Mark 4:35 – 41 Praise in the storm

Mark 4:35 – 41

Praise in the storm

35 On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, “Let us go across to the other side.” 36 And leaving the crowd, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. And other boats were with him. 37 And a great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was already filling. 38 But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion. And they woke him and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” 39 And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. 40 He said to them, “Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?” 41 And they were filled with great fear and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?”

1.            Notice this is Jesus’ idea: [v 35] “Let us go across to the other side.”

                a.            Where do the storms come from?

                                1.)           “God’s will”

                                2.)           “Fallen world”

b.            Sometimes we wonder if God cares: [v 38] “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?”

c.             Fear leads to doubt. [v 40] “Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?”

                1.)           Doubt leads to desperation.

                2.)           Desperation leads to choice.

[Ill] Story by black preacher….

                There was a knock at the heart’s door. Answering the door, I found an ugly individual.  So I asked, “Who are you and what do you want?” He answered, “My name is worry, and I’m here to babysit your thoughts.” So I invited him in.

                A while later there was another knock at my heart’s door. Answering the door, I found an uglier individual. So I asked, “Who are you and what do you want?” He answered, “My name is depression. You are overworking Worry, and I’m here to relieve him.” So I invited him in.

                Still later there was another knock at my heart’s door. Answering the door, I found a grotesque individual. So I asked, “Who are you and what do you want?” He answered, “My name is oppression, and I’m here to relieve depression.”

  

2.            Notice there is a reason: [v 41] And they were filled with great fear and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?”

                a.            It is necessary.

                                1.)           Storms are unavoidable opportunities.

                                2.)           Even Jesus had his “crisis.”

Mark 1:12, “The Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness.”

                b.            There is something to learn.

                                1.)           They didn’t get it so they went through it again!

                                2.)           Mark 6:45 – 52

45 Immediately he made his disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, to Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd. 46 And after he had taken leave of them, he went up on the mountain to pray. 47 And when evening came, the boat was out on the sea, and he was alone on the land. 48 And he saw that they were making headway painfully, for the wind was against them. And about the fourth watch of the night[g] he came to them, walking on the sea. He meant to pass by them, 49 but when they saw him walking on the sea they thought it was a ghost, and cried out, 50 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.” 51 And he got into the boat with them, and the wind ceased. And they were utterly astounded, 52 for they did not understand about the loaves, but their hearts were hardened.

                c.             There is something to get past.

Exodus 6:9, “Moses spoke thus to the people of Israel, but they did not listen to Moses, because of their broken spirit and harsh slavery.”

                                a.            Exhaustion, discouragement, anguish of spirit…

                                b.            SLAVERY (“comfort”)

                d.            There is a BIGGER battle ahead.

Mark 5:1 – 8, “They came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gerasenes. 2 And when Jesus[b] had stepped out of the boat, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit. 3 He lived among the tombs. And no one could bind him anymore, not even with a chain, 4 for he had often been bound with shackles and chains, but he wrenched the chains apart, and he broke the shackles in pieces. No one had the strength to subdue him. 5 Night and day among the tombs and on the mountains he was always crying out and cutting himself with stones. 6 And when he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and fell down before him. 7 And crying out with a loud voice, he said, “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I adjure you by God, do not torment me.” 8 For he was saying to him, “Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!”

a.            UNDERSTAND, God is concerned for our spiritual well-being NOT comfort or happiness.

                                b.            God is constantly shaping us to more like Jesus.

                                c.             The testing of our faith means dependence on God and full surrender.

James 1:2 – 4 “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, ³ for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. ⁴ And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”

Spurgeon: “Trials teach us what we are, they dig up the soil, and let us see what we are made of.”

3.            Notice God NEVER withholds the storm.

                a.            BECAUSE it’s a compliment to:

                                1.)           Your ability to withstand the storm.

                                2.)           His ability to create something AWESOME out of it.

                b.            TWO responses:

                                1.)           Wrong… give up, complain, self-pity, bitter, run from God.

                                2.)           Godly… Joseph.

[Ill] Joseph: love, status, and comfort. One day he was betrayed, sold into slavery. Another day he was lied about, jailed.

For Joseph dreams became a pile of ashes and faithfulness became a crown.

                                3.)           Godly… Job.

