When Obedience Brings Trials

When Obedience Brings Trials

1. Many of us have been taught that when we do what God tells us to do and we are in His will, we won’t have trials.

2. Many of us have been taught that when we do what God tells us to do and we are in His will, we won’t have trials. When we are successful, we are a witness to God’s goodness and blessing.

3. But when we look at the life of the men and women in Scripture, being in God’s will didn’t necessarily mean they were always successful and free from trials.

4. A life of success and no worries, trials or lack has little to nothing to do with our obedience to God. But our willing obedience to Him has everything to do with His ability to act on our behalf.

5. In Mark 4:13-20, Jesus explains the parable of the sower which he tells the multitude in verses 3-12. Many pastors and evangelists today tell us to sow seeds (money) in order to receive a financial harvest. Here in this passage, Jesus tells us to sow only one thing in verse 14: “The sower sows the Word.”

6. Let that sink in. The sower sows the Word.

7. When the word is sown in a person who hears and receives it, that word produces fruit thirtyfold, sixtyfold and a hundredfold. The fruit it produces has nothing to do with money; it has everything to do with you and your spiritual growth!

8. When we are working to win souls for God, He will make sure that we have everything we need to work on His behalf (houses, cars, money, etc). That’s why we are told in Matthew 6:33 to seek first the kingdom of God and then everything else (the things we have need of) will be added unto us.

9. Mark 4 is the greatest parable in Scripture because it identifies the point of all parables: winning souls for the kingdom of God through sowing the word into people’s lives.

10. After spending the day teaching the multitudes, Jesus tells the disciples in verse 35 to get in the boat so they could go to another place. They send the multitude away and get into the ship.

11. Verse 39 says a great storm of wind arose and the waves beat the ship so that it was full of water. Get the picture. They were rowing to the other side when out of nowhere the weather went crazy. (Remember, these men were seasoned fishermen. They wouldn’t have gotten into the boat if there was a possibility of a storm.) While some were rowing and straining to keep control of the ship, others were using everything they had to push the water that’s slowly sinking them out of the boat.

12. Were the disciples being obedient to the Lord? Yes. But I thought when you obeyed the Lord you’re not supposed to get a storm. (Can I get a witness?)

13. During all of this Jesus was asleep in the back of the boat. The disciples wake him up and asked him if he cared that they were about to die. “Don’t you care that we’re about to drink our last cup of water? (smile)

14. Have you ever obeyed God and had a storm come into your life and felt that Jesus didn’t care? To the disciples, it was Jesus’ fault that they were in the storm.

15. Now here’s the key point of this message: In verse 39 Jesus arose and rebuked the wind and told the sea to be still. Do you see this? Jesus spoke to the wind and the sea and, get this, they obeyed.

16. How many times have you followed Jesus’ example and spoke to the storms that are trying to sink you? You don’t have to sink. You can take authority over the situation.

17. In verse 40, the disciples are so freaked out that Jesus had to remind them that all they needed in this situation was faith – complete and utter trust in him.

18. In verse 41, we see that the disciples still don’t understand what just happened. And that’s so true for us today. Jesus simply exercised the authority His father had given him whenever he faced a situation from Satan’s drawing board.

19. We have the same authority with our Heavenly Father as Jesus did and does today. Whenever Satan attempts to sink us through financial worries, health concerns, and mental stress – you name it – we can rebuke him and shut him up when we act like who we are: Sons of God.

20. Living in the kingdom of God doesn’t mean we won’t face trials, disappointments, and attacks from Satan. What it does mean is that we have an example to follow – Jesus Christ – in dealing with these situations.