When You're in the Storm

Introduction

Up close and personal - seeing Honus Wagner baseball card - Holy Grail of baseball cards - at most 200 were produced and distributed. Wayne Gretzky owned one and sold it to Walmart for $500,000 - seeing it in person - awe-inspiring - thought, “That’s it?”

You’ve been up close and personal to some things that have blown you away (Niagra Falls, Grand Canyon, Israel, etc.) Other things, you’ve said, “That’s it?”

The disciples get an up close and personal look at Jesus that no one else got - and they didn’t say, “That’s it?” They were blown away - and they needed to be blown away.

Jesus brings them through a storm and shows them an awesome display of power.

You’re in storms as well. You need to see Jesus for who He is so that you will trust Him in your storms. Passage gives us three truths to remember when we are in the storm.

Jesus promises to complete His work.

Jesus teaching all day - when evening comes - desires to go to the other side. (vs. 35)

Notice the details - in the boat just as he was - doesn’t go back to shore - floating pulpit begins to make the journey across the Sea of Galilee. - Discovery of Jesus boat from 1st century - 26.5 ft long , 7.5 ft wide, 4.5 ft high - 4 rowers, seat 15 people - many boats - Mark wants us to know that it wasn’t just a few of the disciples that saw this - quite a few did.

Sea of Galilee - 13 miles long, 8 miles wide, 700 ft. below sea level - surrounded by mountains. 30 miles away is Mt. Hermon - 9,200 feet above sea level - cold air coming from the mountain clashing with warm air rising from Sea of Galilee produces awful storms - but storms that experienced sailors very familiar with.

Jesus says, “Let us go to the other side...” (vs. 35) Two reasons:

Kingdom purpose - Going to country of the Gerasenes - one of the few places Jesus traveled where the majority of the population was Gentile; not Jewish. The Kingdom message is spreading to all people not just Jews.

Personal Purpose - When Jesus gets to the other side of the sea with His disciples - they are going to face one of the greatest challenges they’ve faced thus far. To get to the other side, Jesus takes His disciples through a storm, but that storm will prepare them for greater storms. When they get to the other side, they’ll have a renewed sense of confidence in Christ as they reflect on how Jesus brought them through the storm on the Sea of Galilee. (What Hudson is learning in Sunday School. God grows you into His purpose not through Sunday School, but through trials and struggles.)

Jesus uses the storm to accomplish His work - His work = to reach people with the Good News of the Kingdom. Ultimately, He’ll use the disciples to accomplish His work. He does a work in the disciples to prepare them for His ultimate work through them.

To prepare us for His work - He takes us through storms to build confidence. The promise: there an “other side” to your storm - an “other side” where you will come through refined by the storm and prepared to do God’s work. When you get to the other side, “Let me tell you how I got here...”

“Let’s go to the other side” is a promise - The storm is not going to be the end of the story. Jesus is going to be faithful to accomplish His mission in and through the disciples. Your storm is not the end of the story either… God is at work.

What’s the “other side?” Not always complete deliverance from your storm. He could keep you in the storm, but:

The ability to persevere - what a story!

A strengthened family that’s focused on Jesus’ mission.

A Christian community that surrounds you with love and support.

Jesus presence gives you assurance.

On the sea, the storm comes. Waves crash into the boat. The boat fills with water.

Disciples are fearful. Jesus is peaceful. He’s taking a nap. The disciples panic. How can Jesus sleep at a time like this? For the disciples, it seems as if their death is imminent. They do not realize who is in the boat with them - the eternal Son of God who created the seas and who is Lord over the storms. Jesus did not come to the earth to die in a storm on the Sea of Galilee. But, in this moment, when the storm is raging, the disciples fail to see Jesus for who He is - the One of is God - Lord over the storms. (King of Netherlands - Willem Alexander - part time 737 pilot - passengers don’t know the king is their pilot!)

They wake Jesus, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing.” Sounds like Peter.

