Surviving Life Storms

Mark 4 35-41

35 On the same day, when evening had come, He said to them, “Let us cross over to the other side.” 36 Now when they had left the multitude, they took Him along in the boat as He was. And other little boats were also with Him. 37 And a great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that it was already filling. 38 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?”

39 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. 40 But He said to them, “Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?”[a] 41 And they feared exceedingly, and said to one another, “Who can this be, that even the wind and the sea obey Him!”

You survived the storm

Introduction:

My brothers and my sisters I don't know all that you have been through, For some us we can look over our life and say that our lives have alwyas been easy. While others may look at the our lives and we can say that we had to overcome some storms, struggles and issues.

No matter if life’s been great or life’s been difficult and hard. I think we can all agree that we have faced some sort of storm. We have had to overcome some trials and issues to get us to the place where we are today.

Its impossible for us to go through life without some sort of Storm.

In a natural sense we are all familiar with the Storms Such as Hurricane Katrina that ran through Louisiana in the year 2005 where the death rate is still unknown and the the people all across the city had to evacuate. We’ve heard of the storm in Houston Texas named Hurricane Harvey that flooded out the majority of Houston and caused major damage to the City. In 1992 one of the most powerful hurricane ever got us it was named Hurricane Andrew was a Category 5 Atlantic hurricane that struck the Bahamas, Florida, and Louisiana it had a

Total fatalities: 65 Highest wind speed: 174 mph

Date: August 16, 1992 – August 28, 1992

Category: Category 5 Hurricane (SSHWS)

People to this date are experiencing the affects of that storm. Families had to relocate, homes were destroyed.

Just a few years ago we had a storm named Hurricane Irma come in our own neighborhood many of us remember after the storm we could ride around the neighborhood and see the effect the storm had, trees were down, houses were ruined, light poles were on the ground.

Just a few Months ago we experience a storm Ian right here in our neighborhood.

As we understand the magnitude of the effects of the storm in the natural sense. How do we handle the when we face a storm with the magnitude of Katrina in our spiritual life?

How do we deal with life when the strong wind began to blow.

How do we deal with life when the rain begins to fall.

There was a song that said sunny days everybody love them but tell me can you stand the rain

.

In other words can you stand the storm.

Will we be strong enough to endure life’s trying times.

There is a saying that all of us are at 1 of 3 places either we are just coming out of a storm, either we are in a storm right now or we are going to face a storm.

But no matter what kind of storm your dealing with God is able to bring you through.

Some may ask what is a spiritual storm. I’m glad you ask.

family problems can be a spiritual storm. Financial issues can be a spiritual storm Losing a loved can be a spiritual storm. Sickness Can be a spiritual storm, issues on our job can be a spiritual storm

But how many can testify to the fact that Jesus is able to bring peace in the midst of every storm we face.

Psalms 107:29

“He maketh the storm a calm, So that the waves thereof are still.”

‭‭Psalm‬ ‭107:29‬ ‭

There was a song that said

Because the Lord is my shepherd I have everything I need

He lets me rest in the meadow's grass

And He leads me besides the quiet stream

He restores my failing hands

And helps me to do what honors

That's why I'm safe in His arms

When the storm of life is raging

And the billows roll

So glad He shall hide me

Safe in His arms

In the text

The text we see Jesus telling his disciples to let's go to the other side...The Bible said that they took him as he was and they traveled to the other side.. Jesus..Found a stern in the bottom of the boat to take rest....He had just finished teaching the multitude off the sea of Galilee and he had been tired in his physical body, this shows us Jesus humanity, although he was al-mighty, although he healed the sick raised the dead, gave sight to the blinded however, he still got fatigued in his body. That's a sermon in itself that sometimes we need just rest, self care. He understood the need to recharge himself to be able to serve others.

However As soon as Jesus decided to rest a storm came out on the sea of Galilee...This storm was not expected by the disciples They did not have any fair warning. They didn't have any Meteorologists...The Bible calls it a great wind storm....this was unusual storm because if we notice we had experienced fisherman (Simon Peter and Andrew) who were used to all kinds of storms happening while at sea..Who were still afraid...

Their response to the storm was fear.

The Bible says they rushed to wake Jesus up and they asked him teacher do you not care that we are perishing?

They made the assumption that just because he was asleep that he did not care.

They must have not been familiar with —1 Peter 5:7

That states Cast all your care upon him; for he careth for you.”

My brothers and sisters when it seems like nobody else Cares GOD cares

As they ran and woke him... Their idea was how can he sleep during this wind and waves....

