Mark 4:35-41

“As evening came, Jesus said to his disciples, “Let’s cross to the other side of the lake.” 36 So they took Jesus in the boat and started out, leaving the crowds behind (although other boats followed). 37 But soon a fierce storm came up. High waves were breaking into the boat, and it began to fill with water. 38 Jesus was sleeping at the back of the boat with his head on a cushion. The disciples woke him up, shouting, “Teacher, don’t you care that we’re going to drown?” 39 When Jesus woke up, he rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Silence! Be still!” Suddenly the wind stopped, and there was a great calm. 40 Then he asked them, “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?” 41 The disciples were absolutely terrified. “Who is this man?” they asked each other. “Even the wind and waves obey him!”

Sometimes God’s plans can seem perplexing, and often they include problems but:

• His plan also comes complete with His presence.

So where is Jesus when the storm hits, right there in the back of the boat sleeping comfortably on a cushion. It’s here that we see a picture not only of His humanity, being tired from teaching and ministering to the masses all day so he’s sleeping, but also of His deity.  It’s here in the crisis that we see Christ fully in control. He is peaceful while they panic, He sleeps while they sweat, He is resting while they are rowing. How like us today frantically trying instead of just trusting. Jesus didn’t keep them from the storm, He went through it with them. Sometimes we want God to prevent the storms so that we can feel safe, but the truth is we are safer in the storm with Him than in the calm without Christ. Humanly he may have been sleeping comfortably on a cushion but as God He was seated in control on the throne. While the sea surges and the disciples get stressed Jesus sleeps. He is calm because He is in control. What a contrast between the surging storm and the still Savior. Now this had to be a severe storm because at least four of the disciples were fisherman and they were freaking out. John MacArthur once said “it’s a dark day when sailors call on a carpenter to get them out of the storm.” In their distress we find the disciples shouting at the Savior, demanding an answer, they don’t just question the Almighty they accuse Him: “Teacher, don’t you care that we’re going to drown?” It’s easy to be critical of the disciples but how often do we ask God in anger? In the chaos we often chose to attack His character, and spend our time criticizing His care. Instead of believing we spend our time blaming. So instead of being amazed by God we are angry with God. Just as Jesus was a sleeping in the storm sometimes God seems like He is asleep at the helm while we are fearful of taking on water and sinking under the waves of worry. It’s the same criticizing cry we here in Psalm 44:23: “Wake up, O Lord! Why do you sleep? Get up! Do not reject us forever” So often we confuse God’s silence for a lack of care and compassion. Jesus wasn’t sleeping because of a lack of care but because He was in control. Sometimes we criticize God’s character and call Him uncaring, when really what may appear to be callousness on the part of our Creator is really control. What if Jesus had been jumping around in a panic too, would the disciples have wanted that? No we want God to be in control, so we need let Him be and stop demanding that He do it your way, and blame Him when it’s not. When you are tossed about in the tempest keep trusting, don’t give in to the temptation to accuse God and get angry. The question we need to ask is are we going to whine about God or wait on God? Wait! but what about the wind and the waves? It’s simple, the ship that has the Savior cannot sink. No matter the crisis with Christ you will not capsize.  Don’t despair and bail, dare to believe that God will never fail. We see the storm of life as loss, but sometimes problems can be very profitable. You can study about the Savior but sometimes it takes the storm to see who He really is. We learn more about Christ in the crisis than in the calm. Look storms are not sent by God to destroy you, but to develop you. Sometimes it takes groaning to grow, and it’s only in the trials that we discover what we are really trusting in. If Jesus is who He says He is then we have nothing to fear. Yes sometimes His plans can be puzzling and they often include problems but they always come with His presence and not only His presence but:

• His plan also demonstrates His power.

Jesus slept through the storm but the moment His children cried out He woke up and spoke to the storm. I find it fascinating that Jesus didn’t address the disciple’s specific question about His care for them but instead gave a command consisting of only three words, “Silence! Be still!” Immediately the wind and the waves obeyed, and the storm was replaced by silence. Their demanding protests were met with a demonstration of His power.  All He had to do was utter a command and that which He created instantly obeyed and became calm. This was not a gradual dying out of the storm, but a sudden ceasing, as quickly as it began it was over. You see what Christ created, He controls, when Jesus rebuked the wind and the waves they bowed in silence before Him. Psalm 89:9 says: “You rule over the surging sea; when its waves mount up, you still them.” The phrase, “silence! Be still” means to be muzzled and remain mute. It’s the same thing that Jesus said in Mark 1:25 when He demanded that the demon be quiet. Mark shows us our Saviors power over sickness, Satan and the storms of life. With only words, Jesus muzzled a major storm, don’t miss the miracle; He stopped millions of gallons of water from moving, instantly. What’s worth noting is that the same word that is used to describe the “mega” storm is also used to describe the “mega” calm that came upon the sea. The disciples didn’t just experience a little peace; they experienced the Lord of peace. It was in the midst of the panic that Jesus’ power brought peace. Peace is not the absence of problems it’s the presence of His power.  We need to remember that when the storms show up, so does the Savior. But the question that we need to be asking is if creation obeys Him then why don’t His children? This story about the Savior calming the storm is a powerful picture about life in the hands of God. The calming of creation reminds us that God is in control. The question is do we hear his words, “Peace be still?” and not only hear them but believe them and let them effect our behavior? Is your faith flailing in the waves of worry? Are your situational seas swamping your boat? Then start listen to the Lord, stop focusing on the power of the storm and start focusing on the power of the Savior.

