Weathering the Storm

Weathering the Storm
Mark: Who is this Man?

Passage: Mark 4:35-41 - On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, “Let us go across to the other side.” And leaving the crowd, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. And other boats were with him. And a great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was already filling. But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion. And they woke him and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. He said to them, “Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?” And they were filled with great fear and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?

Main Idea: When the storms of life come, we must learn to turn quickly to Jesus.  

 I: There is a calm before the storm.

In life, there are moments of uncertainty, but much of life is marked by calm. The time in between the storms. What we do with that time matters. 

Mark 4:35-36 - On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, “Let us go across to the other side.” And leaving the crowd, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. And other boats were with him.

It’s in the calm when all is well that we need to discipline ourselves to realize our dependance on God. Are you experiencing calm in your life right now? Praise God if you are! But discipline yourself now because a storm in coming and the sooner you turn to Jesus in that storm the better off you are going to be.

II: When the storms come, we have a tendency to blame God.

Mark 4:37-38 - And a great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was already filling. But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion. And they woke him and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?”

A. This text reminds us that Jesus was both fully God and fully human. Because He was fully human, He knows everything that we go through…
B. The followers of Jesus have found themselves in a bit of trouble.
C. Storms aren’t altogether uncommon on the Sea of Galilee. MacArthur has the following to say about the region: Shaped like a harp, the Sea of Galilee sits roughly thirty miles east of the Mediterranean Sea. The Jordan Valley in which it is situated is part of the Great Rift Valley that runs some 4,500 miles from Syria through the Red Sea and down the east coast of the African continent to Mozambique. The steep hills and cliffs that encompass the Sea of Galilee make it vulnerable to high winds, which can cause sudden, violent storms to develop on the lake. As cooler air travels down from the northern Golan Heights, it collides with the warm air in the basin of the lake, creating turbulent conditions that are intensified as winds force their way through the ravines and canyons of the upper Jordan Valley. In 1992, one such storm generated ten-foot high waves on the lake, causing flooding and damage in the city of Tiberias.
D. Storms are common on the Sea of Galilee – bad storms. And storms are common in our lives as well, aren’t they?
E. Notice that the disciples blamed Jesus for “not caring”? Perhaps they should have remembered what David wrote in Psalm 65:5-7 - By awesome deeds You answer us in righteousness, O God of our salvation, You who are the trust of all the ends of the earth and of the farthest sea; Who establishes the mountains by His strength, Being girded with might; Who stills the roaring of the seas, The roaring of their waves, And the tumult of the peoples.
F. Have you ever had similar thoughts as the disciples in the midst of a storm?

Main Idea: When the storms of life come, we must learn to turn quickly to Jesus.

III: Jesus can be trusted in life’s worst storms.

Mark 4:39-41 - And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. He said to them, “Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?” And they were filled with great fear and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?”

A. With only words, Jesus commanded the storm to stop.
B. While His humanity was demonstrated in His sleeping through a storm – His deity was demonstrated through His ability to calm the storm through His Word.
C. After rebuking the storm, Jesus turns His attention towards His disciples. Why are you so afraid? What guys, still no faith? There is a connection between fear and the lack of faith.
D. Fear is the consequence of a lack of faith. And God has given us every reason to not fear.
E. The disciples had seen miracle after miracle - and they knew Jesus was with them. So why the doubt?
F. Truth is, we all doubt sometimes, don’t we? In his book, The Truth of God Incarnate, Stephen Neill wrote: “Being of a radically sceptical temper, I still wake up on about three mornings a week, saying, “Of course it couldn’t possibly be true.” But then common sense comes to my rescue, saying, “Who are you to decide what is and what is not possible in this wonderful world that God has given us?” So, to my great annoyance, I find myself singing, “Thou only art holy, thou only art the Lord; thou only, O Christ, with the Holy Ghost art most high in the glory of God the Father.” 

Main Idea: When the storms of life come, we must learn to turn quickly to Jesus. 

IV: God DOES care for you and what you are going through and there is nothing for you to fear.

Two things that Scripture makes perfectly clear: God cares for you and there is nothing to fear. 

First, God cares for you:

• Deuteronomy 31:8 - It is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.”
• Psalm 55:22 - Cast your burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved.
• Matthew 11:28 - Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
• Philippians 4:6 - Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.
• Matthew 6:30 - But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?

Second, because God cares for you, there is nothing to fear:

• Romans 8:15 - For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!”
• Isaiah 41:10 - Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
• 2 Timothy 1:7 - For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.
• Deuteronomy 31:6 - Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.”
• Psalm 34:4 - I sought the Lord, and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears.

Conclusion: If you are not currently going through a storm in your life, praise God and grow in your faith. You will need that faith to be strong in order to turn to Him quickly when the storms do come.

If you are going through a storm – turn to Jesus and rest in Him. He cares for you and is able to help you through anything you are dealing with.