I. We are Shocked by Storms
A. Jesus first addresses would be followers
1. Some only follow for conveniences,19, 20
2. Some only follow when it is convenient, 21
B. Jesus addresses His willing followers, 23
II. We are Shocked When He Sleeps, 24, 25; Mark 4:38
III. We are Shocked When He Speaks, 27
IV. He is Shocked When We Shake, Mark 4:40
Time line for Terror, Tuesday, September 11, 2001
8:45 a.m.: Jet airliner crashes into the north tower of the World Trade Center in New York.
9:03 a.m.: A second airliner crashes into its twin south tower, causing a devastating explosion.
9:10 a.m.: In Florida, President Bush is reading to children in a classroom when his chief of staff, Andrew Card, whispers news of the attacks into his ear.
9:20 a.m.: The FBI investigates reports of planes being hijacked before the World Trade Center crashes.
9:29 a.m.: First reports of casualties indicate that at least six people were killed, with at least 1,000 injured.
9:30 a.m.: Bush declares: "We have had a national tragedy. Two airplanes have crashed into the World Trade Center in an apparent terrorist attack on our country."
9:43 a.m.: Another plane crashes into the Pentagon in Washington. The nerve center of the U.S. military bursts into flames and a portion of one side of the five-sided structure collapses.
9:48 a.m.: The White House and the Capitol are evacuated amid further threats.
9:49 a.m.: All airports across the U.S. shut down.
10:00 a.m.: United Airlines Flight 93, en route from Newark, N.J., to San Francisco, crashes near Pittsburgh. The crash site is 85 miles northwest of Camp David.
10:05 a.m.: The south tower of the World Trade Center collapses.
10:29 a.m.: The north tower of the World Trade Center collapses.
I. We Are Shocked by Storms
After all they were following Christ, Matt. 8:23
A. Jesus first addresses would be followers
1. Some only follow for conveniences,
"Master, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest. And Jesus saith unto him, The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head" Matt. 8:19b, 20.)
2. Some only follow when it is convenient
("And another of his disciples said unto him, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father" Matt. 8:21.)
That seems to be a reasonable request on the surface. But the issue is more complex than it first appears. Obviously, the father had not recently died, nor was he awaiting burial; otherwise the young man would not be along the beach at such a crucial time for the family! Alfred Plummer cites an instance of an oriental custom and expression that sheds light on this mysterious passage. "At the present day, an oriental, with his father sitting by his side, has been known to say respecting his future projects: ‘But I must first bury my father.’" The young man did not give the kingdom the highest priority in his thinking. He embraced a delayed-discipleship concept that allowed him to follow Christ when it was convenient.
"Follow me; and allow the dead to bury their own dead" (Matt. 8:22).
Which is the same as saying, "Let those who are spiritually dead be wrapped up in the things of this world. You, as a disciple, have a higher calling of preaching the kingdom (cf. Luke 9:60). And so another "disciple" deserts the ranks.
A. Jesus addressed His would be followers
B. Jesus addresses His willing followers
They were following because they were committed, 8:23 And when he was entered into a ship, his disciples followed him.
They were committed to following Christ wherever no matter what and yet a "great tempest" still came. That is shocking!
As Christians and Americans it is shocking for us to face "a great tempest."
There are still those who are in denial after the Gatoraid explosive plot was foiled.
Matt. 8:23 ¶ And when he was entered into a ship, his disciples followed him.
24 And, behold, there arose a great tempest in the sea, insomuch that the ship was covered with the waves. . . .
All of this is suddenly interrupted. In an instant the Sea of Galilee is transformed from a lamb to a lion. The once placid lake had become a turbulent sea of churning waters. Critics of Scripture have been leery of the possibility of such a quick shift in weather.
The weather changes on the Sea of Galilee are understandable when you examine the topography of the region and consider the meteorology.
The Sea of Galilee is part of the great Jordan rift and measures approximately fourteen miles north to south and seven miles from east to west.
