Scripture Reading: “Mark 4:35-41
Message: “Storms Are Inevitable”
Text: “And a great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that it was already filling” (v. 37).
Introduction:
What kind of boat do you visualize in this scripture?
Do you picture a large ocean liner type of boat?
Do you picture a medium size boat, like some of the yachts that are seen at the ocean today?
Do you picture a small fishing boat?
Have you ever been out in a boat, large or small, during a storm? I have not had this kind of experience and I don’t want to. I have been out in a bass fishing boat numerous times and I have experienced waves cause by a larger boat passing or some fool speeding and churning the water thus creating fairly good size waves. Any greater rocking of the boat would have caused me to lose what ever I had in my stomach.
Scripture says, “And He told His disciples that a small boat should be kept ready for Him because of the multitude, lest they should crush Him” (Mark 3:9).
The disciples did as Jesus requested and when it was time, he said to them, “Let us cross over to the other side” (v. 35).
This is not a new Scripture. We have all heard and read it many times. As I read it this time, I ask myself these questions:
I. What does it mean to cross over to the other side?
II. What are some of the windstorms of life?
III. Will God let us perish?
IV. Does God still the storms of life today?
V. Why are we fearful?
I. What does it mean to cross over to the other side?
Scripture says, “Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan” (Mark 1:9). Then Jesus spent the next forty day in the desert being tempted by Satan. Then he begins his ministry in Galilee. After John was put in prison, Jesus went about the country proclaiming “the time has come, repent and believe the good news” (Mark 1:14:15). Jesus’ preaching efforts brought forth followers. He called forth four fishermen to follow him. He called Simon, Andrew, James and John. Jesus and his small group traveled on to Capernaum and he began to teach in the synagogue.
People never heard anyone teach like Jesus taught. The people loved him because he taught with authority. It was unbelievable that Jesus could call forth an evil spirit from a man who was possessed. Now Jesus really had the attention of the people and his popularity spread quickly over the country.
After Jesus healed Peter’s mother-in-law, his popularity became even greater. People were bringing the sick and demon possessed to Jesus for healing. Jesus healed the man with leprosy (Mark 1:41) and the man paralyzed who was brought to the house and lowered down in front of Jesus through a hole in the roof of the house (Mark 2:4-5). Jesus called forth another man named Levi. Levi was a tax collector and tax collectors did not have a good reputation. Jesus ate with sinners. This act upset the Pharisees. Jesus responded to the Pharisees saying, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners” (Mark 2:17).
At this time, Jesus was gaining followers, but he also made some enemies; namely, the Pharisees. The Pharisees questioned Jesus concerning fasting and healing on the Sabbath. The Pharisees were really jealous of Jesus’ popularity. They were more concerned about their standing in the community and their personal gain. Jesus was concerned about people everywhere. He said, “Let us go over to the other side” (Mark 4:35). He wanted to move to the other side of the sea because he knew there were more people who wanted to be taught God’s Word. Jesus knew there were other people who needed to have the opportunity to repent and believe. Jesus said, “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him” (John 3:17).
Jesus command “Let us go across to the other side” is just a relevant today as it was over 2000 years ago. The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Our missionaries are going to the other side of the world to carry forth the message. They are crossing the vast oceans and moving into jungles and backwoods areas to help the people. They are feeding people, teaching them how to provide food and clean water for themselves. Medical help is being provided to those who are sick. The Word is being taught to those who will in turn teach their own people. Christianity is spreading because people have taken seriously the words of Jesus, “Let us cross over to the other side.”
II. What are some of the windstorms of life?
Verse 37 says, “And a great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that it was already filling.”
Storms seem to come up quickly on the Sea of Galilee. This sea is 680 feet below seal level and is surrounded by hills. As the winds blow across the land and near the surface of the sea, they become violent and stormy.
Here in the state of Florida we have witnessed some strong winds and rain. Hurricane Charley, 2004, was a category 4 storm when it made landfall in Florida. Hurricane Frances, 2004, was a category 2 storm when it made landfall in Florida. Hurricane Jeanne, 2004, was a category 3 storm when it made landfall in Florida.
These storms did not come upon us quickly. I mean the weather people were able to track them and warn us as to the path they would take. I don’t know if the storm on the Sea of Galilee was comparable to these storms. These are storms brought by mother-nature. There are many other storms in life that can affect us in different ways.
Here are a few storms of life:
Death of a loved one
Sickness of a loved one
Loss of our means of support
Fear of being left alone
Serious auto accident
Airplane crash
Destruction of Twin Towers
Drug addiction
Cancer
Being shot
Being beaten
Being stabbed
Molestation
Racial problems
Wars
Religious problems
Starvation
III. Will God let us perish?
Verse 38 says, “But He was in the stern, asleep on a pillow. And they awoke Him and said to Him, ‘Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?’”
