You Are Never Alone // Sermon // David Platt

where to start in mark chapter 4 verse 35 and I just want to read this story to you slowly and let it unfold step by step if you have those guides online or printed out in front of you can follow along by taking notes so starting in mark chapter 4 verse 35 the Bible says on that day when evening came he he being jesus said to them his disciples let us go across to the other side so let's think about the setting here we're gonna circle three things to get the context first let's understand what that day means because it had been a strenuous day to say the least it all started with a tense confrontation with religious leaders who were accusing Jesus of being demon-possessed then there was some tension with his physical family then he started teaching by the Sea of Galilee and the crowds started coming in droves to the point where he had to get in a boat and go out a little into the water in order to speak to all of them so they're crammed in on the shore he's out on a boat speaking to them for hours he taught all day without a break so when the evening had come so now we see the setting he told the disciples who were with him after this long day he says we're not going that way like where all the crowds are by the sea so let's go that way across to the other side of the lake so let's go to the other side of the sea now a bit of a spoiler alert here we're about to read about a massive storm at sea but I just want you to notice at this point that it's Jesus who is leading his disciples into the storm so sometimes we find ourselves amidst storms because of disobedience to God and other times we find ourselves amid storms because of obedience to God and there are things that we learn about God and ourselves not from a calm seat on the shore but from the middle of a raging storm there are things we need to learn about God our selves in the calm and there are things we need to learn about God and ourselves in the storm so leaving the crowd they took him with them in the boat just as he was and other boats were with him so she picture the scene at dusk the boat sets sail into the Sea of Galilee so this is actually a picture of that sea you'll notice it is surrounded by mountains it's actually situated 600 feet below sea level and then it's surrounded by mountains thousands of feet above sea level making it like a bowl and the sea spans over a hundred square miles and Matthew and Luke boat both tell the same story but Mark is the only one who adds that other boats went out as well so this story didn't just involve Jesus and His disciples so they set out on the water and they did not have a Weather Channel app or AccuWeather to tell them anything that was coming and Mark writes a great wind storm arose and the waves were breaking into the boat so that the boat was already filling now the word here for a windstorm in the Greek can literally be translated hurricane so this was not a normal storm this was a fierce storm with hurricane like winds and the waves were breaking into the boat just imagine being on this boat wooden boat and seeing these kinds of waves surrounding you and when Matthew tells the story he says it was a great storm that's the language he uses and the words he uses there in the Greek are size most mega like storm of seismic mega proportions so he's using earthquake type language marks mark is using hurricane type language and we know this was out of the ordinary because in verse 40 which we're gonna read in a minute we learned that these disciples were afraid and the word that uses the Jesus uses to describe their fear is a panic like fear but keep in mind at least four of these disciples were fishermen like they made their living on the sea which means they were used to storms they knew how this sea worked which is why they were panicking the waves were crashing into the boat the boat was filling with water and fishermen knew that is not a good thing it's usually the experts who know when it's time to panic you know it's been said during these days you can't spell pandemic without panic and I saw a lot of experts and Disease Control who are most panic like we're surrounding it right now by warnings of what could happen next if we don't do this or that but here even as serious as this storm is in mark 4 I don't think that's the main problem that mark is pointing out the main problem actually comes in the next verse listen to what mark tells us about Jesus but he was in the stern asleep on the cushion now that tells us that she just was really tired I'll be honest there have been a few nights over recent days where I haven't slept just working through the night on different things related to all of this I used to be able to pull all-nighters when I was in college and keep going not anymore there comes a point when I hit a wall and I am out right I think about a flight I took just a little while back where there was this guy sitting right behind me and by the time I got on the plane he was already cashed out on the window and then we landed everybody starts getting off I turn around dude is still and cashed out it's like do we wake him up everybody's kind of looking at each other they were like I don't know it looks pretty tired so Jesus is obviously tired but here's the problem listen to the disciples here's Jesus asleep on the cushion and they woke him and said to him teacher do you not care that we are perishing now the word therefore perishing is literally being destroyed like we're dying here we're literally about to die and you're asleep and that is the problem in this story the disciples were afraid they're panicking and it seems like Jesus does not care for them now here's where I want you to put yourself in the shoes of the very verse people who ever read this book of Mark they were Christians in the first century who were facing severe persecution for their faith mark in particular wrote for a Gentile audience most of whom were facing risk to their lives for following Jesus many of them were afraid or panicking about with the Roman Emperor was gonna do next things seemed out of control constantly developing everyday and many of them were tempted to think in the middle of it all does Jesus even care about us like why is this happening to my family why is this happening around me where is Jesus right now almost like a psalm 10 like question why Oh Lord do you hide yourself in times of trouble where are you Psalm 44 verse 23 amidst distress the psalmist cries Oh wake why are you sleeping O Lord verse 26 rise up come to our help you know there are all kinds of people outside the church who ask during days like this where is God but let's be honest there are times when those of us