Surrounding this fresh water lake are the Galilean hills and Golan Heights. Since the sea is nearly seven hundred feet below sea level, it has a subtropical climate with warm, pleasant weather year-round. Today, a journey around its shores will reward the traveler with several opportunities to see groves of banana trees.
To the north is majestic Mount Hermon, that enjoys its share of snow. The cold winds from this higher elevation sometimes drift down through the natural land trough heading for the Sea of Galilee. As the cool air dumps itself over the hills and meets the warm rising air of the Sea, severe conditions can occur.
The Gospel writers might not have been meteorologists, but they each provided a graphic bit of information about the storm that fits the description of the circumstances above. Luke records that "there came down a storm of wind on the lake" (Luke 8:23). "came down" is translated from the Greek word katabaino which literally means "to go down" and has reference to the northern winds of Hermon. Those winds create a furious storm (Greek lailaps; Luke 8:37; Mark 4:37). The translators of the Septuagint chose the same word to describe the storm in which Jonah was caught (Jonah 1:4). It could be used of a hurricane or a squall and often is used in conjunction with darkness (cf. 2 Peter 2:17). Matthew adds that the storm became "a great tempest" (8:24). Here the Greek word is seismos from which we get the word seismograph, an instrument used in measuring the intensity of earthquakes. Matthew is painting a portrait of a "seaquake."
No more horrifying experience can be imagined. Darkness has closed in on the small vessel. Cold, bitter winds whip about the sailors, resisting them on every hand. Waves mount so high as to cause the other boats to disappear for a brief moment (Matthew 8:24). And to make matters worse, the boat is taking on water faster than it can be bailed out (Mark 4:37).
The fact of storms is often shocking for Christians, after all they are with Christ in the boat—They are following!
Or for Americans because we are Americans and this is a "Christian Nation."
Storms are a fact of life for a Christian.
Job 5:7 "Yet man is born unto trouble, as the sparks fly upward."
"Beloved, think it not strange (unbelievable) concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy" (1 Pet 4:12, 13).
The shock comes because we have the wrong expectation about the storms followers should experience. "Christians should never have to go through a storm where they are in ‘jeopardy’" as Luke says they were.
Mark’s Gospel adds an interesting sidelight. The disciples took Jesus "along with them, just as He was" (Mark 4:36).
We need to take Jesus as He is and not as we construe Him to be.
We amplify our service to mean: "I’ll follow, if Jesus meets my conditions"
"And Jacob vowed a vow, saying, If God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat, and raiment to put on, So that I come again to my father’s house in peace; then shall the LORD be my God:" (Gen 28:20, 21)
If that is the case for you then not only will storm surprise you they will stop you.
I. We Are Shocked by Storms
II. We Are Shocked When Jesus Sleeps
"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" (Mark 4:38)? (cf. Matt. 8:24, 25)
The disciples in their panic have nowhere else to turn. As sailors, they have given it their best efforts, but the situation looks hopeless. They must awaken the Master. John MacArthur has wryly noted, "When Sailors ask a former carpenter what to do in a storm, you know they are in a lot of trouble."
Do you ever pray and it seems as if the Lord is sleeping? Does it make you ask, "Carest thou not that we perish"?
There is a reason for this: Jesus never rescues those who are intent upon saving themselves. As long as you think that you can handle it He’ll allow you to try.
There was no way these fishermen sailors were going to ask a former carpenter how to sail. They trimmed the sails, jimmied the rig and played with the rudder before they went to the Savior.
As a nation we are upset that God allowed the attack. Was He asleep? But are we interested in God’s will as we have slaughtered 40 million innocent babies?
Vitally essential in our Christian life - to recognize Jesus is not a passenger, He is the Pilot.
We ought never say, "I receive you, get in the back. I’ll pilot my own ship. I’ll set my own course. If I need You, I’ll call upon You."
We’ll never feel the need, until a storm comes and we almost perish. That’s precisely why they come.
Then we learn like Peter: "Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you" (1 Pet 5:7).
