GOD'S MEAN STORM REVISITED

Mark 6:45–52 ESV

Immediately he made his disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, to Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd. And after he had taken leave of them, he went up on the mountain to pray. And when evening came, the boat was out on the sea, and he was alone on the land. And he saw that they were making headway painfully, for the wind was against them. And about the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea. He meant to pass by them, but when they saw him walking on the sea they thought it was a ghost, and cried out, for they all saw him and were terrified. But immediately he spoke to them and said, “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.” And he got into the boat with them, and the wind ceased. And they were utterly astounded, for they did not understand about the loaves, but their hearts were hardened.

I use “mean” this morning as a verb and not as an adjective. You may ask; why is that significant? When mean is used as an adjective it speaks of description.

However, when used as a verb it speaks of design. Mean when used as a verb means; to have in mind as one's purpose or intention. I want us to examine from Scripture God’s “mean” in life’s storms.

The Details of His mean.

Jesus WILLED them into the boat but did not PREDICT the impending storm.

Mark 6:45 ESV

Immediately he made his disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, to Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd.

The word “made” is very forceful in the original language.

Jesus intentionally sends them into this storm. All storms are not sent by the Savior.

Some are caused by self. Rebelling against God’s truth puts into motion the right atmospheric conditions for a storm see Jonah. Some are caused by Satan as in the case of Job.

Jesus WATCHED them in the boat while PRAYING for them.

This reminds us that Jesus is omnipresent.

Hebrews 7:25 ESV

Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.

Jesus WAITED until the PERFECT moment to go to them.

Scripture says that he waited until the fourth watch. The Roman night was divided into (4) three hour segments. The fourth watch would have been between 3 a.m. and 6 a.m. This means that they had been in the storm for 9 hours.

Isaiah 60:22 ESV

The least one shall become a clan, and the smallest one a mighty nation; I am the Lord; in its time I will hasten it.

To us, waiting is wasting. To God, waiting is working.

God never means a storm to destroy us but to disciple us.

Our Lord uses storms to destroy doubt in us but not us. Often doubts destruction requires many events. We might express outwardly a response of faith

Matthew 14:33 ESV

And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”

While inwardly our hearts do not fully agree

Mark 6:51–52 ESV

And he got into the boat with them, and the wind ceased. And they were utterly astounded, for they did not understand about the loaves, but their hearts were hardened.

Astounded is a verb that expressing an ongoing action with no completion. Their astoundment was not positive, “for they did not understand about the loaves, but their hearts were hardened.”

Mark 8:16–21 ESV

And they began discussing with one another the fact that they had no bread. And Jesus, aware of this, said to them, “Why are you discussing the fact that you have no bread? Do you not yet perceive or understand? Are your hearts hardened? Having eyes do you not see, and having ears do you not hear? And do you not remember? When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you take up?” They said to him, “Twelve.” “And the seven for the four thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you take up?” And they said to him, “Seven.” And he said to them, “Do you not yet understand?”

The DESIGN of His mean.

God designs storm for two means.

DEEPENING

Why did they not recognize Jesus? Because they were not expecting to see him! Though they had seen the feeding of the 5,000, they had not yet truly come to see the secret of Jesus’ person. As our text says in conclusion,

Mark 6:52 ESV

for they did not understand about the loaves, but their hearts were hardened.

So it is with us. So often when Christ comes to us in our misery, the perverse pathology of our hearts rejects his help because it does not come in the way we expected.

Followers of Christ may reject His initial advances into their misery but their head will clear when they hear Him say, “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.” These faith-filled words provoke a response of faith.

Though Mark does not record it, “probably because Peter didn’t want John Mark to record it in this account—remember, Peter is Mark’s informant,” St. Matthew tells us about Peter’s venture on the water:

Matthew 14:28–31 ESV

And Peter answered him, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me.” Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”

When we see Christ come and meet us in our troubles, we grow deeper—and sometimes we even take a step or two on the water. “My ears had heard of you, but now my eyes have seen you” (Job 42:5).

Each trial, storm, valley, and testing is concatenated. Meaning they are linking together to produce an end result, our sanctification.

Their hearts could worship and yet possess doubt. Storms are a means of refinement.

1 Peter 1:6–7 ESV

In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

Refinement is never a one and done process. It requires many exposures to produce a product without impurity.

DEPENDENCE

Ironically, the disciples were in this miserable trouble because they obeyed Jesus. It was obedience that made them so uncomfortable.

If you submit your life to Christ in obedient commitment, you will expose yourself to a variety of sorrows.

Your commitment to Biblical living, will make you vulnerable to things which the uncommitted heart will never experience.

