Marcos 4

Marcos 4

Henry says that the ship that has Christ in it, though it may be tossed, cannot sink. Here’s something that may be helpful. Whenever you’re sinking under a sea of stress and anxiety, remember this phrase: Don’t despair, Christ is there! It is only in the storm that we understand who Jesus really is. We learn most about Christ when we are in crisis. Storms weren’t sent to destroy you, but to develop you. Since Jesus is who He says is, then we have nothing to fear. His plans for us may be puzzling and they often include problems but they come with His presence and a demonstration of His power. When the storms of life surround me, And the world seems dark and cold, When the rain beats down upon me, And the lightning stabs my soul, I cry out to my Savior, Lord, help me, lest I die! Do You care not that the billows Push my boat toward the shoal? When the raging winds and tempest, And the noxious clouds of sin, Whirl around me like an army, And my faith is wearing thin, In a whispering distant thunder, Comes a voice like morning calm: “Fear not, I am with you ever, Till the world shall see its end. I command the winds of heaven, And the lightning does My will, I who walked upon the waters, And who bid the storm be still. I seek not your destruction, But to strengthen and make pure; Keep your faith in Me, believing I My promises fulfill. He is greater than the thunder, He is mightier than the storm; He extends His hand to lift me, And protect my soul from harm. He will see me safe to harbor, To the haven of my rest, Sheltered by the Rock of Ages, Held in His almighty arm. Brian Bell - 3 REASONS NOT TO FEAR (1) They had His promise they were going to the other side! [Promise] To the other side, He didn’t say, “to the middle of the lake to be drowned!” His commandments are His enablements! He didn’t promise an easy trip, but He did guarantee arrival at their destination. And so w/salvation. (2) Jesus was with them! [Presence] (a) Is Jesus’ presence in your life enough? In Ex.3 God’s presence wasn’t enough for Moses, he needed the dramatic & spectacular. [rt after burning bush & promise “I will certainly be with you” 3:12] In Ex.33 God’s presence was all that mattered to him. Context: After God was so mad w/golden calf event, He finally said, “Depart & go up from here...& I’ll send My Angel before you(33:1,2). Moses said, “If Your Presence does not go with us, do not bring us up from here.” (33:15) (b) They already had seen His power demonstrated in His miracles, they should have had complete confidence He could handle this situation. (c) They hadn’t realized He is Master of every situation...Have you? Even…Bankruptcy, disease, tragedy, enslaved w/addiction, your fortunes lost in the stock market, a marriage lost to infidelity, one of your kids went prodigal on you. Every situation? - A financial storm? A business storm? A professional storm? A college storm? A household storm? A marriage storm? A medical storm? (d) Again, His goal is to strengthen you…not shipwreck you! (3) Jesus was perfectly at peace! [Peace] David said, I will both lie down in peace, and sleep; For You alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety. Ps.4:8 Prayer: He displays His power in the whirlwind and the storm. The billowing clouds are the dust beneath his feet. Nahum 1:3b Lord, Don't You Care? Read: Mark 4:35-41 He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, "Peace, be still!" —Mark 4:39 Two of the most telling questions in the New Testament were asked of Jesus by people who loved Him deeply. When a fierce storm threatened to sink their boat in the Sea of Galilee, His disciples asked, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?” (Mk. 4:38). On another occasion, as a relaxed Mary listened to Jesus, a tense Martha came from the kitchen and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone?” (Lk. 10:40). Both questions were asked by people who had seen the power of Jesus and expected Him to step in and relieve their anxiety. When it seemed that the Lord was ignoring their situation, an element of exasperation was added: “Don’t You care?” The Scripture does not give us the tone of Jesus’ voice, but I suspect that His replies were gentle and caring. “Why are you so fearful?” (Mk. 4:40). “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things” (Lk. 10:41). I love to dwell upon the thought That Jesus cares for me; It matters not what life may bring— He loves me tenderly. —Adams Jesus cares! We’ve all asked Him... Aren’t you concerned? Don’t you know? If you were only here earlier? Don’t you care?... Of course He does! It is much easier to trust God when the sun is shining, than to trust Him when the storm is raging around us. He does care if you spiritually drown! Don’t be hasty to think He doesn’t care...even when your sinking and He seems to be asleep in the stern. Ray Pritchard - “Don’t you care if we drown?” (Mark 4:38) It seemed like a good idea at the time. After a long day of ministry, Jesus told his disciples to get into a boat so they could go to the other side of the Sea of Galilee. It was no big deal, especially with seasoned sailors like Andrew and Peter and James and John on board. A quick trip across the lake, a leisurely nighttime sail, and before morning they would be on the other side. It didn’t exactly work out that way. The key to understanding this story lies in one important question: Whose idea was it to get in the boat in the first place? Jesus told them to get in the boat, knowing that the storm was coming. He knew what was about to happen, he didn’t try to stop it, he got into the boat with them, and then he went to sleep. Suddenly a great storm arose, the wind rushing down across the mountains and through the Arbel, whipping up the waves and causing them to come crashing into the boat. As the water entered, the disciples furiously tried to bail it out but the water rushed in faster than they could bail it out. The little fishing boat bobbed like a cork as wave after wave crashed into it. Nothing could be more terrifying than to be on a boat in the blackness of night as it takes on water and slowly begins to sink. Finally, the disciples woke Jesus up, asking him a question that to us may seem impertinent, but it is one we have all asked in moments of desperation: “Don’t you care if we drown?” Lord Jesus, don’t you care that my child is sick? Lord Jesus, don’t you care that my marriage is falling apart? Lord Jesus, don’t you care that my friends have deserted me? Lord Jesus, don’t you care that I have no money? Lord Jesus, don’t you care that I feel so alone? Lord