Sermon monologue for Sunday, February 23, 2003

Facing a Storm - Page 1 of 2
Focal Verses: Mark 4:35-40

The title of this morning's message is facing the storm. I'm using the word storm, in reference to the difficult times in our life. They could be:

• Relationships
• Finances
• Work
• Medical
• School

We all face storms throughout our lives.

Two weeks ago we studied that if we love God we must keep His commandants. One of the things that I find interesting is the misunderstanding that many have about keeping God's commandments and a loving relationship. Too many times I find that people have the idea that if they are in a loving relationship with God all will go well for them.

I heard a T.V. preacher once state, that if things were not going right for you (there is a storm going on), it was because you were outside of God's will.

First, let me state that I do believe that God does bring storms into lives of disobedient people. However, I do not believe that all storms in life are caused by disobedience. I believe that people in a close relationship and doing God's will, also face storms. We saw how Hosea had to face a personal storm in his marriage to his wife Gomer. I want us to look once again in scripture and see a storm that had to be faced because of obedience to Jesus' command.

Mark 4:35-40

35That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, "Let us go over to the other side".

Jesus and his disciples have just finished a long day of teaching. He is ready for a little rest. What I want you to understand here is that when he tells the disciples let's go to the other side, this wasn't a question to them. It was a command. There was no option to it. The disciples were carrying out a command of Christ when they got in the boat to cross the lake.

36Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him.

"They took him along, just as he was". I want us to stop and understand this simple statement. We can read and miss a very important lesson if we rush through. What I believe this means is that they wasted no time in filling Jesus command. They didn't have to discuss and decide on a decision. They didn't have to form a committee to decide what they would do. I was born and raised up as a Southern Baptist. Today, I am one by choice, and most likely will die one. We are great at having to form a committee on everything. If the disciples were good Southern Baptists, I can image that their conversation would have gone something like this:

John: Did Christ mean right now or did he mean when we felt like it?
Peter: I have to check to see if the wind is blowing strong enough to get us over there.
Matthew: I want to steer the boat this time.
Thomas: I doubt he wanted us to sail this time of night.
Judas: Is the insurance paid up?

I think you get the picture. The fact is, Jesus told them what to do and they responded quickly without questioning him. How about you and I? When we know of a commandment in our life, with no doubts that it's from God, what do we do with it? Act as the disciples, and take Jesus as He was? Or are we more like Moses at the burning bush, making excuses to God as to why we can't take Him at his word now?

What about the life of the church? How quick do we respond when we know we have been commanded by God to do something? Do we send it to a committee where it may never come back? Or do we take Jesus as He is and get busy about His work?

For the disciples this was a simple command that Jesus had made. Remember that many of the disciples were veteran fishermen. They had spent hundreds of hours on the sea of Galilee fishing. It could have been likely that it was one of the disciple boats they were about to use. In any matter, the disciples did not have to think about what needed to be done to sail the boat across the Sea of Galilee. I have never sailed a boat, but I imagine it's like riding a bicycle. Once you master it, it's relativity simple. The disciples were not that far removed from their day on the water. This was a simple command from Jesus to follow. Sometimes, I think we miss carrying out God's will because we think something is too simple. We think that God's will has to be difficult for us to do. And since it looks too easy we don't do it.

37A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped.

Let me stop and give you a small geography lesson here. The Sea of Galilee is 680 feet below sea level, and is surrounded by hills. The wind became intensified as it blew across the lake. This caused some strong and fierce storms that seemed to come from nowhere. This is what happened as the disciples were sailing their boat that night. This is how it seems to happen in our lives. One minute we are serving Jesus and everything is smooth sailing and in the next moment we find ourselves in the middle of a fierce storm.

This was not a little storm that the disciples had found themselves in. The waves became so large, that they were coming over the boat. They were so tall and coming so fast that the disciples were having trouble keeping enough water out of the boat as it came close to sinking. Again, these were not a bunch of rookies out for a pleasure sail. What we find here are men of the sea, fighting a storm of their lives.