Obedience will bring contrary winds, it also will bring joy. Obedience protects us from self-inflicted difficulty but not Savior-inflicted difficulty.

Obedience to His direction will develop our dependence just like exercise develops muscle.

Jesus does nothing in a predictable way. His ways are mysterious. As your storm rages don’t ask the faithless question of, “why me Lord”, ask the faith-filled question of, “where are you Lord”.

Christians are notorious for developing one liners, catchy cliches’, and pithy proverbs that possess a a tone of biblical accuracy but are altogether biblically wrong.

For example, I grew up hearing that the safest place in life is in the will of God. Is that true? Is that an accurate statement? Is it biblical? According to today’s text I would say, no.

We should say; “being in the will of God can be at times one of the hardest places to live”.

Sometimes we believe difficulty means that we aren’t in God’s will. Just because it’s hard doesn’t mean that it’s not God.

He means to develop dependence through DELAY. Don’t mistake delay for DESERTION.

This storm is the mother of all storms. The word painfully (v.48) in Greek means “to be tormented” it is the same word used to describe those tormented by demon possession.

It can also refer to dire straits in other forms (contractions of childbirth, Rev 12:2; suffering in hell, Rev 14:10; or the torment of a righteous soul forced to live among the unrighteous, 2 Pet 2:8)

In storms, adversities, and defeat, human self-sufficiency is revealed for what it is—human insufficiency. Remember that he is destroying what inside of you not you. You are being refined.

The DESTINATION of His mean.

Storms LEAD us to . . .

WITNESS His GLORY

Their obedience put them in a storm but it placed them on the front row for God to show them His glory.

WITNESS to others His GOSPEL

Storms LET us . . .

DEEPEN FAITH so that we DEFEAT FEAR

Peter didn’t ask the Lord to calm the storm but to call Him out into the storm. Fear is defeated and faith is deepen not by asking the Lord to change our circumstances.

Peter ask for a command not calm. When we obey the Lord’s command we can expect to walk through our circumstances.

Peter is walking on water but he walking on more than a water but a word, COME.

Peter didn’t sink because he took his eyes off of Jesus. He was sinking because he shifted from faith to feelings.

He began to believe the weather conditions rather than the Word of Christ. He began to believe his circumstances rather Christ. As long as he stayed on the Word - COME - he was fine.

We are no different. We are trying to love someone and they don’t love us back. The wave now seems bigger than the Word.

The Lord tells us to forgive but now the feelings of unforgiveness are rising up and buffeting the boat. The question for us this morning is; will we walk toward the Word or get wiped out by the wave.

Deeper faith is often developed through failure. This story not only shows us Peter’s failure but more than that it shows us our Lord’s great grace.

Peter failed in what he set out to do but Jesus succeeded in what He intended to prove.

Why did Jesus commanded Peter to do what he knew that would end in failure? Peter’s current failure would set him up for future success.

This does not mean that God approves of failure but He is able to use our failure. There is a term used in weight training call “point of failure”.

This term is used to describe what is done to a muscle in order to make it stronger. The trainee preforms as many repetitions as that particular muscle will allow under that weight.

Pushing a muscle to failure will enable it after recovery to come back bigger and stronger. Normal ordinary training cannot produce the results that point of failure training produces.

However, not many people use this type of training due to its painful after effects.

Jesus used point of failure training because only he can lift one from its painful effects but also heal it injuries.

He used point of failure training to make his followers stronger, not in themselves, but in Him. When Jesus said of Peter, “You of little faith” he can’t be talking about the size of his faith for

Luke 17:6 ESV

And the Lord said, “If you had faith like a grain of mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.

he must be talking about the duration of his faith. Peter’s faith needed endurance. We only endure through trusting and trust is exercised through testing.

DEVELOP CHARACTER so that we can DISPLAY CHRIST

If we are obedient to Christ, there will be plenty of storms. There will be danger, difficulty, weariness, exposure and anxiety, dread, and sadness.

We will be open to an index of sorrows and stresses which are unknown to the uncommitted heart. But take cheer: Christ sees all and knows all.

Don’t forget in those moments when you feel alone and fear that no one knows or cares he is there and he is praying.

He too good to abandoned you. He is loving to run immediately to you in your time of distress. His watching and waiting for this is part of His working.

He means to accomplish your highest good. Something so exceedingly great we could even dare ask or think.

He is not praying for the storm to still, for He can answer that prayer at any moment. He praying for it to sanctify.

“These inward trials He employs from self and pride to set us free and break our schemes of earthly joy so that we may find our all in Him.”