Surviving Life's Stormy Seas
Notes
Transcript
Mark 4 35-41
35 On the same day, when evening had come, He said to them, “Let us cross over to the other side.” 36 Now when they had left the multitude, they took Him along in the boat as He was. And other little boats were also with Him. 37 And a great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that it was already filling. 38 But He was in the stern, asleep on a pillow. And they awoke Him and said to Him, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?”
39 Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace, be still!” And the wind ceased and there was a great calm. 40 But He said to them, “Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?”[a] 41 And they feared exceedingly, and said to one another, “Who can this be, that even the wind and the sea obey Him!”
Surviving life’s stormy seas!
Introduction:
My brothers and my sisters I don't know all that you have been through, For some us we can look over our life and say that our lives have alwyas been easy. While others may look at the our lives and we can say that we had to overcome some storms, struggles and issues.
No matter if life’s been great or life’s been difficult and hard. I think we can all agree that we have faced some sort of storm. We have had to overcome some trials and issues to get us to the place where we are today.
Its impossible for us to go through life without some sort of Storm.
In a natural sense we are all familiar with the Storms Such as Hurricane Katrina that ran through Louisiana in the year 2005 where the death rate is still unknown and the the people all across the city had to evacuate. We’ve heard of the storm in Houston Texas named Hurricane Harvey that flooded out the majority of Houston and caused major damage to the City. In 1992 one of the most powerful hurricane ever got us it was named Hurricane Andrew was a Category 5 Atlantic hurricane that struck the Bahamas, Florida, and Louisiana it had a
Total fatalities: 65 Highest wind speed: 174 mph
Date: August 16, 1992 – August 28, 1992
Category: Category 5 Hurricane (SSHWS)
People to this date are experiencing the affects of that storm. Families had to relocate, homes were destroyed. In Florida we had a storm named Hurricane Irma come in our own neighborhood many of us remember after the storm we could ride around the neighborhood and see the effect the storm had, trees were down, houses were ruined, light poles were on the ground.
As we understand the magnitude of the effects of the storm in the natural sense. How do we handle the when we face a storm with the magnitude of Katrina in our spiritual life?
How do we deal with life when the strong wind began to blow.
How do we deal with life when the rain begins to fall.
There was a song that said sunny days everybody love them but tell me can you stand the rain
.
In other words can you stand the storm.
Will we be strong enough to endure life’s trying times.
There is a saying that all of us are at 1 of 3 places either we are just coming out of a storm, either we are in a storm right now or we are going to face a storm.
But no matter what kind of storm your dealing with God is able to bring you through.
Some may ask what is a spiritual storm. I’m glad you ask.
family problems can be a spiritual storm. Financial issues can be a spiritual storm Losing a loved can be a spiritual storm. Sickness Can be a spiritual storm, issues on our job can be a spiritual storm
But how many can testify to the fact that Jesus is able to bring peace in the midst of every storm we face.
Psalms 107:29
He maketh the storm a calm,
So that the waves thereof are still.
“He maketh the storm a calm, So that the waves thereof are still.”
Psalm 107:29
He maketh the storm a calm,
So that the waves thereof are still.
There was a song that said
Because the Lord is my shepherd I have everything I need
He lets me rest in the meadow's grass
And He leads me besides the quiet stream
He restores my failing hands
And helps me to do what honors
That's why I'm safe in His arms
When the storm of life is raging
And the billows roll
So glad He shall hide me
Safe in His arms
In the text
The text we see Jesus telling his disciples to let's go to the other side...The Bible said that they took him as he was and they traveled to the other side.. Jesus..Found a stern in the bottom of the boat to take rest....He had just finished teaching the multitude off the sea of Galilee and he had been tired in his physical body, this shows us Jesus humanity, although he was al-mighty, although he healed the sick raised the dead, gave sight to the blinded however, he still got fatigued in his body. That's a sermon in itself that sometimes we need just rest, self care. He understood the need to recharge himself to be able to serve others.
However As soon as Jesus decided to rest a storm came out on the sea of Galilee...This storm was not expected by the disciples They did not have any fair warning. They didn't have any Meteorologists...The Bible calls it a great storm....this was unusual storm because if we notice we had experienced fisherman (Simon Peter and Andrew) who were used to all kinds of storms happening while at sea..Who were still afraid...
The Bible says they rushed to wake Jesus up and they asked him teacher do you not care that we are perishing?
They made the assumption that just because he was asleep that he did not care.
