and whom I
serve,
24 Saying, Fear not, Paul; thou must be brought before Caesar: and, lo, God hath
given thee all them that sail with thee.
25 Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer: for I believe God, that it shall be even as it
was told me.
Paul was told that God is always with him.......
Why is it that Jesus is always with us??????.............Because Jesus cares........
Jesus has cared for us from the begriming........
During the storm........The disciples were concerned because Jesus slept.........
The boat was tossing and turning.......rolling and rocking......yet Jesus slept.......
The disciples asked if Jesus cared if they perished.......
They still did not get it......Jesus was with them....Jesus was with them because ......
He cared......
Jesus has always cared....about his disciples......and about you......
He gave up His glory......the glory that was His from the beginning......
Jesus assumed the limitations of humanity......Jesus .....understands our infirmities...
And our limitations.....
Hebrews 4:15
15 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our
infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.
Jesus was tempted...just like we are tempted.......Jesus knows the troubles we face...
When the disciples questioned Jesus.......and asked Him if he cared??????
They had not come to the full realization....that .....yes.....Jesus cared....Jesus cared
so much....that he became a servant of man......
Do you know what Jesus did for us......while He was here??????
We were in a predicament.....the whole world was in a predicament......we were all
lost sheep..... without a Shepherd.......
Matt:9:36
36 But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them,
because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd.
Jesus was moved with compassion for us......as He was with his disciples......
Jesus healed the sick......
Jesus became a shepherd to the Lost and forsaken.....
Jesus was a compassionate man......He had Feelings....He cared....the Bible tells us
Jesus was an emotional man.......He tore up market places.......in the temple.....
Jesus wept.......at Lazarus’ tomb.....Jesus cared enough to delay His trip..............
to the cross at Calvary........to deal with .....individual needs.......
Our need to learn......to know how to pray .......how to love one another........how to
help one another.......how to serve each other........
Serving each other like Christ served us.......this was what Christ wanted us to know
He wanted us to know he cared.......so that we too...would be a caring people......
This reminds me of a story I once read.........
A young man grew up in a rough Boston housing project........ called Columbia
Point.......in a family of nine children...... Although he’d been a hardworking
student, paying for college seemed impossible........ But his mother’s favorite
expression was........ "Pray, and the Lord will make a way somehow."........... He
viewed that as good advice for other people........
But when he decided to go to college and seminary .........because he believed the
Lord had a call on his life,......... he had no other choice!
He packed for college and even went to orientation,......... but still didn’t have any
money.......... He’d have to pack up his belongings......... and make the hundred-
mile trip....... back home........... But an heir to a corporate fortune heard about his
plight.. ....... and paid for his college and seminary education.............. After he
graduated,... he went to his benefactor’s office to thank him......... for all he had
done for him and asked him what he could do to pay him back.........
Imagine his saying to a multimillionaire,............... "What can I do to repay you?"
The man responded,......... "Help somebody." ..........He has spent the last 20
years... in the ministry...... with that goal in mind.......... He has pastored in the
drug-ridden, crime-infested......... inner city as well as well-manicured
suburbs......... And he has learned that the blessing of God is like a
boomerang.......... As he’s tried to help somebody, the Lord has blessed him.
His name was Vernal E. Simms,......... senior pastor of Morris Brown A.M.E.
Church in Philadelphia,......... From the book One Brother to Another.
We need to learn ......like Mr. Simms learned....that the way we care for .....
And Love each other will return to us...... just like a boomerang....
Jesus gave His life for us..... because He cared.......
His life was not taken.....His life has been returned to us....in the form of everlasting
life...through salvation....salvation bought and paid for.....on that old rugged cross at
Calvary.......
John 10:18
18 No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it
down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my
Father.
Jesus has the power to do all things....Just as we......have the power.....
To do all things through Christ who strengthens me......
Jesus rebuked the storm.....and his disciples...... in the boat that night.......and then
he asked them a question........
Mark 4: 39-40
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. ( Expound Peace, be still)
40 And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith?
Why are we so often times.....so fearful and have little.....or no faith??????
We have only to ask Jesus to bear our burdens......and He will command peace...
In our lives......He will still......all of our troubles....if we will only give Him..........
our hearts......and trust in Him.....completely.....Let Christ Control the storms of life..
The disciples also asked a question......
Mark 4:41
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?
The question is easily answered........
This manner of man.....is Christ the Savior.......The Messiah.....our redeemer......
A God-man......Who cared for us.....so we could be at peace......at peace...........
when the storms of life....seem to be too much........
For with Christ in your life....... you can call on Him......and ask Him....to give you
peace......to calm your storm......
He will give you peace......
because Jesus Christ cares.....
Won’t you give your cares to Christ......Today......
Invitation............
