Who's In Your Boat?

Mark 4:35-41

Intro: Jamaica,

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?””

The Background: Jesus at this point couldn't go anywhere with out a mob of people wanting to touch Him. In verse 9 of Mark, Jesus told them to “have a boat ready lest they crush Him.” and that there so many people, That they couldn’t even eat. He had just finished His sermon with all the parables and He healed many.

27 ft fishing boat.

I don’t want you to miss the fact, that the disciples were in the will of God. They told by Jesus to get in the boat and cross to the other side.

Jesus knew the disciples had “little faith.”

The Sea of Galilee is known as a unique anomaly, as it is 900 ft below sea level, surrounded by hills and mountains and prone to sudden and violent storms.

PRAY!!!!

A Storm And A Sleeping Savior

Fear

Meg-as Fear

This story of Jesus and His disciples on a voyage across the Sea is a perfect, teachable lesson, a microcosm of our life and journey with Christ.

How many times, when a “Mega” storm hits us suddenly and unexpectedly, our first reaction is Fear and panic?

a. Fear is always contradictory to faith

2. Faith

The disciples had faith, faith in themselves! Remember this, many of them were expert fisherman, they had grown up on this lake, they were professionals in navigating a boat. That’s why they didn't wake Jesus up, they wrongly thought they had it under control. It wasn't until they realized they were about to lose the boat, that they started to panic, and went to Jesus.

a. Their faith was misplaced

Their faith was in themselves. They had forgotten who was in the boat.

They actually had the nerve to rebuke Jesus! But don’t we do the same thing?

b. It’s all about who you put your faith in

Jesus was asleep calmly, because He knew who God was, and He knew what He came for to accomplish.

Signs of “Little” faith

Fear in the storm

Doubting the power of God’s ability to help

Impatience under trouble

When they awoke Jesus they were mad, they smart mouthed Him. They were angry and impatient, “Dont you even care that were perishing?!

Enter Jesus!

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.

Notice the first thing Jesus did, He rebuked the wind (the source) and spoke to the waves ( the noise)

Then There was great (meg-as) calm.

Jesus for the first time shows His mastery and dominion over nature. Something only God has, He showed them He was indeed God!

he had always done miracles of healing disease and casting out demons, till now and disciples took note:

ps 46:10 “Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!”

Jesus looked at them and said

English Standard Version Chapter 4

40 He said to them, “Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?”

That had to cut! Jesus did after all tell them in verse 35 “ Let US go across to other side’ The fear and “ noise” of the waves drowned out the voice of God..

Mark 4:35-41 “On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, “Let US go across to the other side.”

Isn’t beautiful that Jesus still delivered them even though they had very little faith?

They were never in danger of losing their lives, but that's exactly what Satan does, he’ll always come with a lot of noise, so you cant hear God’s voice.

And then the word tells us the disciples “Meg-as” feared the Lord greatly and asked among themselves “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?””

They received a new, fresh revelation of just who Jesus is. The fact that they asked “who then is this? tells me they didn't realize just who they had in the boat. but when they did they “Phobeo” stood in reverent aw.

And I believe that’s exactly what were going to do when we see Jesus face to face, I think we will fall to our knees in aw of Him!

The disciples were taught 2 things from this crossing of the Sea of Galilee

Their faith was “Meg-as” increased!

They were shown that Jesus is in fact God

Jesus is what’s called in theology “A hypostatic union” Fully man in nature and fully God.

The Bottom Line:

You have to remember who’s in your boat!

CALL UP PRAISE TEAM!

Our lives are just like this story from Mark.

When we get saved we start an amazing journey with Christ. in the beginning we start off and its smooth sailing, then suddenly a great “meg-as storm pops up and there will be storms, I promise! and our faith will be put to a test, but we shouldn't panic, because you need to remember who’s in your boat!

PRAY!!