Winter camp 25’ (Extraordinary peace)
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Well, good evening everybody so good to be with you!
My name is Zach Honnen. I am the student and young adult Director At the River Grand Blanc.
And tonight I'm excited to go through Mark chapter 4 versus 35 to 41 so if you have your Bibles with you, go ahead and turn there now
Before we jump right into our text, I want to ask you a question and tell a bit of a story…
Have you ever had a time where you felt completely out of control
where you felt like one moment you know you had things figured out… but the next moment everything was falling apart, and you were out of control?
Anyone who knows me knows that I like to have a plan I like to feel the sense of control and I think all of us have that to some extent
Maybe not as much as me, but still the feeling of control brings us comfort or what we would call maybe peace.
The other day I was horseback riding… And for a little bit of context, this was my first time riding a horse in about 10 years
If i’m Being Honest thought I was gonna do terrible, Thought I was gonna somehow fall off the Horse get trampled and die, but As it turns out I obviously survived and I had a great time.
But there was one moment where I felt very out of control. Hand felt as though my Worst fears were realized.
We were in an open field and two other horses And the riders took off
And for those of you who know me, I can be a bit competitive And as it turned out my horse, Stewart happened to be competitive as well…
So what did we decide to do? We decided to chase after those other two horses and catch up
And it was super exhilarating, As we took off, it was a rush of power and speed and excitement.
And I still felt in control. I was the one that told him to get going give him a little kick gave him some reigns.
But then we reached a point where the open field we were in, began to narrow into a path into the woods.
And when I began to see that I began to say, whoa and pull back on the rains, trying to slow My horse down,
But Stuart, my horse being much like me wanted to have control as well…
The weather was super nice for the first time in a long time and these horses wanted to run,
As we continue to approach this narrow path I felt my control begin to slip.
My horse wasn't responding to me telling him to stop and my feet began to slip out of the stirrups and in that moment… I felt Out of control…
It felt like For a small moment, my life was no longer in my hands, but outside of my domain… Outside of my control…
Now worst case scenario, I wasn't gonna die. I didn't think I was going to see Jesus that weekend, but I felt the The feeling of control slipped out of my hands… I didn't have peace. I began to be filled with anxiety and fear… PAUSE
Now if I had had experience with horses and had Grown-up riding horses for years, you might say I might not have been so worried.
I might have had better skills and been able to have better technique to handle the situation you might AND Probably would be right.
but I want us to think about the text that we're about to read. These disciples these men were experienced.
Those techniques that I didn't have… the time on the saddle that I didn't have…
The Disciples had when it came to fishing.
These men were skilled tradesmen that Jesus had chosen as his disciples. They were fishermen by trade. They had grown up on the water fishing with their dads And even possibly their grandfathers.
These men had experience and yet…
these men in the midst of this storm that we're about to read about, felt out of control.
They weren't like me, they weren't Inexperienced, they weren't novest fishermen. they were Skilled & Experienced…
but they were brought to a place where their skill wasn't enough
Where their strength wasn't enough
Where their ability and everything they knew how to do wasn't enough
They were brought to the end of themselves, and they were out of Their own control.
That is where these men are at in our text tonight.
Starting in verse 35
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.
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?”
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?”
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?”
Lets Pray:
Amen:
A few contextual things that we should understand is Jesus had been teaching many things and he taught from this boat while the people listened on the land.
Once Jesus had finished teaching, he had said that they should go across to the other side
Mark emphasizes that Jesus would teach a parable and then explain the parable privately to his disciples and he would repeat this process until he finished
In the gospel of Mark We see Mark focus in on the miracles of Jesus and not so much of the parables
Mark records in his gospel only 18 out of Christ 70 parables but Also see Mark record over half of Christ 35 miracles.
Marks goal is for us to see the power of Christ to see the divinity of the son of God
He wants us to understand Jesus's authority that's the goal of his gospel.
Looking at Versus 35 to 37 it Says:
Mark 4:35–41 (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.
