...Two sides to every story...

Mark 4:35–39 KJV 1900

35 And the same day, when the even was come, he saith unto them, Let us pass over unto the other side. 36 And when they had sent away the multitude, they took him even as he was in the ship. And there were also with him other little ships. 37 And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full. 38 And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish? 39 And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.

Mark 5:1 NKJV

1 Then they came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gadarenes.

Then they came to the other side...

…Two Sides to Every story…

In our text this morning taken from the concluding verses of Mark chapter 4, we find one of the great stories of the Bible. Here, Jesus has just concluded a long day of ministry. The chapter begins with the gathering of a multitude, so great in number that he is led to enter into a ship where he would teach while the multitude positioned themselves upon the shore. All through the day, he would minister to the multitude through parables…once the multitude had dispersed, the Bible tells us that “he expounded all things to his disciples”.

Its been a long day..its been a full day…a day rich with teaching and learning, instruction and understanding...

And vs 35 tells us that “the same day, when evening was come, he says to his disciples…”Let us pass over unto the other side”.

Oh how casual those words appear, when you are standing on the shore on this side.

When the certainty of the this side is situated under your feet, and the Master says…lets go to the other side. Sure Lord, if the other side is where you are leading me…I’ll get on board....I’ll go where you want me to go....I’ll do what you want me to do...

But what they didn’t know that the Master did know…was that between this side and the other side, there was going to come a storm that was fierce and so intense, that the Bible tells us that the disciples were certain they were going to perish..in fact the same situation told from the account of Matthew tells us that in the midst of the storm, the disciples came to Jesus and said “save us: we are perishing”

if ever there has been a time when we could relate to the consternation and the concern of the disciples, it would be today. In the midst of a storm of unprecedented proportions…a health crisis that threatens the globe…a financial crisis that has in just over one week has witnessed the rapid decline of our nations economy.

Employment uncertain

Wealth unreliable

Future Unpredictable

The sterility and safety of my surroundings Unsure

We are in, without question and without a doubt in the midst of a storm.

Undoubtedly, we are in the midst of the unfolding story that will define this generation...

And yet…just as in Mark chapter 4, when the disciples were dismayed and distressed by the storm…Our storm…much like theirs…has not taken the master by surprise.

I know that the story that is being written in our world right now is terrifying.

I know the story that that is being scripted on a daily and even hourly basis is uncertain and unsure

The fear is tangible and the uncertainty is palpable.

And yet…just as in Mark chapter 4, when the disciples were dismayed and distressed by the storm…Our storm…much like theirs…has not taken the master by surprise.

And I’ve come to tell you today that there are two sides to every story!

a. we’re all in this together

And on this side, all that the disciples could see were the wind and the waves

b. The master is in the boat!

On this side, all that the disciples could see was that they were perishing...

All that they could see was that the ship was filling up with water, and Jesus was asleep...

But there are two sides to every story!!!

Now I know this idiom, or this statement, is usually referring to the varying accounts of two people rehearsing the same circumstances. And that…if you are going to make a judgment on a situation or a case, you need to get both sides of the story...

Two siblings get into an argument and bring their case before the parent...

They are never both telling the same story...

Its always…well…she hit me for no reason

Nugh-uh…he hit me first…

Well, she called me a name....

Nugh-uh…he called me a name

Two sides to every story...

As relating to people and perspectives there is my side and your side....His side and her side…your side and their side...

But as pertaining to the story of our lives…there are two sides…this side and the other side!

And this side always looks like defeat

this side always looks like a storm that I can’t make it through

A past that I can’t utrun

A failure that I can’t outlive

An uncertain future that I can’t figure out

But there are two sides to every story!!!

And to finish the idiom… “there are two sides to every story…and the truth usually lies somwhere in the middle”.

I want to amend that idiom today to a Biblical truth..

Because, the fact is, there aren’t two sides to every story...

Many choose to remain on this side

many are defined by their storm

Many never rise above the failure of yesterday

But I would say it this way…there are two sides to every story…when the truth is in the middle.

Can I tell you today that if Jesus hadn’t been on that boat...

If the I am

The almighty

The one who said I am the Way, the TRUTH and the life...

if the truth hadn’t been on the boat…the disciples knew…we are perishing…we will never make it to the other side!