inside the church wondering God what are you doing where are you in this like don't you care won't you stop this pandemic like we're dying here you know it's interesting the only time in all the Gospels that were specifically told about Jesus sleeping is right here in the middle of a storm apparently he was not panicked and the next verse helps us understand why verse 39 and he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea peace be still so Jesus wakes up wife's asleep from his ice in the middle of a storm walks out on the stern and he rebukes the wind like rebukes the wind and you rebuke someone not something likewise you speak say things to someone not something but Jesus is talking here to nature like he knows it and not just like he knows it but like he has authority over it peace he says exclamation point be still exclamation point there original language is two words in the Greek and it's literally like shut your mouth and keep it shut and it does and the wind ceased and there was a great calm the word therefore calm is Magali it's like a massive calm as Placid as a pond that comes over the entire sea just imagine in an instant no theatrics no extravagant effort even he says two words and all the horsepower of hurricane-force winds comes to a halt just two words and millions of gallons of water are muzzled just like that put yourself in these disciples shoes what is going through your mind right now and it's at this moment that she just turns around to them and he said to them why are you so afraid the word he uses there I mentioned earlier is like a panicked fear a total lack of confidence like things are out of control he says why are you afraid panicking like things are out of control and goes on to say have you still no faith so this is where in this first I want you to see the reality in the story what God is saying to us right now in the middle of a storm in the middle of a pandemic and all the panic concern worry that involves I want you to see so just let the stick with you faith I'm gonna write it out faith is not compatible with anxious fear in this world faith is incompatible with anxious fear in this world now I want to clarify how I'm using the word anxious years we go back to the message last week where we said there are many different definitions of anxiety when we're using based on Scripture is carrying concerns in this world like a pack on your back in such a way that we lose perspective on life and/or lack trust in God so faith is incompatible with that kind of fear with anxious fear in this world or maybe another way to put it is anxious fear in this world is a sign that faith is not operating in our hearts so if you are experiencing anxiety like I just define it in these days if we were worried about what is gonna happen next worried about what tomorrow will bring physically economically socially other ways we are prone to panic or worry like things are out of control we feel weighed down in any of these ways God is calling us in his word right now to faith to a faith that resists fear like this God is calling you and me right now to a faith that conquers fear like this you look throughout scripture the most common command in the Bible from God to his people is do not fear I have a word from God for every man woman child in the middle of this pandemic do not fear do not fear do not fear for all who have faith in God you have no reason for anxious fear in this world you have no reason to fear like this during these days now I intentionally say fear like this intentionally emphasize anxious fear in this world that's incompatible with faith because of what happens in the next verse so watch this so after Jesus says this or does the Bible say verse 41 and they were filled with great what's the word filled with fear like what's that about storm was over the sea was calm so why are these guys afraid now and the word that's used for fear there it's different from the word that was used for afraid earlier the word that was used for afraid or fear earlier was the panicked fear lack of confidence like things are out of control the word that's used for fear here is a word that means reverence or all in the face of a powerful intimidating force and they were filled with great fear like that and said to one another who then is this that even the wind and the sea obey Him and that is how mark ends the story because that is the point of the story and Mark doesn't end the story with a calm sea mark ends the story with a clear realization in the disciples Minds that the one who commands the wind and the waves is standing in the boat with them and they are in all of him like these disciples were Jewish men and a Jewish mindset there was only one who has power to command the wind and waves to be still let me read to you straight from Psalm 107 verse 28 then they cried to the Lord to God Yahweh in their trouble and he delivered them from their distress he made the storm be still and the waves of the sea were hushed does that not just sound like a description of what we just read in mark chapter 4 keeps going on then they were glad that the waters were quiet and he brought them to their desired Haven let them thank the Lord it's Yahweh God who did this for his steadfast love for his wondrous works to the children of man so in this boat on that sea these disciples realized like only the Lord Yahweh God can speak and storms be still like only God can speak and hush waves only God can make the waters quiet only God can bring his people to their desired haven and in this moment on that boat these disciples realize this man standing in front of us in the boat with us is God and now they're really afraid so faith is incompatible with anxious fear in this world but you know what faith is compatible with maybe I would say faith equals faith equals all filled fear of God God is faithful it's the point of this story after all that is the gospel like so for anyone who's listening today there's not a father of Jesus this is the message of the entire Bible we have all sinned against God every one of us has turned aside from God's ways to our own we are all separated from God and the effects of that separation are all around us in sickness and disease and suffering and death and we feel that right now but the good news of the Bible is that God has not left us alone in this world God has come to us in the person of Jesus Jesus name is Emmanuel which means God with us God has come to us in the person of Jesus Jesus has lived a life of no sin among us then he died on the cross to pay the price for our sin then he rose from the grave and victory over sin and death so that anyone anywhere who turns from their sin and trusts in Jesus will be