THROUGH THE STORM - MARK 4: 35-41

Christian Standard Bible Chapter 4

WIND AND WAVES OBEY JESUS

35 On that day, when evening had come, he told them, “Let’s cross over to the other side of the sea.” 36 So they left the crowd and took him along since he was in the boat. And other boats were with him. 37 A great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking over the boat, so that the boat was already being swamped. 38 He was in the stern, sleeping on the cushion. So they woke him up and said to him, “Teacher! Don’t you care that we’re going to die?”

39 He got up, rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Silence! Be still!” The wind ceased, and there was a great calm. 40 Then he said to them, “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?”

41 And they were terrified, and asked one another, “Who then is this? Even the wind and the sea obey him!”

BIG IDEA: TRUSTING GOD IN THE STORM WILL GET US THROUGH THE STORM

WE’VE BEEN LEARNING ABOUT NAVIGATING THROUGH DARK VALLEYS - WALKING THROUGH THE WILDERNESS OF TEMPTATION, AND ON TODAY, PRESSING THROUGH THE STORMS OF LIFE...

OF COURSE, ALL OF US ENDURED THE STORM OF 2020, AND THIS SERIES (((REBIRTH))) IS DESIGNED TO DRAW OUR ATTENTION TO GOD’S DESIRE TO GRANT US NEWNESS - HOPE - COURAGE - ON THE OTHER SIDE OF WHAT WE’VE JUST GONE THROUGH...REBIRTH - COMING OUT - STEPPING INTO - BEING MADE NEW (FOR OUR LIVES, OUR FAMILIES, & ESPECIALLY, FOR OUR CHURCH)! REBIRTH!!

INTRO: STORMS - VALLEYS - WILDERNESSES REVEAL THE SUBSTANCE OF OUR FAITH. WE DON’T REALLY KNOW WHAT WE’RE MADE OF UNTIL WE EXPERIENCE “THE SQUEEZE.”

WHEN THOSE WINDS RISE, WHEN THOSE WAVES CRASH, WHEN THE WATERS OF LIFE FILL OUR BOATS, THEN AND ONLY THEN DO WE DISCOVER IF WE TRULY TRUST HIM...

AND I GET IT: STORMS ALMOST ALWAYS CATCH US OFF GUARD!

THE LOSS OF A JOB (AFTER YOU SIGN THE LEASE)

CAR TROUBLE (AFTER THE WARRANTY HAS EXPIRED)

IT’S THE UNPREDICTABILITY OF IT THAT PUSHES US BACK ON OUR HEELS: 37) A GREAT WINDSTORM AROSE...

BELOVED, WINDSTORMS WILL ARISE IN OUR LIVES...

AND OUR SPIRITUAL-ABILITY TO RESPOND WILL DETERMINE HOW WE GET THROUGH… THE STORM!!!

JESUS HAS BEEN TEACHING ABOUT PARABLES USING PARABLES... 1 Again he began to teach by the sea, and a very large crowd gathered around him. So he got into a boat on the sea and sat down, while the whole crowd was by the sea on the shore. 2 He taught them many things in parables,

MARK GIVES US CONTINUATION OF JESUS’ INTERACTION WITH THE CROWD, THE DISCIPLES AND THE BOAT, BY STATING IN VERSE 35: ON THAT DAY...

IT’S A CONTINUATION...

JESUS IS ALREADY IN THE BOAT

JESUS HAS TAUGHT ON FAITH, WORD, AND SEED...

JESUS NOW GIVES INSTRUCTIONS: “LET’S CROSS OVER TO THE OTHER SIDE OF THE SEA.”

IT’S DARK (EVENING HAD COME).

THERE APPEARS TO BE A SMALL FLEET OF BOATS ON THIS JOURNEY...

THEY SET SAIL!

37) A GREAT WINDSTORM AROSE...

THE QUESTIONS WE ASK REVEAL THE SUBSTANCE OF OUR FAITH!

WIND & WAVES ARE BREAKING

BOATS ARE FILLING

PEOPLE ARE PANICKING

JESUS IS SLEEPING (HE’S PHYSICALLY DEPLETED)

WHAT QUESTION DO YOU ASK?

“TEACHER! DON’T YOU CARE?”

THE DISCIPLES (REPRESENTATIVE OF US) ALLOW THEIR SITUATION TO DISTORT THEIR VISION...

NOW BEFORE I GET TOO HOLY AND JUDGMENTAL OF THESE DISCIPLES, IT FELT LIKE THEY WERE GOING TO SINK AND ULTIMATELY DIE...