But when the truth is in the middle...

The storm that was brought to their life, really wasn’t meant for their destruction.....the storm served two purposes in their lives.

Notice that before the storm arose, they were fine with a sleeping Jesus…

They didn’t need a speaking Jesus.

They didn’t need a moving Jesus.

The didn’t need an active Jesus.

The storm will cause you to wake up the Jesus in your life!

I know that prayer is on the rise in our nation right now.

Why? Because the storm will lead you to wake up Jesus in your life!

Living Hope…it could be within the next few days, we are quarantined to our homes…the storm may get darker…Its time to wake Jesus up! It’s time stop being satisfied with a sleeping Jesus in your world!

2. The storm brought them to a greater revelation of Jesus.

They had watched him due some pretty incredible miracles.

they had watched him turn water into wine

They had witnessed him cast devils from the posessed man from Capenaum.

They could testify of the time that he had told them to cast their nets on the other side and they hauled in an abundance of fish.

They had seen Jesus do many amazing things…But their admiration and revelation of Jesus came in the midst of the storm.

What manner of man is this that even the winds and the waves obey Him?

When the truth is in the middle, there are two sides to every story!

I know right now from this side, the storm looks overwhelming…but the truth is in the middle of it…and there are two sides to every story!

What am unfolding story we are in the midst of right now. The attention and the focus of every nation throughout the world is fixed upon epidemic that is shaking our world.

When the truth is in the middle of it, there is this side and there is the other side!

Troubles won’t last always!

Weeping may endure for a night BUT JOY cometh in the morning

When the truth is in the middle, there are two sides to every Story!

You don’t believe me ask Job…on this side there was pain, loss, affliction and sorrow.

On this side, his wife encouraged him to just curse God and die...

On this side, his friends slandered and accused him!

ON this it looked like the trouble would never end…the pain would never cease...

But when the truth is in the middle…there are two sides to every story!

Job 42:12 NKJV

12 Now the Lord blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning; for he had fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, one thousand yoke of oxen, and one thousand female donkeys.

And Jobs end was grater

So the Lord blessed the Latter end of Job more than his beginning

You don’t believe me ask Joseph…on this side was the brutality and abandonment of his own brothers

On this this side were the false accusations of potiphar’s wife, the ujnust imprisonment and the neglect of the butler...

On this side, it looked like the dreams God had given him were finished, like there was no way out.

But when the truth is in the middle…there are two sides to every story!

And Pharoah said unto Joseph, See i have set thee over all the land of Egypt.

You don’t believe me…ask Daniel

Daniel…who prayed when the king had decreed that people could not make a petition of any God or man for 30 days or they would be cast into the den. And Daniel was cast into the lions den.

This was a sentence of execution.

It wasn’t a sentence of chance or perhaps he might make it...

No…on this side it looked like certain death

But when the truth is in the middle…there are two sides to every story!

And can I tell you today that the other side is always better than this side!

I would guess that today there isn’t one single person that wouldn’t wish that we could just go back to the way that things were before we came to Coronavirus...

It was much more comfortable…but its always better on the other side!

Here is what our confidence must lie in.

God didn’t call me to the storm…he called me to the other side.

He didn’t tell the disciples, lets go to the storm…no, he said lets go over to the other side...

The storm is just a temporary season that is going to reveal Jesus in my life...

the storm is there for a reason…but its temporary…

There are two sides to every story!

I don’t know how long this storm is going to last…I don’t know how big this storm is going to get and I don’t know how long it is going to last…

Hear me today! It will pass!

But I know that there are two sides to every story...

and this will pass!

I know that Coronavirus is the storm that everyone is talking about today…but that isn’t the only storm...

There are some of you that are stuck on “this side” of a past that you decided you can’t outrun.

Stuck on this side of a failure that you have surrendered your future to.

…If you are out there and you have grown comfortable with a sleeping Jesus in your life…its time to wake Jesus...

Today…is the right day to repent of your sins...

Today…is the right day to obey the word of God and get baptized in the Name of Jesus…if you let me know, I will meet you here at the church and we will baptize you today!

Today is the day to make some fresh commitments…I promise you, if even right now you raise your hands and surrender to the Lord…he is waiting to speak peace into your life!