John Gunter: Well, reminded me, and this is where my mind is this morning. Katie's family has a story of her brother acting up in a Walmart, and finally, her dad had had enough and was taking him out, and while he was taking him out, Sam was yelling and screaming that that wasn't his daddy. So you can only imagine what what could have transpired there. We continue today with our series, Tell Me the Story. Again, life's lessons from scripture's greatest moments, and Robert told me last week, he said, I love this series, he said, you got the whole Bible to play with.
That's the that's the thing right there. I can go anywhere I want to go. But today, we're we're going to be in Mark chapter four. Can you see that alright? Yeah.
Okay. Mark chapter four and verse 35 is going be our starting point. But in Mark chapter four, Jesus has been at the Sea Of Galilee sharing parables about the kingdom. He's talked about the parable of the sower, He's talked about a lamp under a basket, He's even talked about a mustard seed. But at the end of the day, he he starts talking about going across to the other side.
And so, we start there this morning. On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, let us go across to the other side, and leaving the crowd, they took him with them in the boat just as he was, and other boats were with him. And a great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was already filling. Now, what you should take away from this is Jesus told them to take this action. They were obedient in the action.
They listened to what Jesus said, and they did it. And guess what happened? The storm hit anyway. We've been talking about this in our sermon, and even in our bible class time that for some reason, though we may not verbalize it, for some reason, we feel like, God, as long as I'm faithful, as long as I'm obedient, expectation is life will be easy. Can we say that?
We we might expect it, and we we certainly desire it. Right? But is it the truth? Is it what is gonna happen? And and we've been talking about how even some small things that may happen in life because we have this expectation, I'm faithful, I'm obedient, God's gonna reward me, then even the smallest of things comes up, and you go, well, what what happened?
But what they did, disciples of Jesus were told, go out into the boat, let's cross this thing, and the storm hit anyway. Paul experiences the same thing in Rome on his voyage to Rome in Acts 27. He gets into the boat, remember, he is capsized. He is told he's got to do this, but the storm hit anyway, and so I don't know why we expect to be any different from them. And so, the the presence of trouble in our lives does not mean the absence of God.
Can we say that one more time? The presence of trouble in our lives does not mean the absence of God, though we may feel that. I I've encouraged you several times, no matter what your feeling is today, whether you're in a storm or you're not, go read Psalms because Psalms has there's a Psalm for every occasion. There's a Psalm that starts out negative and ends negative. There's a Psalm that's singing be happy.
Right? Everything's good. There are psalms that start out negative and end positive, and so you see every which way, and so but we're quick to think, okay, I have trouble, something's going on, God must not be near. But the presence of trouble in your life does not mean the absence of God, though we may feel that way at times. And so, in verse 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?
Now, I don't know any of you been woken up from a good nap lately? There's there's something about getting older that all of a sudden that nap feels a lot better, doesn't it? Some of you are already thinking about it right now, you're trying to get into that mode. I'm gonna get in that chair this afternoon, and we'll turn on something, I'll be out. My kids You you know, I'm going to take a nap every Sunday, and let If I don't, Katie thinks something's wrong.
My kids don't want a nap, they don't want to do that, but you know how it is to be sleeping really well and somebody to wake you up. But Jesus is awakened here because they have fear that something's going on, and their fear is, teacher, do you not care that we are perishing? And so, what we see here is this fear that they have distorts their view of of Jesus, and how he cares for them. Again, feeling that, the presence of a storm must mean the absence of God. Well, that's not the truth.
Right? You must not care because I'm going through this. They felt the same way we did. We're following you, why is this happening to us? And we ask those questions over and over.
Psalm forty six one through three, God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore, we will not fear, though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling. I'll be the first to admit, this is lot easier to read, and to practice, and to experience all the time. Right? Because I may feel like this, but this feeling comes after the fear.
I have to be reminded of Psalm 46, because the fear kind of overwhelms just like them. What's happening? What's happening? I'm following God. Jesus, you must not care that we're dying right here.
But God, it says, is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. And so, you let the fear in the moment overwhelm you, it's going to steer you away from God. It's going to steer you towards the ideas that that God is not there, but what did Psalms say? God is our refuge and strength. So in the midst of a storm, we don't say, God, you're not there, we've got to cling to God, we've got to search for God.