Jesus wakes - stands up - sizes up the situation - and doesn’t roll up His sleeves, doesn’t say hocus pocus, doesn’t yell, doesn’t break a sweat - simply speaks - “Peace! Be still!” Everything stops - a great calm. The sea becomes as glass.

The same Jesus who was with the disciples in the boat on that stormy night is with you. He came to earth to live the life you could not live, to die the death you deserve, arose from the dead victoriously, ascended to the Father 40 days after His resurrection and then sent His Spirit to dwell in every believer because He desires to be with you. Why it matters:

He cares. You’ve asked Jesus the same question: “Do you not care?” Jesus has not gone to sleep on you, but you’ve probably gone to sleep on Jesus. You’ve forgotten who He is! How much more does Jesus have to do to prove He cares? He died for you so that you could be with Him. Isn’t that proof enough? “Cast all your cares on Him because He cares for you.” He knows every detail of your life. He knows your burdens. He cares for your marriage, your job, about struggles, etc.

He has power. That’s the point of the passage! The God who is with you in every situation has power over every situation. In the storm: You do not have to panic! You do not have to doubt! Instead, you can trust that the One who has All Power is with you and cares for you AND knows what’s best for you.

Jesus power leads you to worship.

Jesus’ question: “Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?” A rebuke! Even though they are more spiritually sensitive than the scribes and Pharisees they have a lot to learn about who Jesus is . (You still have a lot to learn as well.)

The disciples don’t high-five each other after the sea has calmed. They don’t say to Jesus, “Way to go.” They were fearful when the storm came, and they are fearful when the storm ceased. (vs. 41) They’re probably more fearful after the storm than they were before the storm. Why? Up close and personal: If He is powerful enough to take away the storms, what can He take away from me? After all, He’s God. He holds life in His hands. Might He take my life if He’s not pleased with me? What can Jesus take from me? This man who was asleep in the boat was more than a man - He was the God man. Question in vs. 41 rhetorical. The only answer is God! Only God has complete control of nature. Only God holds the whole world in His hands. Imagine that the eyes of the disciples are wide open, their jaws drop, they are in complete awe of what they just experienced.

On the flip side, if He is God what might He give me? He is the only One who can give life.

Ultimately, God desires your worship. He desires for you to see that He is the God of all creation who holds your life in His hands. He desires for you to honor Him.

Ultimately, God desires your worship. He desires for you to see that He is the God of all creation who holds your life in His hands. He desires for you to honor Him.

He gives life by taking the ultimate storm. We worship not because He calms the storms of our lives, but because He endured the greatest storm. Some time later, Jesus would find Himself in a storm that would cost Him His life. Because of His love for us, Jesus went to a cross and endured the storm of God’s wrath. God’s wrath was headed for us. We deserved the storm because of our rebellion, but on the cross, Jesus took our punishment. He took the storm so that we could enjoy the peace of God, the calming assurance of His presence and love. Three days later, He came through to the other side of the storm as He rose from the dead victoriously paving the way for us to have eternal life. In Christ, we have found shelter from the storm of eternal death. Have you found shelter in Christ? If not, repent and turn to Him.

If Jesus can end the greatest storm, He is more than able to handle any storm you might go through. Any storm you might experience is like a light sprinkle compared to the storm Jesus endured on the cross.

Because we realize that gives and takes away, like Job, we say, “Blessed be the name of the Lord.” () His power leads us to worship!

This morning, if you find yourself in the storms of life:

Worship. He is with you, and you are going to see God at work. Place your eyes on Him, and give Him praise because the storm will not destroy you. Stand in awe of the God who uses the storms to draw you to Himself.

Live what you know. Storms come, and we forget what we know. We stop living out our faith. We stop praying, we stop serving, we stop sharing, we stop obeying. Since you know God is at work, keep living for Christ! Don’t slow down in your faith.

Keep your eyes on the other side. You don’t know what’s on the other side, but it’s coming. The storm will not destroy you. Keeping your eyes on the other side means asking “what?” instead of “why?” God is at work. Let your knowledge of His sovereign work in your life give you confidence to endure your storms.