Other Little Ships
Mark 4:35-41
Sunday, March 20, 2005
Elton Woods Church of God
It is not my custom to preach a message more than once. I feel that if God gives me the message for a particular congregation, it is for them. This message wouldn’t necessarily apply under that criteria. I first preached this message at Elton Woods when I tried out. I listened to God, and said what He said to say then.
But, I was in a meeting this past Tuesday Night. It wasn’t even particularly what we were talking about… but my thoughts quickly shifted to this message that God had given me two years ago. And the voice of the Lord spoke to me… “Remember the first message you preached at Elton Woods?”
I began to think back to the first Sunday and what I preached… His voice rang back… “No, not your first Sunday; your first message.” “Ooooh!” And immediately I knew.
I thought, “But Lord, I can’t preach this message again. People will remember it, and fuss…” He said, “If you were a creative partner in the process I’m taking them through, you would have some say so as to the content of the message. But you’re not working in that capacity. I’ve called you to say everything, and do everything I tell you to say and do.”
“You speak what I tell you to speak.”
In this meeting, someone was speaking, and yet I’m having a dialogue with the Lord. “But, Lord… what about those who will be hearing this message again for the second time?”
“They need it again for the second time. And they are but a few. Most who were present in that meeting aren’t even in the church today.”
So I told Him, “I will do what you say…”
And even so, I come with fear and trepidation. I don’t know whether the message then was portentous of what would come in the two years following that day. But I know He plans for this to speak to us today.
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?
In my lifetime, I’ve heard about a thousand different sermons on this particular passage of scripture. I’ve heard perspectives on the subject my whole life. Some have preached that the whole thing was a lesson in faith… having Jesus in the boat of life with us. That’s all well and good. I’ve heard one perspective that at some points in our lives, God calms the storms… at other points in our lives, God calms His children. That’s a nice interpretation as well.
I’ve heard it said that the important thing in this matter is not the DESTINATION, on the shore at Gadara, but that the JOURNEY was what was important in these disciples. I can see that.
I’ve heard it preached well. I’ve heard it preached poorly. There has been rationale in EVERY SERMON that I have ever heard preached on this passage. But when I read the passage two years ago, the Lord birthed something into my spirit regarding this passage of scripture. Something you might have always seen, but it is something that I have NEVER BEFORE NOTICED. And when I saw it, it changed my life and changed my perspective – and I want to share it with you today.
We pick up the story with our precious Lord. Jesus had just spent the entire day preaching and sharing the heart of Father God from the side of a boat. The sea of Galilee drinking in His voice… no matter how much He projected. He was 100% God, but also, 100% man… so I’m sure He had a raspy throat from hours of teaching, and preaching, through parables, and stories.
I’m a preacher, and I’m ready to quit after a few hours… but my Lord, preached with the fire of heaven for the better part of His day. Through sweltering heat, and the exhaustion of projecting this message for hour, upon hour; He persevered with the Father’s message burning within Him. And finally the day was over with, and the sun was going down. Jesus told them, “Let’s go over to the other side of the Sea of Galilee.”
Verse 36 says that “…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.”
I know me. I get engrossed in MY OWN journey; MY OWN purposes; MY OWN agenda. And it’s an easy thing to do here. But do you want to know what God birthed in me? This verse being included in Mark 4 was no accident. It was part of God’s divine purpose.
I don’t think this storm was about the STORM. I don’t feel like this storm was about the JOURNEY. I don’t feel like this storm was about the DESTINATION. I think the STORM was all about the LITTLE SHIPS. Stick with me here.
Our Ministries, and our churches, and our lives can become so very selfish. But on the trip of life there are LITTLE SHIPS that ride along with us. I had read this story a thousand times, and never seen this. The STORM; oh, it was upsetting to the disciples. But it wasn’t bothering God. Jesus was sleeping in the back of the boat. It was not a big deal in the grand scheme of things.