There’s always an end to a rope. And regardless of the world’s opinion, the best advice is not to "tie a knot and hang on." Few people get anywhere while hanging on to the end of the rope. When you get to the end of the rope, let go of the rope is the right answer.
A man fell off a cliff, but managed to grab a tree limb on the way down. The following conversation ensued:
"Is anyone up there?"
"I am here. I am the Lord. Do you believe me?"
"Yes, Lord, I believe. I really believe, but I can’t hang on much longer."
"That’s all right, if you really believe you have nothing to worry about. I will save you. Just let go of the branch."
A moment of pause, then: "Is anyone else up there?"
—Bits & Pieces, June 24, 1993, p. 3
I. We Are Shocked by Storms
II. We Are Shocked When He Sleeps
III. We Are Shocked When He Speaks
"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. And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith? And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him" (Mark 4:39-41)?
"What kind of a man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?" (Matthew 8:27).
The answer comes resounding, "There is only one man, and He is the God-man, Jesus Christ."
"O LORD God of hosts, who is a strong LORD like unto thee? or to thy faithfulness round about thee? Thou rulest the raging of the sea: when the waves thereof arise, thou stillest them" (Psa 89:8, 9)
To HIM our fear and lack of faith are unbelievable!
When you have a small God, He can only do so much. Example John 11.
"Why are you fearful, how is it they had no faith?"
1. They weren’t trusting in His word (Mark 4:35). What had Jesus said? "Let us go down to the bottom?"
2. They were not trusting in His will which is vitally connected to His word. The very purpose of His word is to reveal His will.
"Let us pass over"—His word also reveals His will.
The Safest place in the world is in the will of God.
Todd Beamer (not ready until he said, "lets roll."
Even on a lake in a storm
Paul believed that God had a purpose for him, that God had a job for him to do. I can’t imagine God saving a soul through the blood of Jesus Christ and not having a purpose in that life and a job for that person to do.
Something else I believe—and I’ve come to this gradually—I believe that If you will find the will of God and if you will honestly put your life in the hands of the Lord to do that job that God has for you to do and will stay on that job until it’s done, that all the devils in Hell can’t stop you and nobody can kill you until it is done.
Nothing on earth can defeat you, nor stop you from that job till it’s done, if you are in the will of God and honestly trying to do the thing that God would have you to do.
Look at Paul for a minute. He was concerned about just one thing from the day he was saved, and that was to finish the job God cut out for him.
When he was going down to Jerusalem for the last time, everywhere he went people would tell, "Paul, they’re going to kill you when you get down there." "They’re going to throw you in jail when you get down there." What did Paul say?
Acts 20:24 But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God.
That was Paul’s concern. When he got to Jerusalem, they put him in jail, but first a mob tried to kill him out on the streets. And the Roman soldiers, hearing the noise of the mob, ran down and rescued him.
They put him in jail. Forty Jews bound themselves under oath that they would neither eat nor sleep until they killed Paul.
But God had a little tow-headed boy standing around there whom nobody saw, or paid attention to. He happened to be Paul’s nephew. That boy heard the whole plot, and he went to tell Paul what they were going to do to him.
Paul called the centurion, and the next morning he was on his way to Caesarea with forty of the cavalry and a whole company of soldiers to guard him.
I wonder how long those fellows went without something to eat, how long they kept that vow.
Over yonder in Lystra Paul is preaching. They stir up a mob against him and stone him and leave him for dead, piling stones on top of him. After awhile the old apostle begins to move around and those stones begin to move. Wiggling around—out he comes. His job is not done.
Paul said, "I have fought with beasts at Ephesus." Do you know of an empire that did throw men into a ring with ravenous beasts to tear them apart and crush their bones and devour their flesh? The rarest thing in the world is that a man ever came out alive. But Paul did. His job is not done.