At first, this question might seem a bit silly or stupid, but in reality, it is a good question. This storm on the Sea of Galilee was sudden and it was a violent storm. The disciples were taken by surprise.
Many of the storms mentioned above come upon us without warning. The husband leaves for work in the morning and a little later the wife is visited by the police chaplain who informs her that her husband died in a traffic accident. The children are waiting at the bus stop and a driver loses control of his or her car and runs over the children and kills one or more. All the young people are in the school building when several of the students open fire and kill one teacher and several young people. The firemen are in a training session when something goes wrong and 2 firemen die because the house roof collapses on them. Five thousand go to work at the Twin Towers never to be seen again. Fifty-six passenger and a crew of 7 board United Airlines Flight 175 from Boston to Los Angeles, 81 passengers and a crew of 11 board American Airlines Flight 11 departs Boston for Los Angeles, United Airlines Flight 93 with 38 passengers and a crew of 7 leaves Newark bound for San Francisco, and American Airlines Flight 77 with 58 passengers and a crew of 6 leaves Washington bound for Los Angeles. The rest is history.
These are all storms of life.
Our earthly life is only temporary, but our heavenly life is eternal. We will all leave this earthly life, some sooner and some later. We don’t know when and that is the way God planned it. All of these innocent people, who died, regardless of how they died, are now resting in the arms of their Lord and Savior. God hears each and every prayer that goes up. The disciples were afraid and needed to communicate with Jesus; consequently, they awakened him. Each person facing a storm of life wants and needs God’s attention and that is where communication through prayer comes in. Prayers are always heard by the Father and prayers are always answered by the Father.
IV. Does God still the storms of life today?
Verse 39 says, “Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, ‘Peace, be still!’ And the wind ceased and there was a great calm.”
Jesus knew what was happening as he lay sleeping in the boat, but I believe he was waiting to see what the disciples would do. During this trial, it appears that their faith was a little bit weak, but their prayers were strong and they were answered as evidenced by Jesus calming the storm.
Story: “John Wesley’s Narrow Escape”
When John Wesley was six years old, his father’s house was burned with all its contents. All the children were taken to safety except John, and he was forgotten until the roof was almost ready to cave in, then he was heard crying. His father ran to the stairs, but they were so nearly consumed they would not bear his weight; so utterly in despair he fell on his knees and asked God for help. In the meantime little John had climbed upon a chest. The neighbors, seeing him and with no time to get a ladder, one man was hoisted on the shoulders of another, and he was rescued. A moment later the roof fell in. Then the father cried out: “Come neighbors, let us kneel down; let us give thanks to God. He has given me all my eight children; let the house go, I am rich enough.” This incident was so indelibly impressed on John Wesley’s mind that under one of his portraits he wrote, “Is not this a brand plucked out of the burning?” God always cares for his own. (Sunday School Times)
When we are faced with a storm or a crisis in our lives, our immediate action is to turn to God and ask him to keep us safe and to help us weather the storm. God never told us that we would not have storms, trials, or tribulations in life, but he did tell us: “I will not leave you nor forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5). God cares for us and stills the storms of life today.
Story: “Facing a Problem”
A young woman went to her mother and told her about her life and how things were so hard for her. She did not know how she was going to make it and wanted to give up. She was tired of fighting and struggling. It seemed as one problem was solved a new one arose. Her mother took her to the kitchen.
She filled three pots with water. In the first, she placed carrots, in the second she placed eggs and the last she placed ground coffee beans. She let them sit and boil without saying a word. In about twenty minutes she turned off the burners. She fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl. She pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl. Then she ladled the coffee out and placed it in a bowl. Turning to her daughter, she asked, "Tell me what you see?"
"Carrots, eggs, and coffee," she replied. She brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did and noted that they soft. She then asked her to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard-boiled egg. Finally, she asked her to sip the coffee. The daughter smiled, as she tasted the flavor and smelled its rich aroma. The daughter then asked. "What’s the point, mother?"
Her mother explained that each of these objects had faced the same adversity--boiling water--but each reacted differently. The carrot went in strong, hard and unrelenting. However after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak. The egg had been fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior. But, after sitting through the boiling water, its inside became hardened. The ground coffee beans were unique, however. After they were in the boiling water they had changed the water.
"Which are you?" she asked her daughter. "When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg, or a coffee bean?"
Think of this: Which am I? Am I the carrot that seems strong, but with pain and adversity, do I wilt and become soft and lose my strength? Am I the egg that starts with a malleable heart, but changes with the heat? Did I have a fluid spirit, but after a death, a breakup, a financial hardship or some other trial, have I become hardened and stiff? Does my shell look the same, but on the inside am I bitter and tough with a stiff spirit and a hardened heart?
