06-11-2023 “The Storms of Life”
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June 11, 2023
“The Storms of Life”
Mark 4:35-41
Introduction.
Our family went sailing at Lewis and Clark Lake which is a
dammed up portion on the Missouri River. Forty five minutes
into the journey the wind shifted becoming gusty with high waves
which swamped our boat. With much struggle we made it back to
the marina
Some storms in life you don't see coming.
Storms may come with no notice and grab a hold of you and shake
you before they move on. They could be wind, financial, marital or
social storms.
Who sends them and why do they come?
Jesus experienced storms like this.
A valley leads into the Sea of Galilee. There are steep mountains
on both sides which cause a wind tunnel and enormous storms.
The high winds and driving rain suddenly arise. Any boats on the lake
are in peril.
Read Mark 4:35-41
35 On that day, when evening came, He said to them,
Let us go over to the other side.
36 Leaving the crowd, they took Him along with them
in the boat, just as He was; and other boats were with Him.
37 And there arose a fierce gale of wind, and the waves were
breaking over the boat so much that the boat was already filling up.
38 Jesus Himself 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?
39 And He got up and rebuked the wind and said to the sea,
Hush, be still.” And the wind died down and it became perfectly calm.
40 And He said to them, “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?
41 They became very much afraid and said to one another,
Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?
Jesus got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, "Quiet! Be Still!"
Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.
He said to the disciples, "Why are you so afraid?
Do you still have no faith?"
They were terrified and asked each other, "Who is this? Even the wind
and waves obey him!"
- Whose idea was it to get into the boat?
The key to understanding this story is:
If you know the answer, then you know what the story was about.
If you don't know the answer, the meaning will be lost to you.
Whose idea was it to get into the boat in the first place?
Go to the text and the answer is very plain.
It happened after a long day of ministry taking care of people's needs.
Jesus said, "Let us go over to the other side."
The disciples being exhausted were happy to leave.
Jesus had to get into the boat and teach. The crowd pressed against
the water's edge. They came to hear the Master, to be healed,
to find hope. They were desperate to be near Jesus.
Serving others takes its toll on the soul.
- Why did Jesus sleep?
Jesus is fully human and was tired, hungry and thirsty. Jesus understands
our needs and weaknesses.
Jesus slept on a cushion.
The disciples were fisherman (James, John, Peter, Andrew) and
know the Sea of Galilee well. They thought it would be smooth sailing.
- The storm hits.
When the storm hit the disciples had confidence in themselves and
felt they could handle any problems. The lake was calm, Jesus decided
to sleep in the stern when suddenly a great storm arose. The waves
crashed against the boat, the wind roared, the boat took on water
(swamped) and begins to sink. This was terrifying.
- Where did the storm come from?
Was it from God or the Devil?
Some experts say the storm came from the Devil taking advantage
of Jesus being asleep. Can the devil use the weather to do his work?
Jonah 1:4
4 The LORD hurled a great wind on the sea and there was a great storm
on the sea so that the ship was about to break up.
Isaiah 51:15
15 For I am the LORD your God, who stirs up the sea and its waves
roar (the LORD of hosts is His name).
Psalm 107:25
25 For He spoke and raised up a stormy wind,
which lifted up the waves of the sea.
Jeremiah 31:35
35 Thus says the LORD,
Who gives the sun for light by day
And the fixed order of the moon and the stars for light by night,
Who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar;
The LORD of hosts is His name:
Job 1:18
18 While he was still speaking, another also came and said,
“Your sons and your daughters were eating and drinking wine in
their oldest brother’s house,
19 and behold, a great wind came from across the wilderness and
struck the four corners of the house, and it fell on the young people
and they died, and I alone have escaped to tell you.”
Who sent the Storm? Answer: God
Remember this important truth:
The wind always blows around us.
Mighty storms come to us sooner or later and we can't avoid them.
We have no choice or control over the storm.