Job 23:10, “But he knows the way that I take; when he has tried me, I shall come out as gold.”

                                4.)           Godly… Jeremiah.

Jeremiah 29:11, “I know the plans I have in mind for you, declares the Lord; they are plans for peace, not disaster, to give you a future filled with hope.” [CEB]

4.            Notice that God’s “go” is also His promise.

                a.            The storm is an opportunity to internalize faith.

                                1.)           Mental and verbal agreement?

                                2.)           Challenge to apply (trust, depend)

Mark 9:23 – 24: “And Jesus said to him, “‘If you can’! All things are possible for one who believes.” ²⁴ Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, “I believe; help my unbelief!”

                b.            The problem is we can’t see beyond the storm.

(Ill.) Prayer “bouncing off the ceiling” is good because God is in the room with you.

Romans 5:3 – 5, “Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, ⁴ and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, ⁵ and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.”

Psalm 31:7, “I will rejoice and be glad in your steadfast love, because you have seen my affliction; you have known the distress of my soul.”

Thanksgiving: A lesson in faith

Luke 17:11 – 19

Thanksgiving: A lesson in faith.

The Pilgrims began their Thanksgiving with five kernels of corn on their plate. They were symbolic of the daily ration they had experience the year before.

 

I.         Observations:

 

            A.        Desperation will cause you to do things you might not have considered.

“As he was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy met him. They stood at a distance [13] and called out in a loud voice, Jesus, Master, have pity on us!” [Luke 17:12 – 13]

 

                        1.         Our adage: “Necessity is the mother of invention.”

 

                                    a.         These men went to Jesus because they had a need and they knew (on some level) that Jesus could do something about that need.

 

                                    b.         The first and most basic cry of the one in need is “Jesus, Master, have pity...”

 

                        2.         We are motivated by undercurrents of our mind.

 

                                    a.         Anger often drives us to do stupid things and is behind many addictive behavior. (The addictive behavior is an attempt to self-medicate)

 

                                    b.         Fear drives us passionately towards the cliff.

 

                                                1.)       We fear failing (ask any parent...). We try or work harder.

 

                                                2.)       We fear being alone (abandonment or hurt). We insulate ourselves with distrust and selfishness. We run blindly from relationship to relationship.

 

                                                3.)       We fear succeeding (attention and higher expectations). We do everything possible yet leave a trap door so we have an out if things become to uncomfortable.

 

            B.        The power of God will do things you might not have imagined.

“When he saw them, he said, "Go, show yourselves to the priests." And as they went, they were cleansed.” [Luke 17:14]

 

                        1.         Jesus asked them to go to the priests while they were still “unclean.”

 

                                    a.         This was very difficult because of priests position.

 

                                                1.)       The priests had certified them “unclean” at the discovery of their leprosy. Now in the misery of the leprosy they were going to ask the priest to certify them clean.

 

                                                2.)       They were cleansed AFTER they left for the priests!

 

                                    b.         Noticed they were “cleansed” [v 14] but only one was “made well” [v 19]

 

                                                1.)       The word translated “cleansed” [v 14] means “to make clean” or “purify.”

 

                                                2.)       The word translated “made well” (KJV: “made whole”) [v 19] means “to save” as in “deliver” and “protect.”

 

            C.        Gratefulness will move you to action you might not think possible.

“One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. [16] He threw himself at Jesus' feet and thanked him--and he was a Samaritan.” [Luke 17:15 – 16]

 

                        1.         Impression: The man returned BEFORE he went to the priests.

 

                                    a.         Notice there is no vested interest in the priests certificate of cleansing. The man was a Samaritan (unbeliever by Jewish standards).

 

                                    b.         Image of the remnant of Israel that was preserved to return to the Promised Land. (I really hope “remnant” is NOT a spiritual principle, but it may be.)

 

                        2.         In throwing himself at Jesus feet, he did two things:

 

                                    a.         He humbled himself before The One who had cleansed him.

 

                                    b.         He thanked the one he earlier called “Master.”

 

            D.        Thanksgiving, expressed in knowing, doing, and feeling will make you whole.

“Then he said to him, "Rise and go; your faith has made you well.” [Luke 17: 19]

 

                        1.         God is pleased when we give thanks.

 

                                    a.         Jesus shows disappointment (possibly frustration) over the fact that only one of the ten returned to give thanks. [vv 17 – 18]

 

                                    b.         Jesus tells him to get up and gives him liberty to leave.