But I had to ask the Lord, “Lord, I’ve studied this scripture so many times… I’ve never seen these words… why did you put them there?” And there were also with him other little ships; NINE LITTLE WORDS, but they aren’t there by accident.
Have you ever wondered “Why am I here?” or “Why is our church here?” I believe with all of my heart that this is part of the reason why the church is where she is. We’re situated in this community. Set up as this vessel, carrying Christ to the world. And in the midst of our sea, whether we’re are in the gentle ebb and flow of the rolling tides, or in the midst of one of life’s more violent storms. We’re not by ourselves. We have little ships riding along next to us.
Man of God, Woman of God, Child of God, you are on the sea of life in a perpetual state of PEACE or STORM. The world is going on all around us. But right along with us are LITTLE SHIPS. Running right along with this church are LITTLE SHIPS. Right here in this community, seated right here next to this good old gospel ship are THOUSANDS of LITTLE SHIPS. The disciple’s boat wasn’t the only boat on the lake that day. And child of God, Elton Woods isn’t by itself either.
It was the LITTLE SHIPS that were following them the whole while. The LITTLE SHIPS… those lesser than you. The LITTLE SHIPS… those not as mature as you are. The LITTLE SHIPS… those FIRST to be destroyed in the storms of life. The LITTLE SHIPS… those that don’t have Jesus in the boat with them. The LITTLE SHIPS.
There are little ships that are watching your response to the storm. There are little ships that are watching you bail water. There are little ships. Did you know that you’re a hero to some little ship? You’re an example to some little ship. You attitude is going to effect the rowing of some little ship. Your demeanor is going to affect the destination of some little ship.
It’s not about the boat with Jesus in it. It was about the LITTLE SHIPS that didn’t have the Lord as their occupant. How many little ships follow us around every day?
You might be saying, “Preach it brother… these church people ought to watch out for the little ships…” Amen. But what about the child of God? You have sung and shouted in church… you’re worn out… you’re sweated down. And it’s a long, quiet drive back to the house. Junior is right there in the back seat. I’ve heard church folks crucify other church folks, no sooner than they get the door of their car closed. They give them a proper eulogy, funeral and burial before they ever drive in their driveway.
We might know that we’re just sounding off; but for our children, our grandchildren, or even our spouse these are LITTLE SHIPS that we are helping to sink in the midst of our storms. You’ve heard that old saying, “Loose lips, sink ships…” Well, brother, sister, it’s the truth!
Your boat is filling up with the waves of life. The waves are the NATURAL OBSTACLES to the man or woman of God. I’ll show you that more later on. And your first impulse is to bail the water. That’s fine. But you better be careful when you’re bailing the water OUT of your boat, that you’re not THROWING IT INTO SOME LITTLE SHIP. They are getting enough of the waves themselves. Don’t flood them with your bailing.
“I can’t believe that lady… I don’t know who she thinks she is… but that’s my job… I’m going to show her once and for all that she doesn’t own this church…”
And you bail the water out of your storm-battered life; but are you pouring it into a LITTLE SHIP. Ministers do this sometimes. It’s easy to sound off. And then, when our children are the casualties of ministry 20 years from now, we wonder why they are leaving the church. It’s because we sink them with our bailing.
And there were also with him other little ships. Little ships; they are following you. Little ships; they are watching how you handle yor storms. Little ships; they don’t have the resiliency that you do. Little ships; they are looking to you for their faith. In your desperate bailing, and throwing of water over the bow, DON’T FLOOD THE LITTLE SHIPS.
They don’t have that same relationship with the Lord that you do. They don’t have a living experience of the 23rd Psalm in their lives; that “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear NO EVIL, for THOU ART WITH ME…” They haven’t lived through enough storms to know that “a thousand may fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand, but it shall not come nigh thee.” They haven’t lived it because they aren’t big boats; they are LITTLE SHIPS.
