Havinf A Faith Perspective

Having A Faith Perspective Mark 4:35-41 Now before we begin with today’s lesson, we need a biblical definition of faith. Hebrews 11:1 says, “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we don’t see.” Sounds simple, but there are two things people get hung up on, “hope” and “don’t see.” Hope can wear thin, especially in what you can’t see. That’s why we must have confidence in Who we place our faith in. Faith bridges the gap between “hope” and what we “don’t see” by assuring us of God’s promises. Perspective makes all the difference. Faith and life go hand-in-hand. How you define God will also define your life. How you see God will determine how you see life. Because your faith will be put to the test. Who and what you put your faith in will be revealed, and so will the strength of your faith. It’s important to understand Who we place our faith in. So today we’ll go through 5 points-of-faith to better understand our faith perspective. We begin with Mark 4:35 when Jesus said to His disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.” Jesus had been teaching at the edge of the Sea of Galilee, and verse 36 tells us they got into a boat and began to cross. Now the Sea of Galilee is 680 ft. below sea level and surrounded by hills. These hills act as a funnel for the wind, so as the winds come closer to the water, they not only come suddenly but gain strength and produce violent storms. The journey to the other side of the Sea of Galilee was only about 7.5 miles, but Jesus was so tired from teaching all day that He fell asleep. The disciples rowed the boat because they heard Jesus say, “Let us go across.” But were they really listening to His words? Because verse 37 says, “A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped.” Here lies our first point; How well do you listen to Jesus? The disciples heard Jesus say, “Let US cross,” but they didn’t listen. There is a difference between hearing and listening. Hearing is passive. Listening is active. Hearing takes minimal effort. Listening takes focused attention. I mean how many times have you heard someone say, “I hear ya,” but you know they really don’t. Far too often people use the phrase, “I hear ya” when trying to be nice because they don’t agree with you. A recent study concluded that people only remember 25 to 50% of what they hear. So that means that when you’re listening to your boss, your spouse, your friends, or your pastor… you’re only listening to half of the message. This may be ok for some of us, but half is never good enough for Jesus; He wants your full attention. He wants you Christ-focused. That’s why God tells us in Ezekiel 3:10 to, “take into your heart all My words which I will speak to you and listen closely.” The second point deals with your perspective of God. The disciples were doing God’s will. They got into the boat and were doing what Jesus said. They were following and obeying. But then came the ferocious storm! Knowing they were in danger of not making it to the other side, and fearing for their lives, the disciples did what probably most of you and I would have done, panic. Verse 38 says that Jesus was still sleeping when the disciples woke Him saying, “Teacher, don’t You care if we drown?” Now I ask you: Have you ever been in a circumstance like this. You believe that you’re doing God’s will, but then something outta your control rocks your boat and threatens to pull you under? And then sometimes when you cry out to Jesus, but it just seems like He’s asleep. Then your mind starts drifting, and you begin to wonder if God even cares. Well, if you have, you’re not alone. Remember, verse 38 the disciples cried out in their despair, “Teacher, don’t You care…if we drown?” Well, allow me to tell you that God does care. Remember what Jesus said in Matthew 10:29-31, “Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.” God does care, because although the disciples didn’t know the storm was coming, Jesus did. Jesus wasn’t awakened by the storm because He knew it was coming. And Jesus, being God, has control over the very nature He created. The disciples, however, were caught off guard. In the beginning, they heard Jesus say they were all going to the other side. But suddenly their experience didn’t match Jesus’ words. They began to determine what they believed by what they were experiencing. In other words, they were allowing their circumstances to control their theology. Now “Theology” is made up of two words; Theos meaning God, and Logos meaning word; it’s the study of God’s Word. But the disciples were starting to allow their fear and circumstances to dictate their theology. I call this a “Circumstantial Theology” because the disciples allowed their circumstances to control what they believed. This brings us to our Third point: The middle of a storm is never the best time to work out your theology. Attempting to learn about God while Jesus is asleep in the boat is never easy. Remember, there’s a difference between hearing and listening, and it’s hard to have that one-on-one time and listen to Jesus when the winds are howling. That’s