Jesus response was....Ye of no faith…which shows that in this situation the disciples faith and hope was not present at all. How do I know that because There were other instances when Jesus response to the disciples was that they had little faith however, this time. He did not say you if little faith but of no faith. He was referring the disciples belief in his ability to change there situation. They completely doubted God's ability I turn the situation around.

If we were to be honest, there are some situations in our lives where we completely doubted God,

I can speak for myself, some situations I prayed for, cried about, and still doubted God, but how many know we serve a God who is bigger than any storm we may face.

He woke up and spoke peace to the storm and said be still and the disciples was afraid he asked the disciples why were you so afraid.

He wasnt referencing to the disciples being scared of the storm but rather to the disciples not trusting who was on the boat.

Why would they be scared and fearful when Jesus was on your boat. There are some situations you shouldnot even worry about when you know who is on your boat. There are some battles you shouldn’t have to fight when you know who’s on your boat.

I came to encourage you.

Don’t stress out about it, just know who’s on your boat.

Don’t worry about it just know who’s in your boat.

Don’t panic over it, just know who’s in your boat.

Once you trust, believe and depend on God, your inviting him in to your boat.

It’s not saying that once we accept Jesus in our life that we won’t have any issues.

It’s just that now I have someone on my board that I can run to.

I’ve heard it said that Faith is not going through life without facing in storms

But faith is believing that there is someone in my boat who can calm the storm.

May I suggest you today My brothers and sisters the real storm was not the natural storm on the outside but the real storm was on the inside with the disciples. They allowed the chaos going on around them to distract whats was going on on the inside.

There was a saying in Bible study that the real enemy sometimes is the inner me.

We have to learn to adopt the attitude of Jesus he was able to have peace in the middle of the storm. Peace in the midst of the chaos. The storm was raging wind blowing, rain falling, waves shaking billows raging however he was unbothered.

Is there anyone in her can understand that God can give you peace when chaos and confusion all around you. He can be Jehovah Shalom…Is there anybody know him as Jehovah Shalom…..The God of our peace

Jesus was so anchored with his father God, therefore the boat could not shake him, all of the winds could not blow him, The rain could not drench him, the waves could not drown him, the lightning could not strike him, the thunder could not scare him, because he was anchored and he had a hiding place.

There was a song that says-

Though the storms keep on raging in my life

And sometimes it's hard to tell the night from day

Still that hope that lies within is reassured

As I keep my eyes upon the distant shore

I know He'll lead me safely to

That blessed place He has prepared

But if the storms don't cease

And if the winds keep on blowing in my life

My soul has been anchored in the Lord

Stay anchored in the lord….no matter what comes, with that being said, anchoring requires preparation.

It amazes me that how much preparation we will do when we find out a storm is coming the outside…We go out and get water, The entire neighborhood will have up Shutters, Dont get me wrong please prepare..

But don't neglect the spiritual storm..I dont want to be ready just when Ian comes..

I challenge all of us to put that same effort on preparing our spiritual house to be ready for the spiritual storms that may occur not only for a spiritual storm but also we should have our house in order when Jesus returns.

Sometimes as christians we can allow the things taking place on the outside affect our spiritual man.

If we are not careful we will allow the storms of life to steal our joy, to steal our peace, to still our anointing and to even steal our faith.

But I believe that fact that you are listening me today is a direct message to the devil that you survived every storm he through your way. My brothers and sisters. If we don’t have any other reason to praise God we can just look back over all the storms he brought us through and say thank you.

The song says for every mountain you brought me over. For every trial you bring me through. For every every blessing halleluja, for this I give you praise.

That storm should have made me lose mind but here I am telling the Lord I thank you for protecting in the midst of all the storms I faced.

Many times we can look at the storms we face and we sometimes look at all the NEGATIVE affects of storms.

Well can I suggest to you today In the text we see some POSITIVES that we can take from a spiritual storm.

A. The first positive of a spiritual storm is a storm allow you to identify who's on your boat

In the text The disciples knew Jesus was on the boat but they didn’t care to find him until the storm.

They did not care to check on Jesus until their was a need for him.

There are some people who are on your boat that doesn't call you until they need something.

You didn't hear from them but two times all last year and both times they called they wanted some money.

They know your number, they know your address but will not seek to check with you unless they could benefit.

It's one thing about opposition it allows you observe the motives and the character of those around you..

Because As long as everything is ahold on the boat everyone is cool calm and collective but a real friend even when things are going haywire.

Even when the boat is filled with turmoil.

They are going to still be in your boat. Sometime we think just because they are in the same boat it Means that they are paddling in the same direction..

But their are some people in your circle that is awaiting you to sink..

But a real friend understand that and get the concept that if we are on the same boat..If you sink.. then I'll sink..that's why every time I see you slipping it hurts me.