Jesus, don’t you care that I want to give up? Lord Jesus, don’t you care that my husband has died? Lord Jesus, don’t you care that I lost my job? We have all asked that question in a million ways a million times. We never question the Lord’s compassion when things are going well. But God’s compassion is not measured by our circumstances nor is his kindness limited to our understanding. God cares just as much when the tempest is raging as when the seas are calm and the sun is shining. His mercy is not limited to the sunlight or to the stillness of the waves. When he awoke, Jesus spoke three words: “Peace, be still!” Eugene Peterson offers this colorful paraphrase: “Awake now, he told the wind to pipe down and said to the sea, ‘Quiet! Settle down!’” Here is good news for today. The storms of life that buffet us do not happen by chance. Our Father sends them because he intends to teach us things we couldn’t learn any other way. When we read this story, we tend to focus on the miracle, but the real message comes in verse 41: “Who then is this, that even wind and sea obey him?” Take heart and do not despair. Christ is Lord over all the storms of life. He sends the storms, and he rides the waves with you. The Master of the sea is by your side. When the time has come, he will say, “Peace, be still!” and the storm will run out of breath, and the sea will become like glass. Eventually the day will break and the sun will shine again. We thank you, Master of the Wind and Waves, that you control the storms of life. Nothing can touch us without your permission. Increase our faith so that we will trust you when the waves threaten to overwhelm us. Amen LIFE'S STORMS Steven Cole (1) Storms hit suddenly and without warning. When we lived in California, we woke up to a news station. Sometimes their morning traffic report would mention a fatal accident and I would think, “That guy left home this morning to go to work, never thinking that he had just minutes to live. His family perhaps said a perfunctory good-bye, never imagining that they would never talk to him again.” Life’s storms are like that: Right now everything is smooth sailing. In a matter of hours, without warning, you’re in the middle of a crisis. Such a storm not only tests and develops your character; it reveals it. Hudson Taylor, founder of the China Inland Mission, was talking to a young missionary who was about to start work in China. “Look at this,” he said. He pounded his fist on the table. The tea cups jumped, and the tea spilled. While the startled young man was wondering what was going on, Taylor said, “When you begin your work, you will be buffeted in numerous ways. The trials will be like blows. Remember, these blows will bring out only what is in you.” So the time to develop resources to face the sudden storms that inevitably will strike is before they hit. If you don’t spend time with the Lord in the calm of life, you won’t know how to trust Him in the storms. (2) Storms hit believers. This storm hit those with Christ in their boat as well as those without Christ in their boat. Mk 4:36 records that other boats were with them. If this were a fairy tale, we might read that when the storm arose, the other boats were swamped, but the boat with Christ in it sailed as smooth as glass. The fact is, Christians are not magically exempted from the storms of life. Just because you’re in Jesus’ boat doesn’t mean that it’s going to be smooth sailing. Christians are not exempt from trials. Some think, “Yes, that’s true. But I’m serving Christ.” They think that being committed earns them special protection from storms. But observe: (3) Storms hit obedient believers who are serving Christ. In fact, this storm did not hit the disciples because they had been disobedient but, rather, because they had been obedient! Jesus said, “Let’s go over to the other side” (Lu 8:22). These men, who had committed their lives to serve Christ, obeyed. And He led them straight into a storm! And in the same way, obediently serving Christ may place you smack-dab in the middle of storms you would have avoided if you had stayed on the shore. I have often found that the most severe times of testing have come right after I have taken a new step of obedience. Just after Marla and I returned to Dallas so that I could complete my seminary training, we were mugged at gunpoint and I had to get four stitches in my hand. While my hand was still bandaged, I slipped in the mud and cut my other hand on a thermos I was carrying. We also encountered several other trials around the same time. Shortly after we moved to California to begin in the pastorate, our six-month-old daughter, Christa, had to be hospitalized with a congenital hip problem that meant being in a body cast for two months and wearing a leg brace for several years. The very day we decided to move to Flagstaff, we learned about a major problem with our house that entailed months of difficulties. Shortly after I began here I had to deal with some major problems in the church that resulted in a lot of turmoil. The point is, being obedient to the Lord does not exempt you from storms; it often leads you right into storms! Not only did the Lord lead the disciples into this storm. (What to do When Life Gets Stormy) Perception Or Reality? Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing? —Mark 4:38 Today's Scripture & Insight: Mark 4:35-41 We often hear it said, “Perception is reality.” That idea for Americans may have dawned on September 26, 1960—the date of the first televised debate between two presidential candidates. In front of the cameras, John Kennedy appeared composed; Richard Nixon appeared nervous. The perception was that Kennedy would be a stronger leader. The debate not only turned that election, but it also changed the way politics is done in the US. Politics by perception became the rule of the day. Sometimes perception is reality. But not always—especially our perceptions about God. When Jesus and His disciples were crossing the Sea of Galilee in a small fishing vessel, a sudden storm threatened to sink the boat. With Jesus asleep and the disciples on the verge of panic, they began to stir Him, asking, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?” (Mark 4:38). O yes, He cares; I know He cares! His heart is touched with my grief; When the days are weary, the long nights dreary, I know my Savior cares. —Graeff Even when we don’t sense God’s presence, His loving care is all around us. Mark 4:39 And He got up and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Hush, be still.” And the wind died down and it became perfectly calm.