God, how can you help? How can you bring good out of this situation? In verse 39, and he awoke and rebuked the wind and and said to the sea, peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. Any of you ever tried this?
If it if it's been any of you in here, it's a it's a husband somewhere, I know it has. Because we're from the country, and the storm rolls in, you go to the porch, don't you? As if we've got a power to do anything. We wanna see what's happening anyway. Right?
I'm gonna be blown away. I wanna see it coming. But Jesus rebukes the wind and the sea. I can't I can't fathom that. Right?
I I love to just see it. I know I understand. I have no power here, but Jesus, after being accused of not caring at all, talked to the wind and the sea. Peace be still, and what do you see? There was a great calm.
In Philippians four, Paul says this, do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your request be made known to God, and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Let's start here this morning. I think part of this verse has been responsible for a lot of guilt and shame in a lot of us over the years, because we see, do not be anxious about anything, and as soon as that anxiety shows up, we think, well, I must not be a good follower of Christ. I must not be valuable enough to be doing the right thing, to be living the right way, because I am experiencing anxiety. Have you ever felt that way?
Have ever felt a little guilt because you're anxious? Well, I want you to notice that that is not what the scripture said. If you just take that verse and run with it, yes. Okay? Don't be anxious about anything.
End of story. Well, then we're all guilty. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your request be made known to God, and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your mind in Christ Jesus. You don't need the rest of six and seven if you've got anxiety under control where you where you never experience it. You understand?
You don't need the peace of God unless you have anxiety to ask God for the peace of God. Do you understand? So next time something happens, you're like, oh my goodness, I I must not have faith because I'm anxious about this. No. That means you're human.
What did Jesus do right before going to the cross? He goes to the garden, and he says, thank you God that I've got this under control, I appreciate you, I'll take it from here. What did he do? He prayed. He sweats.
What does that sound like to you? He knew what was coming. So, okay, if you're gonna feel that, if you're gonna take this as, oh, I'm not perfect, I'm not living the right kind of life, then neither did Jesus, because anxiety is part of life. Now, one of the ways we deal with it is giving it to God, and sometimes that takes some time, sometimes that takes sweating in the garden, sometimes that takes prayer all the time it should take prayer. And we give this to God.
Again, by prayer and supplication, that's what you should do when you feel anxiety. I'm going to go to him, I have the fear of the storm, prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving. Now, why do you need to be thankful in this moment? That fear that overwhelms you, that can steer you in the wrong way, the the the same thing can be said about thanksgiving. Thanksgiving pulls you back to God.
Because in the moment, it feels like everything is wrong. Right? If you experience any kind of health scare or anything, you're you're getting blinders on to anything else. Right? K?
Thanksgiving brings you back to be thankful. Oh, it's not as bad. I have a lot of things to be thankful for. I have a lot of blessings in my life. With thanksgiving, let your request be made known to God.
God, thank you. Thank you for all that you have given me. Lord, I want to see the blessings in the storm. With thanksgiving, bring that request to God. It says, and the peace of God which surpasses all understanding.
I like to say it this way, I think about it this way, the peace that you receive from doing this doesn't make sense in the moment. It might look inappropriate to other people, because the storm is so big in your life, but here you are calm. Here you are collected, because you're not experiencing the storm in the same way, because you've given the storm to God. Amen? You experienced that before?
Thank you, God, for that. It surpasses all understanding. Well, guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. And so, in the midst of the storm, be thankful. You don't have to be thankful, and God, I'm so thankful for the storm.
I don't know if I can do that in the moment. I can do it later, but in the moment, I just need to give it to him. I need to remind myself to be reminded of all the ways he's blessed me, and give it to him, to be thankful and give it to to God. Sometimes, Jesus does change the circumstances, and other times, he changes us in the circumstances, doesn't he? And that's what I'm talking about.
Sometimes later on down the road, I can say, this is how I was changed with that. I don't want to experience it again, but I'm a better person because of it. I've matured, I can help other people, I have grown, something has happened, Jesus has worked. In verse forty and forty one, he said to them, why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?
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? That brings up a question in my mind. They were scared because of the storm, they went to him seemingly because they thought he could do something about it, then he does something about it, and then they're scared about that. They're having a rough night, aren't they? Who then is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him?