THEY BELIEVED JESUS COULD DO SOMETHING TO STOP THEIR PENDING PERIL...

BUT TO QUESTION HIS CARE SUGGESTS A FEW THINGS:

FIRST, IT SUGGESTS THAT JESUS IS:

UNAWARE (OF WHAT WAS OCCURRING).

UNCONCERNED ABOUT WHAT WAS OCCURRING.

UNABLE TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT WHAT WAS OCCURRING

“TEACHER! DON’T YOU CARE THAT WE’RE GOING TO DIE?”

THEY HAD ALREADY CONCLUDED THAT EVEN WITH JESUS, THEIR SITUATION WAS HOPELESS...

THE QUESTIONS WE ASK REVEAL THE SUBSTANCE OF OUR FAITH!

WHEN WE’RE IN THE STORM, FEAR CAN LEAD US TO DOUBT!

BELOVED, DON’T DOUBT IN THE DARK WHAT YOU HEARD IN THE LIGHT...

JESUS SAID, “LET’S CROSS OVER TO THE OTHER SIDE OF THE SEA.”

NOW IF YOU BELIEVE HE IS WHO HE SAID HE IS, THEN YOU MUST TRUST THAT HE’S WELL ABLE TO GET YOU OVER…TO GET YOU THROUGH…TO GET YOU BY!!

SECOND:

THE ACTIONS OF JESUS CONFIRM HIS IDENTITY!

JESUS GETS UP AND ONCE AGAIN REVEALS WHO HE IS:

39: HE GOT UP, REBUKED THE WIND, AND SAID TO THE SEA, “SILENCE! BE STILL!” THE WIND CEASED, AND THERE WAS A GREAT CALM.

MY MY MY....

JEUSUS SPEAKS TO THE WIND AND THE SEA LIKE HE’S EXORCISING A DEMON...

LIKELY, HE WAS!

BUT HERE’S THE THING:

THE SAME VOICE WHO INSTRUCTED THE JOURNEY, CALMED THE STORM!

JESUS IS BOTH OUR INSTRUCTOR AND OUR PROTECTOR!!!

HE TELLS US WHERE TO GO, AND ENSURES THAT WE ARRIVE!!!

THERE HAVE BEEN MOMENTS WHERE I LITERALLY DIDN’T SEE A WAY OUT!

THE WINDS WERE RISING...

THE WAVES WERE CRASHING...

MY BOAT WAS FILLING...

AND IT SEEMS THAT JESUS HAD GONE SILENT!!!

BELOVED, THAT’S WHEN WE’VE GOT TO TRUST HIM...

IN THE MIDST OF THE CHAOS…

IN THE HEAT OF THE MOMENT…

WHEN IT SEEMS LIKE IT’S TIME TO GIVE UP…THAT’S WHEN WE’VE GOT TO HOLD ON!!!

I KNOW YOU’RE READY TO JUMP SHIP - HOLD ON!!! DON’T GIVE UP! JESUS IS ABOUT TO SHOW YOU WHO HE REALLY IS....

40) THEN HE SAID TO THEM, “WHY ARE YOU AFRAID? DO YOU STILL HAVE NO FAITH?”

WE WASTE PRECIOUS TIME AND ENERGY BEING AFRAID OF STORMS, WHEN WE OUGHT BE AFRAID OF THE ONE WHO SPEAKS TO STORMS...

THE QUESTIONS WE ASK REVEAL THE SUBSTANCE OF OUR FAITH...

THE ACTIONS OF JESUS CONFIRM HIS IDENTITY...

FINALLY,

THE LESSONS WE LEARN DETERMINE OUR LEVEL OF GROWTH...

JESUS IS TEACHING THROUGH QUESTIONING...

HE’S NOT ASKING BECAUSE HE DOESN’T KNOW...

HE’S ASKING TO GET THEM TO KNOW!!!

FAITH DRIVES OUT FEAR!!!

THEY HAD NO BUSINESS FRETTING AND STRESSING...

JESUS HAD GIVEN THEM A WORD AND HIS PRESENCE...

BUT THIS LESSON WAS TOO LATE FOR THIS EPISODE…IT WAS TO BE USED FOR FUTURE ENDEAVORS!

MAYBE YOU WENT THROUGH 2020 FILLED WITH FEAR...

DOUBTFUL IF GOD WOULD INTERVENE...

MISTAKING HIS SILENCE FOR ABSENCE...

BELOVED, WE MUST GROW THROUGH IT, AS WE GO THROUGH IT!!!

REMEMBER HIS WORD

RELISH IN HIS PRESENCE

REMAIN CALM