37 And a great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was already filling.
The sea of Galilee is a relatively small lake in comparison to Lake Michigan Lake Erie. It's not even close, but the reality of its placement lends itself to sudden intense storms.
This is because the sea of Galilee is about 700 feet below, sea level, and surrounded by hills and mountains
and The cool air from the hills and the mountains often times collide with the humid air above the lake creating a Sudden, intense storm. These conditions can bring large waves and strong winds, even on a small body of water.
I did some research on what an intense storm on the Sea of Galilee what it would look like
Waves could range from height of 5 to 10 feet during strong storms the behavior of the water and the waves will become choppy rather than rolling and creating chaotic and dangerous environments for small fishing boats
Wind speeds during a storm can be 25 to 40 mph or higher in extreme cases
And I want to remind you these men were fisherman they weren't Joe Schmoe like me; if I was to be on a fishing boat in a small little storm I'd be nervous just like me riding the horse, i have a lack of experience…
But these men were experienced that they were seasoned. They had done this track before they had seen storms before yet they were terrified they feared for their life.
This storm would've been so intense that a seasoned fisherman would run to his teacher Jesus and say help us were dying.
This vessel would've been a small boat maybe 20 feet long and a vessel this size would've struggled to handle this type of storm.
So when we look at this storm put yourselves in the disciples shoes, imagine the cold water coming in the waves crashing over you and the wind howling
These experienced men were terrified. They had no more control on these circumstances.
So what do they do? What do they do with their anxiety with their fear they run to Jesus
38 But he (JESUS) 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?”
These men run to Jesus… But they don't run to him with this strong faith, But they ran to him with a strong fear
These men are at the end of the rope, And I don't believe they knew what they wanted, Jesus to do.
Again, later in the text, we already read it. They are astonished that he stops the storm.
I believe the disciples were upset at Jesus’ calm response to their circumstances
They want him to help, they want him to react, they want him to share in their anxiety
But Jesus doesn't, Jesus understands that his father has a plan. He understands that he; Jesus the son of God is in control.
But these men don't understand that so they let the storm dictate their reality, And they respond to the storm with fear rather than Faith.
They let the storm… they let the circumstances, dictate their peace. Jesus did not.
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.
Again, Mark wants us to understand that Jesus is God that he has authority in heaven and on earth that he is the son of the living God
And if you are here tonight, I want you to understand that God; that Jesus has authority over the storms
And if you've been in church, a long time, it may seem cliché to say that Jesus has control over the storms in our lives, but it's still true.
The reality is we have a God who isn't sitting on his throne on some mountain saying come to me. He came down to us, Jesus humbled himself suffered the same ways that we suffered.
Hebrews 4:15 (ESV)
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.
2 Corinthians 5:21 (ESV)
21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
Philippians 2:8 (ESV)
8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
He is not distant he is near.
Jesus is not unacquainted with our Temptations and with our suffering
Jesus is not distant from the trials and tribulations and problems in our lives
Jesus is not far, but he is near, In our storms in our circumstances, he is just as close and even more accessible to us as he was to The disciples in that boat .
Jesus is not distant, but he is close, He took on the form of human flesh, died the death that you and I deserved on the cross suffered the wrath of God, which is far worse than anything we could imagine
And Rose again to give us the opportunity for newness of life
So here's my question for us for you.
Do you know Jesus as your savior?
Because tonight, if you hear nothing else, I want you to hear this…
Romans 3:23 (ESV)
23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
Romans 3:10 (ESV)
10 as it is written: “None is righteous, no, not one;
Romans 6:23 (ESV)
23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
our hope it's in Christ…
Our hope isn't in our strength, Our ability, Her experience.
You can't open in that you will reach a point when you're at the end of your rope and you have nothing else
And if you're there, and you don't know Christ, I want you to know him tonight
Romans 10:9 (ESV)
9 because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
That's all it is
Put your faith in Christ
Tonight, if you haven't done that, please do that. I don't care if you listen the rest of the time.
Get right with God
You are not too far gone
And if you want to chat with me or somebody about salvation, find Keaton Phil or I we want to talk to you.