why it’s best to determine your theology during good times and calm waters. So when the storms of life hit, and the wind and waves come crashing in, you’re prepared. Jesus was in the boat the whole time, but sometimes during life’s hard moments, we don’t recognize Him as Lord. But that’s what Hebrews 11:1 is trying to teach us; That faith can be described in two words: confidence and assurance. We have assurance that when the storms of life hit, we’re confident that Christ is in the boat with us! Faith is not allowing your circumstances to dictate your faith and understanding of God. Now the disciples, we have to give them credit because during the storm, at least they knew where to go for help. After they woke Jesus up in verse 38 by asking if Jesus even cared, we read in verse 39 that “Jesus got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, ‘Quiet! Be still!’ Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.” This brings us to our fourth point: You must ask for God’s help. When the storm hit, Jesus was there, but the disciples attempted to row themselves out of trouble. As experienced fisherman, they first relied upon their own abilities. When they couldn’t sail their way out of danger, they turned to Jesus. Now remember, they’re in the midst of a dangerous storm, and nothing in their own power could calm the waves. They couldn’t rely upon their own abilities. So when they asked Jesus for help, they didn’t casually whisper to Him, or sheepishly wake Jesus up. No! They cried out to Jesus and made sure He was awake! So the point is; If you’re not determined to get a hold of God, don’t be surprised if it seems like He’s sleeping through your storm. James 4:2 says, “You do not have because you do not ask.” But you must ask with determination and faith that God will calm your storm. Faith is confidence and hope, and being anchored in God’s truth. Our fifth point is: Having Jesus in your boat might not keep you out of the storm, but Christ is what you need to get you through the storm. You can be in the middle of God’s will, in the same boat, and still face a storm. Why? Because without Jesus calming the waves you’d never know His Power over nature or His Authority over creation. The disciples gained a new Faith Perspective in Jesus that they wouldn’t have gotten if the storm never came. Jesus is unique because He is both God and man. He was tired and fell asleep because He was human, but He can calm the storm because He is God. Jesus knows exactly how you feel and what you go through because He’s man, and He can do something about it because He’s God! We read in verse 40 that right after Jesus calms the storm, He says to His disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?” The disciples forgot what Jesus had previously said, “Let us go over to the other side.” Christ’s words are truth, and momentarily they forgot that God was in the boat with them. The disciples were letting their circumstances control their understanding of God instead of letting God control their circumstances. Terrified, the disciples paused, stood there looking at each other soaking wet, out of breath and just admonished by Christ, and asked each other in verse 41, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey Him!” “Who is this?” A question everyone must one day answer. But a big problem today is that people reduce the authority of Christ. They say miracles are a thing of the past. They say Jesus was just a good teacher or reject Jesus as God altogether. They stripe Him of His deity, mock Him, and tell Him to “Come down from the cross and save Yourself” (Mark 15:30), even though we are the ones crying out to be saved when the storms of life rage. It’s because people have the wrong view of Jesus. How easy people forget that Christ saved us by His cross, but told us to pick up ours (Matthew 16:24). Christ stopped the wind from blowing because Christ made the wind. Christ calmed the sea because Christ made the sea. And what’s also fascinating is in nature, it takes hours for the waves to calm down after a storm. But Christ, who is more powerful than nature, calmed the sea all at once. I want you to imagine two boats. You’re standing with one foot in each boat. One boat is full of holes and sinking fast. The other boat is secure and seaworthy. The boat with holes in it represents sin and this world. The seaworthy boat is solid with Christ as Captain. If you keep one foot in each boat, you’ll eventually lose balance and sink with the boat full of holes. Your only hope is the boat with Christ onboard. Which boat are you in? Are you sinking under the waves, or are you sailing the waves? The next time you go through a storm, remember to focus on Jesus and not your circumstances, because what Christ can do with nature He also can do for the storms in your heart and in your life! So I ask you; What is your Faith Perspective? Is there really anything in life that Christ can’t handle? You may be able to row the boat yourself, but making Christ LORD of your life is trusting Him with your life, because He gave you life, and offers you eternal life. AMEN