He is on the Mediterranean Sea in a storm for fourteen days and nights. The ship is going to pieces. All have given up hope. Paul said, "All hope that we should be saved was lost. But that night the angel of God stood by me." His job isn’t done. When the ship is wrecked and they’re out there on the island building a fire to warm and dry themselves by, Paul picks up a bundle of sticks, and a poisonous snake fastens itself on his hand. The natives, knowing how deadly that snake is, stand in awe and watch to see him swell up and fall down dead.
Paul shook it off his hand. It didn’t even swell! His job isn’t done yet.
Paul, you’re going to stand before Caesar. But Paul is in a Roman dungeon when he writes this letter to Timothy. ‘Timothy, the time has come.
2 Tim 4:6 For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand.
2 Tim 4:7 I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:
Just outside that Roman dungeon a headsman’s block and the ax are ready. They are soon to cut off his head and Paul knows it. They take him out and cut off his head, and it rolls on the ground. But they couldn’t do it until he could write, "I have finished my course."
Reasons for "Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith?"
They weren’t trusting in the Word of God
They weren’t confident in the Will of God
They weren’t mindful of the Presence of God
Jesus was in the boat!
"Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness" (Isa 41:10).
The faith that casts out fear recognizes an unseen presence.
Thomas Andrew Dorsey was a black, jazz musician from Atlanta. In the twenties he gained a certain amount of notoriety as the composer of jazz tunes with suggestive lyrics, but he have all that up in 1926 to concentrate exclusively on spiritual music. "Peace in the Valley" is one of his best known songs, but there is a story behind his most famous song that deserves to be told.
In 1932 the times were hard for Dorsey. Just trying to survive the depression years as a working musician meant tough sledding. On top of that, this music was not accepted by many people. Some said it was too worldly—the devil’s music, they called it. Many years later Dorsey could laugh about it. he said, "I got kicked out of some of the best churches in the land." But the real kick in the teeth came one night in St. Louis when he received a telegram informing him that his pregnant wife had died suddenly.
Dorsey was so filled with grief that his faith was shaken to the roots, but instead of wallowing in self pity, he turned to the discipline he knew best—music. In the midst of agony he wrote the following lyrics:
Precious Lord, Take my hand,
Lead me on, let me stand,
I am tired, I am weak, I am worn,
Through the storm, through the night,
Lead me on to the light;
Take my hand precious Lord,
Lead me home.
--Norman L. Bales, Pulpit Helps, May 1992, p.20
They had no faith "God will not because he cannot"
Because they did not know what God could do. They were amazed!
IV. He is Shocked When We Shake
"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. And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith? And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him" (Mark 4:39-41)?
Prov 29:25 The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the LORD shall be safe.
English tombstone — "He feared man so little because he feared God so much"
8:45 a.m.: Jet airliner crashes into the north tower
"Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith?"
9:03 a.m.: A second airliner crashes into its twin south tower
"Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith?"
9:43 a.m.: Another plane crashes into the Pentagon
"Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith?"
10:00 a.m.: United Airlines Flight 93, en route from Newark, N.J., to San Francisco, crashes near Pittsburgh. The crash site is 85 miles northwest of Camp David.
"Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith?"
10:05 a.m.: The south tower collapses.
"Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith?"
10:29 a.m.: The north tower collapses.
"Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith?"
In WWI, King Emmanuel of Italy was called on to view the troops. A caravan of five automobiles came to a mine that blew up four of the cars. The car that King Emmanuel was riding in stopped just before they got to the mine.
The captain and one lieutenant were badly hurt—the lieutenant more than the captain. The captain went over to the lieutenant. Thinking that there might be another explosion, he begged the captain to go away and just let him die. But the captain refused. He stayed there and cradled the boy’s head in his arms.
While he was holding him, he heard the car drive away. There he was, out on the battlefield, near the frontline trenches, and no car.
Shortly, the lieutenant died in his arms. The captain fell across his body and said, "My God! The king has left me to die on the battlefield! The king has left me to die on the battlefield! The car has gone, and there is no hope!"
About that time he heard a quiet voice behind him saying, "The car is gone, but the king is here."