But tonight if you're in this room and you know, Christ is your savior. He is your God he is your master. I want to challenge you.
What is your response to a storm?
The storm is an uncontrollable circumstance to you. You have no ability you have no options.
Do you walk in Faith or in fear?
Because there is this piece that Christ had on that boat
He was just as human as you and I fully God fully man
Yet he did not fear because he knew who his God was
And I want to remind you and me
Romans 8:28 (ESV)
28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.
When you and I are caught in a circumstance that feels like a raging storm, that's about to drown us
Do we have the piece of God that surpasses all understanding?
Philippians 4:4–7 (ESV)
4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice.
5 Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand;
6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.
7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Jesus had an indescribable peace
He had peace that surpassed all understanding
5 to 10 foot waves are crashing over the edge of your boat and you're able to be so calm that you can take a nap
We could talk about why Jesus was sleeping we could debate about a lot of things
But the reality is, Christ had indescribable peace that came from his relationship with his father
And his understanding of who he was in relations to his father
Again, Jesus was tempted in always that we are yet without sin
Jesus could have been tempted to fear and not have faith, but he didn't give
So I'm gonna ask you a question by reading our next verse…
40 He said to them, “Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?”
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?”
So I wanna leave you with the question tonight why are you so afraid?
Why are we so afraid when conflict arises when our life becomes unstable?
I don't know what you're going through. You can be going through emotional turmoil.
You could be going through financial difficulties you could be going through frustration and fear that you will never be with somebody
You may be dealing with anxieties and stress from your workplace or your family
Your mental health may be falling apart, and you are terrified because you feel like you're drowning
But I want to encourage you that this indescribable piece isn't a feeling that comes and goes. It's a reality we have in Christ.
All we have to do is run to him seek him ask him talk to him and cast our anxieties on him
This isn't a magic formula. This isn't a potion an instant cure.
It's an exerciseThat our God has control over all circumstances
That our GodIs not unable to relate, but is able to relate
Is near and present in our time of need
So who is this man who is able to even calm the wind in the waves?
He is Jesus he is God. He is the Almighty one who loves us.
And wants a relationship with us
And died on a cross to prove both of those things and provide a way forward for all of us
This is a exercise of surrender, not a command to do better
I wanna close with this story
There was a woman named Corey Tenboom
She was a survivor of the Holocaust. She loved Jesus and demonstrated that with her life.
She traveled to share her story of God's work in her life and during one of those travels she was on a plane
And the pilot came over the calm and said we're about to enter some crazy turbulence, and we don't know if this plane's gonna make it
A deep and powerful fear set on all the passengers the plane began to shake and buckle, and you could see the lightning next to the plane
And Corey and her mind was debating whether she should stand up in that moment to share the gospel to preach Jesus to all these passengers who could be dead in the next few moments
But she struggled with doubts and fears, and didn't know what the right thing to do was and decided not to do anything
The plane landed safely on harmed, and Cory was wrecked
She was devastated that she had been ashamed to share Christ that she had let fear rule her heart in that moment
But as she was rebuking herself in her mind, a man walked up to her, tapped her on the shoulder and said this to her
I saw you on the plane moments ago and when everyone else on this plane was freaking out, screaming crying I looked at you and saw something out of place
You had this piece about you you didn't seem concerned for your life. You didn't seem afraid what's different about you?
And she shared the gospel of that man, and he accepted Christ as his savior
And my question for us is as Christians do we have this Peace that stands out from the rest of the world?
Proverbs 29:25 (ESV)
25 The fear of man lays a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is safe.
When fear and circumstance is trying to take us away from this extraordinary peace, we must bring the fear to God
We must in faith, give the fears the anxieties, the circumstances we can't control to God and ask him to handle it
And then we must trust that he will handle it and really understand that he already has
God knows everything he's in control of everything. There's nothing that he doesn't know about.
Enter reminders of Romans, 828 one more time…
Romans 8:28 (ESV)
28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.
Let's pray…