Or am I like the coffee bean? The bean actually changes the hot water, the very circumstance that brings the pain. When the water gets hot, it releases the fragrance and flavor. If you are like the bean, when things are at their worst, you get better and change the situation around you.
When the hours are the darkest and trials are their greatest do you elevate to another level?
How do you handle Adversity? ARE YOU A CARROT, AN EGG, OR A COFFEE BEAN?
Don’t tell GOD how big your storm is. Tell the storm how big your GOD is!
Satan will always try to convince us that God does not care for us. Satan will take advantage of whatever problem, trial or situation we are facing. God paid a price worth much more than “silver and gold” for our redemption. “…He gave his only begotten Son” who paid for our sins with his own blood. He will allow nothing to harm us.
V. Why are we fearful?
Are we fearful because we have little faith or no faith?
Are we fearful because of the seeds Satan plants in our minds?
Let’s remember that God loves us. I John 4:18 says, “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love." If we believe God loves, then we have nothing to fear.
Listen to what Paul conveyed to the Romans. “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 8:37-39).
Believers have always had to face hardships of some type. In early times, believers faced illness, persecution and death. Today, believers face the same storms, but believers do not have to worry about God forgetting or abandoning them because as Paul said, “nothing will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:39).
Christ’s death is proof of his love for us. He lives within our hearts so that he is always with us. We should feel completely secure and we should not be afraid or fearful.
Jesus said, “In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).
Story: “Train Ride”
I heard a story about a train traveling through the night in a very violent rainstorm. The lightning flashes were almost blinding, the rain hitting the windows was deafening and the strong gust winds rocked the train from side to side. When the lightening flashed and lighted up the darkness, the passengers could see the rising water along the tracks. This created terror in the minds of the passengers. Several passengers noted that through all the noise, lightening and wind, one of the passengers, a little girl, seemed to be at perfect peace. The adult passengers couldn’t figure out why the little girl was so calm during all this excitement. Finally, one passenger asked her, “How is that you can be so calm when all the rest of us are so worried about what might or could happen?” The little passenger smiled and said, “My father is the engineer.”
Jesus is our engineer. We need not worry or fear anything. David wrote these words: “Happy is he who has the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the LORD his God, who made heaven and earth…” (Psalm 146:5-6). I feel sorry for those people who have God as their co-pilot (as seen on some bumper stickers) for they are in deep trouble. These people need to change seats and give controls to the real pilot.
People will fail us, but God will always stand by. God said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5). “I will be with thee in trouble” (Psalm 91:15).
Sometimes our fears are brought about by our own thought or actions. Listen to this little story by Guy Boyd.
Story: “Navy Vessel in a Storm”
The First Officer on the bridge that night saw the light of a ship off in the distance that seemed to be coming straight toward their vessel. Knowing what was about to happen, he got on the radio and called to the ship saying, “This is the First Officer of such and such Navy vessel. I am calling to tell you that you are on a collision course with us and you must change your heading.
The ship radioed back, “That is a negative. You must change your course.”
Big vessels are not able to swerve like a sports car, so the officer replied, rather urgently, “You must move over, I am a U.S. Navy ship.”
The mysterious ship replied, “I won’t move; you must move.”
The First Officer was furious. He called for the captain, who in turn sent the message, “I am the captain of a U.S. Battleship. Your must change your course.”
The voice sounded over the radio, “If am the watchman of the lighthouse. I cannot move. You must change your course.”
The ship was sailing in darkness and unaware of what it was heading for.
The Navy ship was blown off course and that is what happens to us when we get caught in the storms of life.
Conclusion:
Jesus expects us to obey his command and cross over to the other side. His message was to “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit…” (Matthew 28:19).
Yes, there are going be storms of life that will come upon us, but we must remember that God created everything and he has control over everything, including the storms of life.
God will not let us perish.
“And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life…” (Genesis 2:7). God also said, “For dust you are, and to dust you shall return” (Genesis 3:19).
We will all leave the stage of this earthly production, some sooner than others, but God will never let us perish because of his love for us. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).
God stills the storms or life today. He takes care of our storms. Jesus said, “And I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened” (Luke 11:9-10).
The disciples were frightened and fearful when the storm came upon them. This is a natural thing for humans to do. In that moment their prayers went up and Jesus got up and stilled the storm. He does the same for us. We need to have trust in his Holy Name.
We need not fear because I John 4:16,18 says, “And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.”
Storms will come and storms will pass, but God’s word is steadfast and it will always give us direction in our walk through life.
Amen.