 

                        2.         Healing is made complete in faith that has taken action, trusted Jesus, and returned thanks.

 

II.       There is a serious issue at stake: It is caused by being out of balance.

William Barclay - “So often once a man has got what he wants, he never comes back.”

 

            A.        So what cause us to be out of balance?

 

                        1.         Faith comes in four forms:

 

                                    a.         Faith is a choice (response) based on God’s grace (initiative).

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God.” [Ephesians 2:8]

 

                                    b.         Faith is expressed in obedience (doing).

“We know that we have come to know him if we obey his commands.” [1 John 2:3]

 

                                    c.         Faith is dependent on what we know.

“This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words. [14] The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.” [1 Corinthians 2:13 – 14]

 

                                    d.         Faith is confirmed and reinforced by what we feel.

“The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.” [Luke 2:20]

“Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe.” [Hebrews 12:28]

 

                        2.         We get out of balance when we focus on doing, knowing, and feeling as proof or a means of generating RELATIONSHIP with God.

 

 

                                    a.         These things (doing, knowing, and feeling) become “proof” of faith not the substance of faith.

(Ill.) You buy a new car. It is exciting, so you call your friends and family. You take them the receipt of your purchase to prove you have the new car. You act like you have a new car. What’s missing from this story? (Hint: The new car.)

 

                                                1.)       The SUBSTANCE of faith is the RESPONSE you make to God on a daily basis.

 

                                                2.)       When we focus on the “proof” we miss the RESPONSIVE RELATIONSHIP we have with God.

                                    b.         These things (doing, knowing, and feeling) begin to define us.

 

                                                1.)       We tend to be more comfortable in one, doubting the others.

 

                                                2.)       Personally I dislike the emotional (feeling) side. Feelings can be based on to many variables, sometimes in contrast to facts.

(Ill.) Many people make outlandish claims based on some ecstatic spiritual experience. I still have a letter someplace from a “prophet” (written in December of 2001) stating that Islam would collapse and vanish in a couple of years. How can you argue against the claim of someone’s experience?

 

                                                3.)       Personally I distrust the doing side. I notice that we work so hard but have so little compared to our desire and our effort. Our work pulls us away from our core message.

(Ill.) Lots of churches have recreated the philosophy and style of the “Purpose Driven Church” (and other church growth ideas) but nobody has produced the same results as the original model. Until they do at a reasonable level, it seems to be all conjecture or wishful thinking at best and commercialism (trafficking in honest desire) at worst.

 

                                                4.)       So where does that leave me? Possibly with a cold, knowledge based, practice that distrusts the “latest and the greatest.” Rejecting an imposed, externally generated, worship rather than a continual, internal heart, worship.

 

            B.        So how do you/I find balance?

 

                        1.         First we need to revisit the concept of “faith.”

 

                                    a.         Faith is our response to God’s initiative (grace).

 

                                    b.         The result of our response is DOING, KNOWING, and FEELING. Not just one... Those three must be subject to our RELATIONSHIP with God, not trying to prove or generate it.

 

                        2.         We need to cultivate positive habits.

 

                                    a.         Thanksgiving is the number one way. Why? Because ingratitude it’s the first step in spiritual and moral degeneration.

“For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened.” [Romans 1:21]

(Application: avoid complaining, become deliberate in looking for the praiseworthy, intentionally give thanks for what you have instead of focusing on what you do not have or want.)

 

                                    b.         We need to re-establish FAITH as the SUBSTANCE of what we do, think, and feel. That means returning to RESPONSIVE RELATIONSHIP with the one true God.

“For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: "The righteous will live by faith.” [Romans 1:17]

 

                        3.         So where do we start?

 

                                    a.         Focus on God, not programs to do, things to believe, feelings to have.

“They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator--who is forever praised. Amen.” [Romans 1:25]

 

                                    b.         Habitually look for God’s grace (initiative) in your life through regular things. (See the spiritual meaning.)

“We live by faith, not by sight.” [2 Corinthians 5:7]

 

                                    c.         Daily respond to God’s grand substitution that allows King Jesus full control of you.

“I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” [Galatians 2:20]

“In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.” [Romans 6:11]

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