I don't know what they thought otherwise, they they just wanted him to be scared with them. Right? You ever had friends that just want you to participate in that activity? It doesn't doesn't matter whether you do it or not, you just gotta you gotta suffer with me, or you gotta be excited with whatever. Yeah.
We just want you to be scared, but you don't even care that we're dying? Then he does something about it. What do we do? But Jesus asked him, why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?
What has Jesus shown them? He has the power to control even the greatest storm in nature. I can take care of this. Yet, they sit beside him and think, well, I still have to be afraid because of his power. In Colossians one, Paul says this, He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation, for by him all things were created in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones, or dominions, or rulers, or authorities, all things were created through him and for him, and he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.
And so, only is God is Jesus' creator, a part of this creation, he is able to control his creation in a way that that brings about peace and calm. And so, when you feel anxious, when you feel worried about the storm, you can give that to someone who can control it, who can take care of you, and grant you peace. Because I I don't know about you guys, I need peace. I need to decompress. Everybody has their own way.
I've got to go home. Sometimes Katie thinks I'm mad because I'm not talking to her. I'm just going to my room, and I'm just hanging out watching the show, or playing a game, or listening to a podcast, or something like that. I'm just because it feels like some sometimes in life, it's just chaos. It may not be a specific thing, but all the things together just feel like, I need to I need to sit down a minute.
But I need to give it to him, because this is who Jesus is, and he was creator, and can control creation as well. And so, Jesus is the image of God, and all things were created through him. And so, the storm of your life, the storm that frightens you, is a storm that he can handle. Do you understand that? Because the storm that frightens you, it frightens you because you understand you don't have control of it.
But guess what? You cling to Him in that, allow God to work. In Isaiah forty one ten, fear not, for I am with you. Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
And how many times are you like me, and prayer is the last thing you think about? I try to fix, I try to worry, I try to do, I do all this stuff, and then all of a sudden, I hadn't even prayed about it. Fear not, for I am with you. God can handle it. Matthew eleven twenty eight, Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
How many of you need rest today? How many of you have had a week? Yeah? I got one. Yeah.
You're you're all lying is what you're doing. Come to me all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. And we talked about this last week, the safest place in any storm is with Jesus. Whether you're standing in a fiery furnace with your friends, or you're going through a storm of life, the safest place to be is with God, even if that's in the storm. God Jesus told his disciples to go out in the boat and to do this, and they did.
They were obedient and the storm still came. The safest place was still with him, in the storm. So as you approach the storm, as you go through the things in life, bring those storms to him. We try to to carry those things around. We say things like, I don't want to bother God with this, as if God is limited.
Right? He's got enough on it. We've heard about the starving children of wherever. He probably needs to deal with that. Yes, he does.
But God is God, and he can handle your storm as well. So give them to him. Ask for prayers of the church. We encourage that all the time. I I don't know why, some places have a culture of prayer, and you know, you have an invitation time, and people just flock, they want prayer, and sometimes it's like us.
Every once in a while, somebody will ask for prayer. Most of the time, we're like, well, I don't want to bother anybody. If I say a prayer, it might last a little longer, somebody's not going get to lunch, then they're going to talk about me wondering what I did. Right? Why don't we pray together?
Why don't we encourage one another? Are we playing church? Are we serious about it? I need prayer. Today, if you don't have a prayer request, why don't you pray for me?
Pray for me, pray for my family, because I need prayer. Why you pray for the elders of this church? Why you pray for the the people who are teaching our kids? Why don't you pray for for strength for the the person in this room that's battling something health wise? Why don't you pray for the person who maybe is struggling with their faith right now and didn't even wanna come, but they made it here?
Once you have a specific prayer, I I feel like every time I give an invitation, we do it just because it's expected, because we don't have many responses. And it's more like the invitation is just a cue to you to start getting ready because we're about to stand up. Instead of actually saying, I wanna pray with my my church. I wanna be encouraged. Do you draw encouragement from someone praying for you?
Yes. If you don't have a prayer request this morning, won't you pray for somebody specifically? Pray for me, pray for the elders, pray for this church, pray for a family member. We're gonna offer that that time of invitation, we'd love to pray with you. If you haven't begun that walk with Jesus, we'd love to see that as well, that you put on Christ, and death, burial, and and resurrection, to pledge your faith to him, that I'm gonna follow him, I'm not gonna do it perfectly, but in the storms of life, can cling to him.
If that's you this morning, would you come?