forgiven of all their sin and reconciled to relationship with God to be with God forever so I'm gonna invite so here in a moment to put your trust in Jesus to experience relationship with God like this today and then for all who do and for all who have for all who know Jesus God with us like this is the point of Mark chapter 4 verses 35 to 40 1 this is what God is saying to us today like right now in the middle of this pandemic hear the word of God now let's be clear on what it's not what that word is not there's a lot of temptation for me or anyone to preach this passage and say the storms are walking through in life are gonna end soon but here's the deal I can't say that I don't know that I don't know how long this pandemic will last I don't know how many people will be affected by it and far beyond this pandemic I think about brothers and sisters who are struggling in all sorts of other storms storms of others sickness like cancer our disease storms at home storms in marriage storms and your family storms at work storms with your finances and I can't guarantee you that any of those storms including the one we're in together right now will end soon God's Word doesn't promise that storms won't come and God's Word doesn't promise that storms may not last for a while but here's what God's Word does promise here's what I can guarantee you today straight from God's Word no matter what wind or waves the world throws at you or me the god of creation who alone has power to calm the wind and the way it's his name is Jesus and he is right there in the boat with us his presence and power will never leave us and he will see us through the storm guaranteed through the storm any storm including the one we're in right now so they made this personal my brother or sister in Christ wherever you are sitting whether you're here at a home in Metro DC alone or with your family or you're somewhere else in the country whether you're listening right now in a quarantine in California or New York or whether you're in Italy or Spain regardless of where you are know this you are not alone the same Jesus who stilled the Sea of Galilee is the same Jesus who is with you in that room right now and he guarantees to get you through any storm as you trust in him so trust in him have faith in Him throw aside all propensity to panic or worry look in the boat with you right now the god of creation is with you and he is not prone to panic or worry isn't that good news this picture of Jesus asleep and storm reminds us God never panics God never worries you think about it why do we panic why do we worry I think there's two main reasons one we don't know what's gonna happen in the future we're afraid of what could happen if we knew everything was gonna be fine we wouldn't panic or worry so one we panic or worry because of our lack of knowledge what's coming or two we panic or worry because of our lack of power like if I come face-to-face with a lion that I'm worried I panic because I know I don't have the power that that lion has so we panic or worry because we lack knowledge and relax our that's why there's panic or worry in this pandemic we don't know how this virus works we don't know how to stop it spreading none of us knows what tomorrow holds we lack knowledge and we lack power against this virus no vaccines don't cure but think about God he never panics or worries why because he has all knowledge he always knows what's coming tomorrow we said earlier you know only knows what's coming tomorrow he holds tomorrow in his hands God has all knowledge and God has all power God has all authority over all things including the wind and the waves and sickness and death and the good news of Mark four thirty five to forty one is this God with all knowledge and all power is with you he's with you not only is he with you but he cares for you and today God is calling you and me and his word to leave behind anxious fear in this world and to replace it with all filled fear of him how do you have peace in the middle of a pandemic through all filled fear of the God who will never leave you alone and promises to personally see you and me through the storm so will you bow your heads with me I just want to invite you wherever you're sitting right now just to bow your heads with me and just pause for a moment in the quietness of this moment I just wanna I want to ask every single person who's listening right now every single person was in the sound of my voice I want to ask you one primary question and do you know for sure that if you were to contract this virus and it were to take your life do you know that you would be with God in heaven when you're done but do you know that for sure and I think some people and they hear that question thinking yeah yeah I think so you start to think of all the things you've done pretty good person I've done too many bad things and I just want to encourage you like that is not where your hope lies and how good you have been that's the whole point of what we're reading hope lies in faith in Jesus there's nothing good we can do to earn our way to God we must trust in who Jesus is and what Jesus has done he's made the way to us so if you do not have that eternal security eternal peace and I just want to invite you today to put your trust in Jesus but your faith in Jesus to reconcile you to God that you might know internal beast with him I just want to invite you just right there with your heads behind just to pray and say dear God I am a sinner I've sinned against you and I'm separated from you by my sin but today I believe that Jesus died on the cross to save me from my sin and today I put my trust in him today I ask you to forgive me of my sin and I trust in you as the Lord the God over my life I want eternity with you starting today and when you call him the Lord God on Jesus to save you he will he will give you his peace a peace that passes all understanding and lasts forever so god I pray pray for those who are trusting in you right now in this moment I pray for all who have trusted in you she just reap raise you that you're right here in the boat with us we praise you that we are not alone not one of us is alone that you are with us and that you say to us do not fear so remove I pray remove all anxious fear from hearts and minds from our hearts and minds and overwhelm us with all filled fear of you reverence aha before you love for you and trust in you and your name we pray Jesus in the name of the one who calms the wind and the waves who stills the storms and brings us through them in your name we pray amen

Channel: Radical

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Id: A1giccqLEXc

Length: 27min 16sec (1636 seconds)

Published: Thu Apr 02 2020