2nd positive of a storm is it provokes us to seek Jesus

B. Secondly, I provokes you to seeks Jesus

If you read the 36 verse in its entirety you would understand that there where other small boats that set sea at the Same time the Jesus and the disciples boat set sail.

But the only ship that is mentioned being attacked is the one Jesus and his disciples were on.

The other ships had set sail but the bible did not mention their final destiny.

I believe the reason the Storm attacked the Boat that Jesus was on Because that was the boat that had purpose and the enemy will use a storm to attack anything that that has a purpose..

You maybe wondering how is that it seems like I’m the only one thats facing a storm or it seems as the only one facing a problem.

But you should feel privileged because if your facing a storm that just means your on the right track and the purpose of the storm is to throw you off.

But in the storm actually provoked the disciples to find Jesus.

They knew he was on the boat but they didn’t care to find him until the storm.

Somethings that you went through actually was supposed to through you off track..

But what it did was to draw you closer to GOD.

What should have killed you really made you stronger.

What the enemy thought was going to make you quite in actually made you work harder.

Can I get about two people that can agree that what the devil meant for evil. God turned it around for my GOOD.

I believe I have someone that can say everyday hasn't been sunday and this ship hasn't always been smooth sailing.

But one thing Ive learned is it doesn't matter the size of the storm if you have Jesus on the boat.

Something we went through was designed to get you to Jesus..

If something's would not happened over your life we would not be here today.

That's why we should say God I thank you for winds, God I thank you for the rain, God I thank for the lightning. Because it pushed me to seek you more it prepared me for the

Lastly, Storm is an opportunity for Jesus to show he really is.

David wrote in psalms

My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.

He will not let your foot slip-- he who watches over you will not slumber;

So even while he was sleep in his Man Nature his God nature was not slumbering

The disciples ran down to Jesus and awaken him saying master how can you sleep in the middle of this storm..

Don't you care that we perish

They allowed their fear of the storm to predicate their faith...

Sometimes In the middle of what we going through we allow the situations and trials and fear overtake our faith

That even when it looked like the disciples was perishing they had someone on board that was bigger than the storm.

Wherever situations you are facing the Good news is you have someone on board that in the ship with you...

Conclusion: My brothers and my sisters I’m not sure what Storm you been through, But I declare like the song says, Hallelugh, The storm is passing over haleghtu, Dont

allow the storm keep breaking havoc in your life when Jesus is on your boat.

He has the ability to say peace be still and all the the stuff thats going must stop. What manner of man is this that even the winds obey him.

Whatever your dealing with has to obey him.

Somebody called him the wheel in the middle of a wheel.

Somebody says he’s a cancer healer.

He’s a mountain mover.

He’s a body raiser

He’s a marriage counselor

He’s a storm chaser

He’s a debt canceler

He’s a lawyer in the courtroom

He’s a doctor in the sickroom

He’s a way maker.

He’s miracle worker

He’s a company keeper

Somebody called him the battle axe in the time of a battle

He’s a provider

He’s a friend to the friendless

A mother to the motherless

A father to the fatherless

A way out of no way

He’s a burden Barrera

A light giver

When problems arrive he’s a mediator

When tempers flare he’s a conciliator

When Times get rough he’s a facilitator

When I lose some things he’s my consolator

When I don’t have the words to say he’s my communicator.

When I don’t know all the answer he’s my educator

When it seems as though My life is stuck he’s an activator.

When it’s seems as though we get lost He’s a navigator

He’s a way up.

He’s a way out

He’s a way in and my way over!!

Whatever storm your dealing with, he has the authority to bring peace

If you read the text in Matthew it explains that the marveled and feared after Jesus…Spoke to the storm. This was a different fear.

God is about to shift your fear..He’s getting ready to do something that so big its going to scare you.

Jesus healed the sick raised the dead

They stripped him of his clothes

Put a crown of thorns on his head

The led him to a his call Golgotha..

The crucified with him to robbers on on his left and the others on right

at about three in the afternoon Jesus cried Eli lama Sabactaani..

God why how though forsaken me..

and he gave up the Ghost

They took him in the tomb he stayed there one day..

HE stayed there two days..

But early the third day morning he got up with all power in his hands..

How do you deal with your stormy seas.

Give it to Jesus!!!!!

As we all know there are many different kinds of storms. There are rain storms, snow storms, blizzards, wind storms, tornados, hurricanes and so forth. There are similar characteristics between most of these storms, but there are also differences. Certainly some are much more severe than others. It appears that the storm which struck on this occasion was a severe westerly wind. John says that “The sea arose by reason of a great wind that blew.” None of the accounts suggest that we should picture a great deluge of rain – just wind.

Different types of storms requires different preparations.