Storms could be weather, finances, health, faith, marriage and more.
Examples of good news:
We're getting married, the house sold, I'm graduating, you're hired.
Examples of bad news:
Your son has been arrested, you have cancer, you're fired, I'm leaving...
We never know what tomorrow may bring.
Let's go back to the basic questions:
Who told them to get into the boat? (Jesus)
Who was sleeping in the boat during the storm? (Jesus)
Who is omniscient? (Jesus)
Who is omnipotent? (Jesus)
Who was in control? (Jesus)
Remember, Jesus slept through the storm.
- Lord, don’t you care?
the disciples are desperate and woke up Jesus and asked,
"Lord, don't you care that we will drown?"
We all ask this question at some point.
When conditions turn desperate we may ask:
Lord, don't you care that my child is sick?
Lord, don't you care that my marriage is falling apart?
Lord, don't you care that I'm all alone?
Lord, don't you care that I have no money?
Lord, don't you care that I'm about to give up?
Lord, don't you care that I lost my job?
We never ask during good times.
Simple truth:
You'll never know if Jesus is all you need until Jesus is all you have.
Disciples learn that even in a raging storm, Jesus is all they need.
This is important because of all the trials they would face in the future.
Jesus is all we need in the tempest and during the calm seas.
This is the lesson we need to learn.
- Why did the storm obey?
There were two storms that night. They were on the lake and
in the hearts of the disciples.
Jesus awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea,
"Peace. Be still."
Do you see what happened?
Jesus is omnipotent and all powerful.
Jesus speaks and the storm stops. It had to. The wind and waves have
to obey. They have no choice. They hear their master's voice.
Upon hearing Jesus' command millions of gallons of water ceased moving.
Upon hearing Jesus' command gale force winds stop instantly.
Do you see Jesus (the divine Jesus)?
He is so human he must sleep and he is so divine he stops the storm.
Looking into the future to the Messiah the Psalmist says:
Psalm 107:29
29 He caused the storm to be still,
So that the waves of the sea were hushed.
- What happened to the disciples’ faith?
Jesus said to the disciples, "Why are you so afraid?
Have you still no faith?"
The disciples had lost control and panicked.
Their faith had turned into fear.
How often does that happen to us?
Jesus asked, "Have you no faith?" (yes or no)
They had faith in Jesus. They believed in him but their faith
was not yet fully grown.
How do you get faith that allows you to survive the storms of life?
You have to get into the boat with Jesus and give him control.
Where there are no storms your faith will not grow but getting
into the boat with Jesus means you give up control.
We can see that the storms of life are the pathways forward
for spiritual growth.
When you cry out to the Lord in desperation the Lord saves you.
Who told the disciples to get into the boat in the first place?
Jesus dies because it was his idea all along.
Did Jesus know of the storm in advance? (Yes)
He is omniscient and omnipotent and he created it.
Did he warn them in advance? (No)
They wouldn't have the lesson they needed to learn.
What did they learn about Jesus?
They learned of his power over nature, promise and deliverance and
presence (He's in control).
Jesus is the Lord of the storms of our life.
He alls us, we get into the boat and we follow Him.
When the storm comes we call out to Him.
He awakens and calms the storm.
This progression leads to a greater faith.
Matthew 28:20 b
20 teaching them to observe all that I commanded you;
and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
When the storm is over, our faith is stronger.
Jesus is always with you even if you don't see Him,
He is there with you.
- Who is Jesus?
The disciples asked, "Who is this?"
This is the big question we all must answer which we spoke about
In our last sermon, "Who is Jesus?”
Peter confesses that Jesus is the Christ, the son of the living God.
The wind and waves obey Him. They have to.
He is the Lord of nature.
He created the wind, the wave and the universe.
- Is Jesus in your boat?
When the storms of life come, keep calm because Jesus is
always in the boat with you.
Jesus is always in control.
Jim Shepherd