Mark 4:35-41

As evening came, Jesus said to his disciples, “Let’s cross to the other side of the lake.” 36 So they took Jesus in the boat and started out, leaving the crowds behind (although other boats followed). 37 But soon a fierce storm came up. High waves were breaking into the boat, and it began to fill with water. 38 Jesus was sleeping at the back of the boat with his head on a cushion. The disciples woke him up, shouting, “Teacher, don’t you care that we’re going to drown?” 39 When Jesus woke up, he rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Silence! Be still!” Suddenly the wind stopped, and there was a great calm. 40 Then he asked them, “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?” 41 The disciples were absolutely terrified. “Who is this man?” they asked each other. “Even the wind and waves obey him!”

It’s here in Mark 4 that we see the disciples facing fear and the faithfulness of God in the midst of fear. It’s also here that we discover several things about God’s plan, first:

• His plan can be perplexing

Jesus had spent the whole day preaching and because of the crowds of people he had to use a boat as a pulpit. As evening came he directed his disciples to not only join Him, but to journey with Him to the other side of the lake. It’s here that we see Jesus inviting us to join Him, to get into the boat and go to the other side. So why don’t we respond to God’s invitation to get into the boat, often it’s because we are afraid. We are afraid of the unknown; we want to know the whole plan before we pursue God’s invitation. But Jesus didn’t reveal the whole plan, just part of the plan, the question is are we going to step into the boat based on faith and pursue His plan or stay because of fear? While the Sea of Galilee is talked about over 50 times in the Gospels and is the setting for many of Jesus miraculous stories, there seems to be little focus given to “the other side.” This is because the other side of the lake was where the Gentiles lived, it was a place that the Jewish people avoided at all cost. Jesus plan involved the pagan people living on the other side, which would have been very perplexing to His disciples. The “other side” may be unsettling and uncertain but we’re called to follow Jesus’ even when His plan doesn’t seem to make sense to us. Just as Jesus called His first followers to go with Him to the other side, so too each us must go where He goes. This is not a suggestion but a command of Christ, in Matthew 8:18 it says: “…He gave orders to cross to the other side of the lake.” What about you do you obey even when the plan is puzzling, or do you spend your time arguing with the Almighty? It’s here that we see a powerful spiritual principle, disciples don’t delay, verse 36: “Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as He was, in the boat. There were also other boats with Him.” They took Jesus “just as He was,” they didn’t make any preparations or gather any provisions they just set sail with the Savior. How eager are you to obey, are you pursuing God’s plan or procrastinating? Are you following in faith or are you going to falter and flee because of fear? Second:

• His plan often includes problems.

The Sea of Galilee is really a lake yet it has many of the same characteristics of a sea, especially when it comes to sudden storms. Being the lowest fresh water lake in the world it is prone to problems, as cold wind whips down from snow-capped Mount Hermon and mixes with the warm lake air, resulting in raging thunderstorms with fierce gale-force winds. Because of the violent winds waves are known to reach 12 or more feet in height. It is here as the disciples are pursuing God’s plan that they encounter an explosive storm, Mark 4:37 “But soon a fierce storm came up. High waves were breaking into the boat, and it began to fill with water.” Notice that Jesus invited them to join Him in the boat knowing full well the explosive storm they would encounter. So why would Jesus invite them to launch out onto the lake knowing what they would face? Because our security is not in a storm free life it’s in having the Savior in our life. The truth is sometimes in order to get to the other side we need to go through the storm. So don’t believe the lie that just because you’re going through some stormy seas that you’re being disobedient and God is punishing you. Sure sometimes God sends the storms to get ahold of our attention, just like He did with Jonah when he was living in disobedience, but sometimes the storms surface because of our obedience. Why do we expect our journey with Jesus to be smooth sailing? Why do we expect obedience to be easy? This story doesn’t say that if we have Jesus in the boat with us, our lives won’t get rocked. It doesn’t mean that being in a relationship with Jesus is all roses, where belief brings a blue sky and singing birds. The picture that this story paints involves problems but it also involves the promise of His presence. Look Jesus doesn’t promise us perfect health, a successful career, or a life without cares. As believers we are still subject to the storms. The message here is not the pursuit of a problem free life but the presence of the Lord of life. When storms come, they are can be sudden, they come in a split second seemingly out of nowhere. All it takes is one phone call, a doctor visit, an accident, the loss of a job, or a relational rift. Not only are the storms sudden but they can be severe. Some of you right now are in the midst of the raging storms of life. For others it’s a family member or friend who is facing the fierce storm. May be it’s the howling winds of a health problem, or a marital problem, or an addiction issue, or even the final and sometimes most difficult storm of all, death. Storms can also be surprising and can catch us of guard, even though they shouldn’t, as 1 Peter 4:12 says: “Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you.” Whenever and whatever storms you face remember you are not alone in the boat, Jesus is right there with you. When we forget His presence we are prone to focus on the problems and its then that our peace falls to pieces. We start to question the Lord’s love, and are tempted to stop trusting. Instead of clinging to Christ we abandoning ship and try to swim on our own only to sink. Instead of a steadfast faith we end up with a shipwreck faith. Don’t let the problems pervert your perspective, and prevent you from resting in His presence. It’s easy to sail when the seas are calm, but Jesus didn’t call us to be fair weather fans, which are faithful as long as everything is favorable, no he called us to follow regardless of how fair or foul the weather was. We need to reject a faith that is filled with a formula which says, “If I am obedient and do this then God is obligated to do what I expect.” Look we will encounter junk in the journey but if we have Jesus we can still have joy. Sometimes His plans are perplexing, often they include problems but they always come with His presence. So what are you going to focus on, the storm or the Savior?