When We Follow Jesus II
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29 Jan 23
Mark 4:35 – Following Jesus II
Turn to Mark 4:35. If you were here last week, you’ll recall that this was one of my first sermons at Sunnyside. The question we were asking then was, “Hey pastor, you're the new guy, so what's the plan?” And my answer was, “IDK, but we will follow Jesus wherever He wherever He leads. Our job is just to follow.” I still don’t know the plan. But I do know that Jesus still asks us to follow Him. So, the question now is what happens or what could happen when we follow Jesus.
When Jesus called his first disciples He simply said, “follow me.” No details. No itinerary, no explanation. Just follow me. And that is still His call today. My question to you today is will you follow Him. Will you follow him when it doesn't make sense? Will you follow him when the timing doesn't seem right? Will you follow him when you're tired and all you want is to rest? Will you follow him when it could be dangerous? Will you follow him when you have no idea what lies ahead?
And calling the crowd to him with his disciples, he said to them, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.
For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it.
If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.
Jesus was clear – He expects His people to follow Him – to go wherever He goes. Each of us must ask the question, “Am I following Jesus.”
As we’ll see in Mark 4, following Jesus has a lot of twists and turns, ups and downs, dangers, and rewards.
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?”
Many of the disciples were fishermen, and they knew it was best to avoid the lake at dusk. That’s when the storms come. But they obeyed anyway. Just trying to do what the Lord asked. Interesting, isn’t it. In their obedience there was a storm. Not just a little wind and choppy waters – we’re talking about waves coming over the boats and filling with water. Not usually a good thing.
I wonder what the disciples were thinking, “Did we hear Jesus correctly. I thought storms weren’t supposed to happen when following Jesus! I thought life was supposed to be easier because God’s on my side. I didn’t sign up for this! No one told me about storms when I became a Christian!” Can anyone relate?
What does this tell us about following Jesus?
Something else interesting - “Don’t you care that we are perishing” in the Greek is accusatory. In other words, “God, where are you when I need you the most! Don’t you care about me! Don’t you know what I’m going through!” Can anyone relate?
Let’s be honest – storms happen, bad things happen, blessings happen - they are a part of life. Following Christ does not exclude us from the challenges and troubles this world brings. Some storms are because of our sin or poor choices. Some storms are caused by others. Some storms are just life. I don’t always know the difference.
For some reason, we think that following and obeying Jesus makes us immune to storms. If we were truly following Jesus or if He truly loved us, then these storms would never. Not true. Listen my friends, Christians go through hell just like everyone else – we just don’t end up there.
So a storm came - What does this tell us about following Jesus?
“Jesus, sometimes it’s hard to follow you in a storm.” “I know but follow me.”
“Jesus, sometimes it doesn’t seem like you care or love me.”
“I know it can feel like that at times, but I do love you. Keep following me.”
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?”
What caused this great fear? Who’s in the boat? (Well, there’s Pete and Repeat …). Jesus. Remember, this is still early in Jesus’ ministry and the disciples haven't quite figured out who this Jesus is. They get that He’s the Messiah, and that He’s a man empowered by God. But they haven’t quite figured out that He is God in the flesh. But when Jesus calmed the wind and the sea, whoa! There’s only One who has the power to do that. It’s probable that at least one of the disciples started connecting some dots and possibly said out loud –
O Lord God of hosts, who is mighty as you are, O Lord, with your faithfulness all around you?
You rule the raging of the sea; when its waves rise, you still them.
If only Yahweh can do what Jesus just did, then Jesus must be _________. If Jesus is Yahweh in the flesh, and Jesus is in my boat with me, then _______ is in my boat.
So, what does this tell us about following Jesus?
They came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gerasenes.
And when Jesus had stepped out of the boat, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit.
He lived among the tombs. And no one could bind him anymore, not even with a chain,
for he had often been bound with shackles and chains, but he wrenched the chains apart, and he broke the shackles in pieces. No one had the strength to subdue him.
Night and day among the tombs and on the mountains he was always crying out and cutting himself with stones.
This is just me. I think it's possible that the disciples had heard rumors of a crazy man, a demon possessed man on the other side of the lake. And everyone knew don't go there. I believe Jesus knew where they were going and what they would encounter, but the disciples did not, and I believe this is why. But look what happened when the disciples obeyed Jesus, when they followed Him when the timing was wrong, when it didn't make sense, when they did not have any details, when the possibility of danger was high, and even when they endured a storm. If you read the rest of the narrative, Jesus delivered this man who had been possessed by hundreds of demons. Jesus and the disciples changed a man’s life. The locals were freaked-out, so they told Jesus to leave. In v19, Jesus told this man, “Go tell your friends what the Lord has done,” and Jesus left. And the man did, and everyone was amazed. When Jesus later returned, they wanted Jesus to stay and many believed. So, what does this tell us about following Jesus?
My encouragement to you –
Follow Jesus no matter what.
Follow Jesus even when it doesn’t make sense to you.
Follow Jesus even when He doesn’t give you the details you want.
Follow Jesus even when it could get dangerous.
Follow Jesus, even when it means leaving a place you don’t want to leave.
Follow Jesus even when it seems like He doesn’t care.
Follow Jesus even in the storms.
Follow Jesus trusting that your obedience is never in vain.
Follow Jesus because it’s never just about us – there is always another soul on the other side of obedience who needs freedom - healing - Jesus.
As we enter 2023, what is the Holy Spirit saying to you? Let’s take a moment and listen.