They must have not been familiar with —1 Peter 5:7
Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.
That states Cast all your care upon him; for he careth for you.”
My brothers and sisters when it seems like nobody else Cares GOD cares
He careth for us.” His care is not like ours; it is not anxiety like the disciples displayed It is calm care , loving providence. He ordereth all things both in heaven and earth, and he cares for us He knows the fall of every sparrow. He knows all our needs, difficulties, dangers, temptations, with the same fulness of knowledge and depth of sympathy as if there were no other beings in the world besides ourselves and our God. In all those troubles he cares for us, and guides them all for our eternal good. If we have faith in his love, we shall be able to cast all our care upon him.
As they ran and woke him... Their idea was how can he sleep during this wind and waves....They did not separate Jesus from the rest of the the boat...They may have thought they were doing Jesus a favor by waking him up...
Jesus response was....Ye of no faith...
There were other instances when Jesus response to the disciples of little faith however, this time
He did not say you if little faith but of no faith...
He was referring to the disciples belief in his ability to change there situation
So there were times that disciples had little faith in in who he was however this time the completely doubted God's ability I turn the situation around.
He wasnt referencing to the disciples being scared of the storm but rather to the disciples not trusting who was on the boat.....
Don’t stress out about it, just know who’s on your boat.
Don’t worry about it just know who’s in your boat.
Don’t panic over it, just know who’s in your boat.
Once you trust, believe and depend on God, your inviting him in to your boat.
It’s not saying that once we accept Jesus in our life that we won’t have any issues.
It’s just that now I have someone on my board that I can run to.
Faith is not going through life without facing in storms
But faith is believing that there is someone in my boat who can calm the storm.
Jesus awake and rebuked the winds and immediately the winds obeyed him...
The disciples said what manner of man is this that even the winds shall obey him..
My brothers and sisters the real storm was not the natural storm on the outside but the real storm was on the inside with the disciples. They allowed the chaos going on around them to distract whats was going on on the inside.
There was a saying in Bible study that the real enemy sometimes is the inner me.
We have to learn to adopt the attitude of Jesus he was able to have peace in the middle of the storm. Peace in the midst of the chaos. The storm was raging wind blowing, rain falling, waves shaking billows raging however he was unbothered.
He was like the song said anchored therefore all of the winds could not blow him, The rain could not drench him, the waves could not drown him, the lightning could not strike him, the thunder could not scare him, because he was anchored and he had a hiding place.
Dec. Mathis sings a song
Though the storms keep on raging in my life
And sometimes it's hard to tell the night from day
Still that hope that lies within is reassured
As I keep my eyes upon the distant shore
I know He'll lead me safely to
That blessed place He has prepared
But if the storms don't cease
And if the winds keep on blowing in my life
My soul has been anchored in the Lord
It amazes me that how much preparation we will do when we find out a storm is coming the outside...Dont get me wrong please prepare..
But don't neglect the spiritual storm..I dont want to be ready just when Irma comes..
We do all sorts of things to prepare for a natural storm we put up shutters, we buy water and can food, we gas up our vehicles, we be sure to find shelter
I challenge all of us to put that same effort on preparing our spiritual house to be ready for the spiritual storms that may occur not only for a spiritual storm but also we should have our house in order when Jesus returns
Sometimes as christians we can allow the things taking place on the outside affect our spiritual man.
If we are not careful we will allow the storms of life to steal our joy, to steal our peace, to still our anointing and to even steal our faith.
But I believe that fact that you are listening me today is a direct message to the devil that you survived every storm he through your way. My brothers and sisters. If we don’t have any other reason to praise God we can just look back over all the storms
That storm should have made me lose mind but here I am telling the Lord I thank you for protecting in the midst of all the storms I faced.
Many times we can look at the storms we face and we sometimes look at all the negative affects of storms.
In the text we see some positives that we can take from a spiritual storm is
A. The first positive of a spiritual storm is a storm allow you to identify who's on your boat
In the text The disciples knew Jesus was on the boat but they didn’t care to find him until the storm.
They did not care to check on Jesus until their was a need for him.
There are some people who are on your boat that doesn't call you until they need something.
You didn't hear from them but two times all last year and both times they called they wanted some money.
They know your number, they know your address but will not seek to check with you unless they could benefit.
It's one thing about opposition it allows you observe the motives and the character of those around you..
Because As long as everything is ahold on the boat everyone is cool calm and collective but a real friend even when things are going haywire.
