Peace

INTRO

Psalm 107:23-32… Interesting overlap…

Who hear would like peace?

peace at home

peace in the workplace

peace in the world

peace in our thoughts

peace in our government

peace in the classroom

peace in the media

piece of cake ???

PEACE - the lack of conflict - the cooperation of opposing parties

Peace and quiet… Master Shifu on Kungfoo Panda before Tylong’s escape was announced…

PEACE = eirēnē / Shalom = wholeness, completion, tranquility, freedom from all worry/fear

So what does a bad boat trip have to do with easter ??

PRAYER

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C -

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Mark 4:1 ESV

1 Again he began to teach beside the sea. And a very large crowd gathered about him, so that he got into a boat and sat in it on the sea, and the whole crowd was beside the sea on the land.

The Parable of the Sower

seed among different soils

explanation of parable

The Parable of the Mustard Seed

Jesus Calms a Storm

Big Idea of the Message: Jesus displays his divine power over nature by calming a storm and bringing peace to a dire situation for his disciples.

Application Point: Jesus not only calms the storm of our lives but satisfies Gods wrath. Jesus is the Lamb who was slain to take away the sin of the world so that we might have peace with the Father through Him.

The Position

Mark 4:35–36 ESV

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

This is a normal day

Sometimes we are given extra information about the day… not today

Jesus spent all/most of the day teaching scripture…

speaking in parables about himself / the kingdom of God / God’s desires for mankind…etc

This is a normal request

Not only to further ministry but to rest

People over there needed Jesus too !!

Jesus will always come to those who want Him !!

sea travel is common

Evening is supposed to be safer

not the only trip by sea recorded

Jesus was ready to rest !!

Have you ever thought about that ??

Jesus is fully Man

tired / hungry / angry / sad

These are seasoned sailers

This is nothing !

Every day, 365… fishing

Others are there too

reading the weather… Everything looks normal

Have you ever been going about your life in every way absolutely normal and then got completely rocked by a storm of life??

The Panic

Mark 4:37–38 ESV

37 And a great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was already filling. 38 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?”

The storm breaks

this is how life is…

Sudden and unexpected turmoil and havoc

Lost Job

Broken Relationship

Sudden Death

self-esteem / anxiety / change / news / future

This is no joke!

GREAT = Mega (gk)

Mark 4:37 “37 And a great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was already filling.”

These were fisherman !

The saviour sleeps

Do not lose sight of this contrast !!

Jesus may be asleep but He is IN the boat!

The disciples despair

Like it or not this is us!

We are so quick to question Him!

“Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?”

These were fisherman !

The Peace

Mark 4:39–40 ESV

39 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. 40 He said to them, “Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?”

See His Power

all of creation is at His command

John 1:3 “3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.”

There is not a grain of sand, a drop of rain, a hair of your head that God does not have complete mastery over

Psalm 114:3–7 “3 The sea looked and fled; Jordan turned back. 4 The mountains skipped like rams, the hills like lambs. 5 What ails you, O sea, that you flee? O Jordan, that you turn back? 6 O mountains, that you skip like rams? O hills, like lambs? 7 Tremble, O earth, at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the God of Jacob,”

If this is true… IT IS TRUE !

Receive His Peace

Only Jesus HAS peace

in this context… siōpaō [see-O-pa-O] = be silent // phimoumai [Fee-Moe-O] = cease making sound

John 14:27 “27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.”

Ephesians 2:16 “16 and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility.”

Only Jesus OFFERS peace

Matthew 11:28 “28 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”

Revelation 3:20 “20 Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.”

Believe His Promise

I will never leave you or forsake you

John 14:2–3 “2 In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.”

John 14:18 “18 “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.”

The Person

Mark 4:41 ESV

41 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?”

He is the God of the universe

He has all power, knowledge, authority, eternally

John 1:1–3 “1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.”

He is the babe born in the manger

He is fully man and yet without sin

Hebrews 4:15 “15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.”

He is the lamb who was slain

He calmed the storm of God’s wrath bringing (reconciliation) peace to all who are saved though Him

Who is He to you?

Either he is your precious savior who loves you enough to die for you

Or he is your judge who will one day hold you to account

Only if we are safely in the boat of Jesus Christ can we be brought through the storms of this life YES.

Only by the blood of the lamb can our storm of sin be calmed and we have peace with the Holy God of the universe.

PRAYER

Group Questions

When reflecting on the miracles of Jesus, which miracles stands out to you in a personally way and why?

How does Jesus bring peace to us in times of intense circumstances?

What is a storm in your life in which you are seeking to trust Jesus and needing peace to guard your heart and mind?

Why is it unlikely that the disciples made up this story? If you were going to make up a story about being there when Jesus calmed a storm, how would you tell it?

How is it comforting to know that Jesus, in His sovereignty, led the disciples into this predicament?

Read Psalm 107:23–32 and share you thoughts about this text connected with Mark 4:35-41.

How should the disciples have reacted to the fact that the Son of God was sleeping soundly in their boat during the storm? How does this help us as we face our own mortality?

Is it possible to show genuine respect (by calling Him “Teacher”) and disrespect (by accusing Him of indifference) at the same time? Can you think of a time when you questioned God’s love or justice?

Are you encouraged to see that the disciples who were with Jesus when He was on the earth were slow to fully understand who He was? On the other hand, do you see why we do not have an excuse to be as unperceptive as they were?

In what way would it be comforting to be in the presence of Jesus? In what way would it be terrifying?

How is the lesson “Jesus calms the storms of your life” an inadequate interpretation of this episode? What is the greater lesson?