These little ships are braving the storms, just like you are; and they are watching how you respond to your bailing. They see how you act in faith. They are the LITTLE SHIPS. Their making it to the destination is DIRECTLY AFFECTED BY WHAT YOU DO. Whether you know it or not, Child of God, you might be the big ship somebody is watching. They’re following you to get to their destination.
I honestly believe, with all my heart that part of, if not ALL OF the reason for the horrible storm that blew into the lives of those disciples that day, was to demonstrate Godly faith for the LITTLE SHIPS. Maybe the storms in your life are partly, so God can demonstrate the life of faith to the LITTLE SHIPS that compass about you. We have to keep in mind the real issues of the storm.
Verse 37 “And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full.”
Wind was one of the OBSTACLES. Wind is a symbol of the SPIRITUAL OBSTACLES that come into our lives. The devil hindering your journey. Wind… He’s called the prince of the power of the air. There arose a storm of GREAT WIND. The GREAT WINDS are the demonic attacks that come and hinder the child of God. The demonic attacks that come. That’s a natural thing, because our warfare is not against flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers, against spiritual rulers of wickedness in heavenly places.
The other obstacle was the waves. The waves are a symbol of the NATURAL OBSTACLES we face; people and their attitudes. The NATURAL OBSTACLES.
Now I know that you understand that when the NATURAL OBSTACLES came against the disciples and this boat, the waves battered the boat… but they were spurred on by the winds. THE SPIRITUAL OBSTACLES caused problems in the NATURAL.
People are just fine until the devil’s wind starts blowing. Church goes along just fine until the enemy starts spouting hot air. And the WIND of the devil stirs up WAVES in the natural. The devil stirs up good, well-meaning folks, and they become the waves that batter our ships. How many little ships have been lost because they’ve been battered by the waves the devil has stirred up in church folks? You know what I’m talking about. The one that pays is the UNSAVED FELLOW riding along next to you in a little ship. GOD HELP US LOOK OUT FOR THE LITTLE SHIP.
Let me show you a principle imbedded in this scripture…
Mark 4:39
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.
You know how I KNOW that the Wind is representative of the devil? Because the scripture says that He AROSE. Aren’t you glad He GOT UP? We were about to be crushed… but HE GOT UP. We were about to be sunk… but HE GOT UP.
But the Wind… it has to be about the devil because it says, “HE REBUKED the Wind…” Let me tell you today, that there are storms that come into your life. And the storms blow in as a result of a demonic wind. Sometimes they need a good rebuking. I believe that there might be WINDS raging in lives in this very room today. And those winds MUST BE REBUKED by YOU child of God; and they must be rebuked by me. I know the wind has to be about the Devil, because Jesus REBUKED IT. But then look at the WAVES.
The waves have to be about men and women, because look what He did; “…and said unto the sea, Peace, be still…” He spoke to their lives. He spoke PEACE. That was the OUTCOME… PEACE.
There are LITTLE SHIPS at stake, friend. There are LITTLE SHIPS at stake, friend. There are LITTLE SHIPS at stake, friend. We have to realize that this storm isn’t about us; it’s about the LITTLE SHIPS. These little fights we’re fighting are STUPID in the face of LOSING A SINGLE, LITTLE SHIP. You’ve got to determine, “Is this thing a WIND?” If it is, then REBUKE IT! Is this thing a WAVE? Then there has to be a WIND behind it. REBUKE IT! We’ve got to get these little ships to the other side.
God help me control my bailing. God help me control my idle words. God help me not to sink some LITTLE SHIP because I was so desperate, I couldn’t keep my mouth shut. FORGIVE ME, if I have spoken an ill-word against ANY of your servants. FORGIVE ME GOD, if I have blamed waves for what was the WIND’S FAULT. Because I want the LITTLE SHIPS to get over to the other side. God, if I sink MYSELF, at least help me get the LITTLE SHIPS THROUGH.
There is a destination. There is a mighty deliverance on the Gadarene shore. But I have to get the OTHER LITTLE SHIPS there, too.