Even when the boat is filled with turmoil.
They are going to still be in your boat. Sometime we think just because they are in the same boat it Means that they are paddling in the same direction..
But their are some people in your circle that is awaiting you to sink..
But a real friend understand that and get the concept that if we are on the same boat..If you sink.. then I'll sink..that's why every time I see you slipping it hurts me.
2nd positive of a storm is it provokes us to seek Jesus
B. I provokes you to seeks Jesus
If you read the 36 verse in its entirety you would understand that there where other small boats that set sea at the Same time the Jesus and the disciples boat set sail.
But the only ship that is mentioned being attacked is the one Jesus and his disciples were on.
The other ships had set sail but the bible did not mention their final destiny.
I believe the reason the Storm attacked the Boat that Jesus was on Because that was the boat that had purpose and the enemy will use a storm to attack anything that that has a purpose..
You maybe wondering how is that it seems like I’m the only one thats facing a storm or it seems as the only one facing a problem.
But you should feel privileged because if your facing a storm that just means your on the right track and the purpose of the storm is to throw you off.
But in the storm actually provoked the disciples to find Jesus.
They knew he was on the boat but they didn’t care to find him until the storm.
Somethings that you went through in 2020 and 21 actually was supposed to through you off track..
But what it did was to draw you closer to GOD.
What should have killed you really made you stronger.
What the enemy thought was going to make you quite in actually made you work harder.
Can I get about two people that can agree that what the devil meant for evil. God turned it around for my GOOD.
I believe I have someone that can say everyday hasn't been sunday and this ship hasn't always been smooth sailing.
But one thing Ive learned is it doesn't matter the size of the storm if you have Jesus on the boat.
Something we went through was designed to get you to Jesus..
If something's would not happened over your life we would not be here today.
That's why we should say God I thank you for winds, God I thank you for the rain, God I thank for the lightning. Because it pushed me to seek you more it prepared me for the
3rd and final point a?Storm is an opportunity for Jesus to show he really is.
David wrote in psalms
My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.
He will not let your foot slip-- he who watches over you will not slumber;
So even while he was sleep in his Man Nature his God nature was not slumbering
The disciples ran down to Jesus and awaken him saying master how can you sleep in the middle of this storm..
Don't you care that we perish
Which signifies that the disciples had faith..
However they were not operating at the faith were Jesus was.
They allowed their fear of the storm to predicate their faith...
Sometimes In the middle of what we going through we allow the situations and trials and fear overtake our faith
That even when it looked like the disciples was perishing they had someone on board that was bigger than the storm.
Wherever situations you are facing the Good news is you have someone on board that in the ship with you...
Conclusion: My brothers and my sisters I’m not sure what Storm you been through, But I would like to suggest to you not to allow the storm keep breaking havoc in your life when Jesus is on your boat.
He has the ability to say peace be still and all the the stuff thats going must stop. What manner of man is this that even the winds obey him.
Whatever your dealing with has to obey him.
Somebody called him the wheel in the middle of a wheel.
Somebody says he’s a cancer healer.
He’s a mountain mover.
He’s a body raiser
He’s a marriage counselor
He’s a storm chaser
He’s a debt canceler
He’s a lawyer in the courtroom
He’s a doctor in the sickroom
He’s a way maker.
He’s miracle worker
He’s a company keeper
Somebody called him the battle axe in the time of a battle
He’s a provider
He’s a friend to the friendless
A mother to the motherless
A father to the fatherless
A way out of no way
He’s a burden Barrera
A light giver
When problems arrive he’s a mediator
When tempers flare he’s a conciliator
When Times get rough he’s a facilitator
When I lose some things he’s my consolator
When I don’t have the words to say he’s my communicator.
When I don’t know all the answer he’s my educator
When it seems as though My life is stuck he’s an activator.
When it’s seems as though we get lost He’s a navigator
He’s a way up.
He’s a way out
He’s a way in and my way over!!
Whatever storm your dealing with, he has the authority to bring peace
Jesus healed the sick raised the dead
They stripped him of his clothes
Put a crown of thorns on his head
The led him to a his call Golgotha..
The crucified with him to robbers on on his left and the others on right
at about three in the afternoon Jesus cried Eli lama Sabactaani..
God why how though forsaken me..
and he gave up the Ghost
They took him in the tomb he stayed there one day..
HE stayed there two days..
But early the third day morning he got up with all power in his hands..
How do you deal with your stormy seas.
Give it to Jesus!!!!!