Sept 29, 2024. The Church Body - The Head: Is in Control

Welcome

Intro

Everything seems to be out of control

Wars rage on in countries all around the world

Destructive weather patterns are destroying entire cities

Political fighting threatens the unity almost every country

Mass shootings are now longer an anomaly

Racial tensions are becoming more intense

Moral failure is no longer limited to the “Rich and Famous” but is now common place in the church

Social media platforms allow everyone to say anything, regardless of the harm it may cause another

Events like these are the things that make us question if God really exists and if He does is He really in control?

If God is almighty and all powerful,

how can things get this out of control?

But are things really out of control?

Or do they just seem to be out of control?

There was a day that the disciples thought everything was out of control

Mark 4:35–37 (NKJV)

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.

The disciples were just with Jesus as He taught the multitudes about the kingdom of God

Probably in an effort to remove them from the great crowd, Jesus says; get in the boat.

Then suddenly, a storm appears out of nowhere, undetected and unexpected

Everything appeared to be out of control

The wind was blowing and the waves were beating their way into the boat and it was filling up fast!

Isn’t this the way all storms seem to appear?

Especially the storms of life

Sometimes financial waves are beating on the side of our boat?

It could be the wave of bad news about our health

or the health of someone we love?

Maybe the wave that crashes our boat is an unexpected job loss?

Or the loss of someone close to us that we didn’t see coming?

Storms can come from everywhere

Sometimes we bring about the storms ourselves

Sometimes God allows them

And other storms are brought about by others

But no matter where they come from, they can hit hard, and threaten to sink our boat

And as we see our boat sinking, the second thing to fill our boat is fear.

So what do we do?

Of course, we start bailing out the water ourselves!

The storm made the disciples look to Jesus

Mark 4:38 (NKJV)

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?”

The disciples turned to Jesus, but they found Him in the back of the boat, sleeping!

Their first assumption was that He did not care about them even though they were about to die.

Of course, this statement seems silly to us today, because the scriptures have revealed to us that the reason that Jesus even came was to save us!

But the disciples were still learning who Jesus is;

Notice they call him Teacher, not Lord or Messiah

But lets not be to hard on the disciples, after all, disciple mean learner and we too are still learning

This can be our reaction to the storms of life as well

We think Jesus must be sleeping and unaware of our storm

He must not care, or He would do something about the storm

Or maybe, this is a storm He has no control over

Then Jesus showed His disciples that He does care and just how much control He really has

Mark 4:39 (NKJV)

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.

Jesus rebuked (commanded) the wind and spoke; “Peace, be still!”

and the sea became still

The storm ceased

No more wind, no more waves crashing, no more water filling the boat

He spoke with authority and great power

There was no doubt that the storm was totally under Jesus’ control

So why was the storm allowed?

So the disciples would learn to look to Jesus in the storm

To show the disciples that He has control over the storm

To test the faith of His disciples during the storm; would they exercise fear or faith?

Is Jesus still in control today?

Ephesians 1:20–23 (NKJV)

20 which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places,

21 far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come.

22 And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church,

23 which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.

After Jesus’ death, God’s power raised Him from the dead

Jesus now sits at the right hand of the Father above all

Both things seen and not seen

Over every name ever named

In this life and the life to come

God has placed all things under His feet

He has control over all things

Including being head of the church

Reconciling mankind back to the Father

And making them a New Creation

If Jesus is in control still…Why does it seem like He is not?

1 Corinthians 15:20–23 (NKJV)

20 But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.

21 For since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead.

22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive.

23 But each one in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who are Christ’s at His coming.

Jesus is risen from the dead

He now sits at the right hand of the Father with His glorified body

This makes Him a type of first fruit

First fruit in the agricultural world was a sign of more to come

His resurrected and glorified state is a sign of things to come for those who have already died

However, not all those who have died.

Death came into the World by the disobedience of Adam

And in the same way, the resurrection of the dead came by way of Christ

All in Adam die

All in Christ shall be made alive

But there is an order to the resurrection

Christ first

And afterward, those in Christ, at His second coming

This is why it appears He is not in control

He is building His Kingdom

He is adding those who have faith in His death burial and resurrection, to the Kingdom

Storms are still allowed:

to make us look to Jesus

Storms are still allowed:

to test our Faith…Will we exercise fear or faith?

There will be a day when there will be no storms

1 Corinthians 15:24–28 (NKJV)

24 Then comes the end, when He delivers the kingdom to God the Father, when He puts an end to all rule and all authority and power.

25 For He must reign till He has put all enemies under His feet.

26 The last enemy that will be destroyed is death.

27 For “He has put all things under His feet.” But when He says “all things are put under Him,” it is evident that He who put all things under Him is excepted.

28 Now when all things are made subject to Him, then the Son Himself will also be subject to Him who put all things under Him, that God may be all in all.

There will be a day when resurrections will cease

Jesus’ victory over death will validate His control

Those who had faith will have been resurrected to eternal life

Those who continued to rebel will have been resurrected to eternal death

All powers and authorities that have opposed God, including Satan,

will be defeated

death will be no more

Jesus will be finished making all things new

He will return the Kingdom back to God in perfect condition

And return to His rightful place at God’s right hand

Conclusion: Everything is not out of control

Storms are a part of this life until all things are made new

How we weather the storm matters

Do we think Jesus is sleeping?

Or are we looking to Him for peace during the storm?

Are we allowing the storm to strengthen our faith?

Or do we doubt that He is in control or even has the ability to calm it?

God has communicated to us that He is in control

No one looks forward to storms

But when they come

Will we exercise fear or faith?

Bow Your Heads

Maybe you are in the middle of a storm right now

and you are scared

Are you trying to bail yourself out?

Or are you looking to Jesus?

He is in control and can bring a peace to your storm if you look to Him

Maybe you have never looked to Jesus before and He is speaking to you right now

You can’t honestly say that you would be among those who will resurrect to eternal life

He wants you to look to Him

If this is you Jesus wants you to know that He came to die for the forgiveness of sin and that we can be free from the sin that binds us to death

All we have to do is admit that we have sinned against Him

Confess our sin to Him, and ask Him to forgive us and let Him know that we want to turn from our sin and turn to Him as Lord.

Romans 10:9 (NKJV)

9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.

If you are willing to look to the Lord for salvation

He will bring you with Him in the resurrection of the living.

Pray