Storms
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WALLS - With Paul Benger
Welcome and intro to worship
Introduction
End Prayer
1 Do not fret because of those who are evil
or be envious of those who do wrong;
2 for like the grass they will soon wither,
like green plants they will soon die away.
3 Trust in the Lord and do good;
dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.
4 Take delight in the Lord,
and he will give you the desires of your heart.
5 Commit your way to the Lord;
trust in him and he will do this:
6 He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn,
your vindication like the noonday sun.
7 Be still before the Lord
and wait patiently for him;
do not fret when people succeed in their ways,
when they carry out their wicked schemes.
8 Refrain from anger and turn from wrath;
do not fret—it leads only to evil.
Paul in Prison Nina Douglas Riverside Church Southwell
Welcome and intro to worship
Introduction
End Prayer
Equip us to preach, teach and cousel in the places where we are...
Storms
Welcome and intro to worship
If you heard Alice’s TST video last week she she was talking about a time when Jesus was on a boat with his disciples I want to speak about a similar time but this time from a passage In Mark 4, I want to pick up on this passage again today.
In it Jesus had been using a small boat as His pulpit; preaching and teaching His disciples! They were learning the mysteries of the Kingdom of God. But academic faith is not the same as active faith! The words in the Bible are not the same as the word s on our heart.
The disciples had the knowledge, but did they know what to do with it? Their faith, like ours often is, was about to be tested!
35 That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.” 36 Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. 37 A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. 38 Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?”
39 He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.
40 He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?”
41 They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!”
The sea which they had set out to cross was the Sea of Galilee, a freshwater lake in northern Palestine. It was heart-shaped (not love heart just heart), about 13 miles long and 8 miles wide. It was 210 m below sea level and was a place of inspiring beauty.
It is in a natural bowl surrounded by mountains.. These mountains surrounding most of the lake, Cause fierce downdrafts of cold air from the mountains to mix with the warm air of the sea,This makes the sea a place that is frequently subject to violent storms ... which was the case this night.
Even though the situation appeared to be threatening, we can see at least three good reasons why His disciples should have been at peace. The first is that with Jesus on board they should have found...
Peace in his purpose
Peace in his purpose
Mark tells us that, That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.” (v. 35). In that simple suggestion the disciples should have found more peace than in the most calm, tranquil seas. Jesus sought to put miles of water between Himself and the multitudes of people on the western shore. It was His idea to cross the sea and go into the eastern country! He was seeking peace
Did Jesus know that the storm was coming? I suspect so! That storm would be a part of the days Lessons just as much as the parables he told earlier in the the day. Jesus undoubtedly knew that the storm was coming, and certainly could have prevented it, but He let the disciples sale into the storm so that He might teach them some lessons. It would help them understand a lesson that they didn’t even know they needed to learn: Jesus can be trusted in the storms of life!
JONAH
JONAH
Many people have the mistaken idea that storms only come to their lives when they’ve disobeyed God (when they’ve done something wrong), but that’s not always the case. In the Old Testament we read about the prophet Jonah. God commanded Jonah to go preach to the people of Nineveh. But, Jonah hated the Ninevites. He didn’t want to preach to them, so he ran away. He paid for passage on a small boat, but the further they sailed from Nineveh they worst the storm got. Their ship was being tossed around like the Minnow on Gilligan’s Island. And it would have gone under--it would have been destroyed--had not the crew discovered that it was Jonah’s fault they were in this mess and they threw him overboard. And you’ll probably remember that Jonah was swallowed by a great fish and spent three nights in the belly of that whale!
Jonah was caught in that storm because he did not obey God. we should note that Jonah was not in the storm to punish him, the storm was a consequence of his disobedience in the fact that if he had gone to Ninevah her wouldn’t have been in a boat on the sea where the storm was.
But here, the disciples got into this storm because they did obey Jesus!
As we read our Bibles and navigate life, we discover that God uses the storms we encounter in our life for two purposes: (1) storms of correction, when God disciplines us* Disciplines not punishes; and (2) storms of perfection, when God helps us to grow. That’s what this storm was.
Jesus’ statement, "Let us go over to the other side," was more that just a suggestion. It was a promise! If Jesus says we are going to the other side of the sea, you can rest assured that you will make it to the other side!
Let us not forget that this is the God, "who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or imagine..." (Eph. 3:20). His commandments are also His enablements, and nothing can hinder the working out of His plans. He did not promise an easy trip, but He did promise a guaranteed arrival at their destination!
When we find ourselves enduring hardships, or suffering, though we are following Christ in our lives, we must remember that He brought us here and He can see us through. There is peace in God’s purpose! But, the disciples also should have found...
Peace in his presence
Peace in his presence
As the story continues, "37 A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. 38 Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?””
It would be one thing if Jesus had said, "You go over across the sea, and I’ll meet on the other shore!" They could have still trusted in His purpose, but they would have been alone along the way, and who knows what could have happened.
But that isn’t what Jesus said. He told them, "we will go." And He went with them in the boat! Yet, when winds crashed against the sea and boat started to fill up they became terrified. The Lord Himself was with them, so what was there to fear?
They had seen His power demonstrated in His miracles. Jesus could make blind men see, He could make crippled men walk, He could feed 5,000 people with just five loaves and two fish. So they should have had complete confidence that Christ could handle this situation! But for some reason, the disciples did not yet understand that He was indeed the Master of every situation!
I am sure Jesus slept every day but It’s interesting that the only time it is noted that Jesus was sleeping is here--that should say something to us. Even in the midst of the storm, Jesus was perfectly at peace! That fact alone should have encouraged His disciples. Jesus was doing God’s will and knew that the Father would take care of Him. So He took a nap. Jesus slept in the storm because He was truly secure in God’s will.
David once wrote, (Psalm 4:8).
8 In peace I will lie down and sleep,
for you alone, Lord,
make me dwell in safety.
How often in the trials of life are we prone to imitate the faithless disciple who cried out, "Lord, don’t you care about us?" Of course, He cares!
Too many Christians have the mistaken idea that obedience to God’s will produces "smooth sailing." As long as we do what God wants we won’t have any trouble, is their thinking. But that’s just not true. Jesus warned us, saying, "In the world you will have tribulation" (John 16:33). But He also promised that He will be with us through it all.
As Christians, we have the blessed assurance of having Christ’s Spirit with us wherever we go. There is great peace in His presence. Finally, Jesus’ disciples should have found...
Peace in his proclamation
Peace in his proclamation
Seeing the genuine fear in his crew, "39 He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. 40 He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?” 41 They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!”
What an awesome sight this must have been. The word "rebuke" was the same word that Jesus often used when casting out demons.
I wonder if Jesus knew that there was somehow spiritual behind this severe storm, something attempting to kill Jesus or at least prevent Him from reaching the demon possessed men on the eastern shore.
Jesus calmed both the wind and the sea by simply speaking the word! Usually after the winds die down, the waves remain rough for hours; but in this instance, everything became calm immediately and stayed that way. When God speaks, even the wind and the sea listen.
Psalm 148 says , Psalm 148:7
7 Praise the Lord from the earth,
you great sea creatures and all ocean depths,
And 2000 years later, the Word of God has not lost its potency. God’s Word is just as powerful as ever. And when we read it, it can bring peace to our lives.
Within these pages lies: (1) God’s plan for our salvation,
(2) His promises to mankind,
and (3) His purpose for our lives!
Isaiah reminded the people of Israel that there is peace in God’s word. The Bible says, "If only you had listened to My commandments! Your peace would be like a river, and your righteousness like waves on the sea" (Isaiah 48:18).
When we feel lost--when the struggles of this life are overwhelming us and it feels like our ship about to sink--we can open our Bibles, listen to God’s Word, and the winds will die down and the sea will be calm!
Helen Steiner Rice wrote this poem.
Whenever I am troubled and lost in despair;
I bundle all my troubles up and go to God in prayer.
I tell Him I am sick and lost and lonely too,
That my mind is deeply burdened and I don’t know what to do.
But I know He stilled the tempest and calmed the angry sea,
And I humbly ask if, in His love, He’ll do the same for me.
And then I just keep quiet and think only thoughts of peace,
And if I abide in stillness my restless murmurings cease.
Conclusion:
Conclusion:
When the sea was raging and the storm looked like it would overwhelm them , the disciples looked around and saw danger,
they looked within and saw fear,
but they failed to look up and see God!
The greatest danger was not the wind or the waves--it was the unbelief in hearts of the disciples!
Our greatest problems are within us, not around us! So when we are faced with the challenges of this life, let’s not make the same mistake!
The disciples already knew that He had the authority to forgive sins, to cast our demons, and to heal diseases. Now they discover that He even has authority over the wind and the sea.
This meant that they had no reason ever again to be afraid, for our Lord is in control of every situation! Instead of allowing our fears and doubts to overwhelm us, let us find...
Peace in God’s Purpose and plans for our life,
Peace in the Presence of Jesus Christ and His Spirit, and...
Peace in the Proclamation of His Holy Word!
Even in the midst life’s thunderstorms and hurricanes--even when the circumstances around us seem at their darkest--we can be at peace because of God! When bills are due that you wonder how you can pay; when family members are in the hospital; when the doctor gives us the worst possible news. We have a choice we can surrender to the torrents of waves and be swallowed up by the storm, or we can calmly put out faith in God and He will see us through the storm!
Invitation:
Do you feel troubled or lost in despair?
Is your mind deeply burdened?
Jesus invites you to come to Him and experience the
And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.