All right, now turn with me to
Mark chapter 4. Mark chapter 4. Let's read the
text. Beginning in verse 35. And the same day when the even
was come, he saith unto them, let us pass over unto the other
side. And when they had sent away the
multitude, they took him even as he was in the ship, and there
were also with him other little ships. And there arose a great
storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship so that it
was now full. And he was in the hinder part
of the ship, asleep on a pillow. And they awake him and say unto
him, Master, carest thou not that we perish? And he arose
and rebuked the wind and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there
was a great calm. And he said unto them, Why are
you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith? And they feared exceedingly and
said one to another, what manner of man is this that even the
wind and the sea obey him? Now there is so much to see in
these verses. So much to see in these verses. So much for us to learn. We started,
maybe the Lord will let us continue. So much to learn. But here's
what I want us to understand first. That really happened. That's
where I want to start. That really happened. What manner of man is this? What manner of man is this? That really happened. It's almost like you need just
a minute to stop and think about this. That really happened. We see what took place. He was
in a ship. Look at verse 1. Mark 4 verse
1 says, He began again to teach by the seaside. He was preaching.
And there was gathered unto him a great multitude. So that he
entered into a ship and sat in the sea. And the whole multitude
was by the sea on the land. So he was in this ship already
preaching to them. And then when he finished preaching,
he said to his disciples, let's go to the other side. Other side
of the sea. And during the trip, He went
to sleep and a storm arose. Verse 37 says,
there arose a great storm of wind and the waves beat into
the ship so that it was now full. There arose a great storm. Now can you envision these waves?
We already mentioned that these were sailors by trade. Storm
is nothing to them. But this was a great storm. I'm afraid of the ocean. I see
video of it sometime out there rolling. I've seen a show called
Deadliest Catch and those waves roll in and I'm afraid in my
living room. I can see these waves coming
in, they roll over the side, huge waves. To the point where this ship
is full of water, here they are, they're struggling and these
huge waves are coming up and this ship now is full of water
and they go and wake him up and say, we're all going to die. Final moment, we can't fix it. Go wake him up. It's time to
wake him up. We're all going to die. This
is it. We're all going to die. And our Lord stands up and he
looks at the wind, the wind that you cannot see, but he can see
it. He looks at his wind and he looks at the waves and he
says, peace, be still. And as soon as he said, peace,
be still. It was a great calm. I can see
the disciples dumbfounded. Looking at each other like we
do. It was so quiet. It was loud. It was dreadful
just a second ago. Now it's so quiet. And they whisper to each other,
what manner of man is this? I tell you what manner of man
it is. This is the God-man. This really happened. This is the God, man. He created the wind, he sets
the course. He created the sea, we just heard
in Psalm 107, he commandeth and raiseth the stormy wind, which
lifteth up the waves thereof. Who did it? He did it. Everything is under the authority
of his command. Everything. Let me show you something
in Isaiah 38. Isaiah 38 verse 1 says, In those
days was Hezekiah sick unto death. And Isaiah the prophet, the son
of Amoz, came unto him and said unto him, Thus saith the Lord,
set thine house in order, for thou shalt die and not live.
Then Hezekiah turned his face toward the wall, and prayed unto
the Lord, and said, Remember now, O Lord, I beseech thee,
how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart,
and have done that which is good in thy sight. And Hezekiah wept
sore. Then came the word of the Lord
to Isaiah, saying, Go and say to Hezekiah, Thus saith the Lord,
the God of David thy father, I have heard thy prayer, I have
seen thy tears, behold, I will add unto thy days fifteen years. And I will deliver thee and this
city out of the hand of the king of Assyria, and I will defend
this city. And this shall be a sign unto
thee from the Lord, that the Lord will do this thing that
he hath spoken. Behold, I will bring again the
shadow of the degrees which is gone down in the sundial of Ahaz
ten degrees backward. So the sun returned ten degrees
by which degrees it was gone down. Now, I assume everybody
knows how sundial works. You have a pole and as the sun
goes over, The shadow moves and they know what time it is. The
sun does not move. The earth rotates, right? But he made the shadow go back
10 degrees. So does that mean that he made
the earth back up? Something like that. Well, who can do that? The God-man,
that really happened, the God-man. Go with me to John 6. John 6 verse 16 says, and when
even was now come, his disciples went down unto the sea and entered
into a ship and went over the sea toward Capernaum. Now this
is a different account from the one in our text. Verse 17 goes
on to say, and it was now dark and Jesus was not come to them.
And the sea arose by reason of a great wind that blew. So when
they had rowed about five and 20 or 30 furlongs, they see Jesus
walking on the sea. What? We all know that story. Have
we ever stopped to think about that? That defies the laws of nature. That defies the laws of gravity. Nature and gravity are subject
to him. It's all subject to him. I love
the poem that a man named William Cowper or Cooper wrote. God moves
in a mysterious way. His wonders to perform. He plants
his footsteps in the sea. And rides upon the storm. I love
that thought that he wasn't timidly. He doesn't sink. What manner of man is this? Look
back a couple of pages to Luke 24. Luke 24, look at verse 50. And he led them out as far as
to Bethany, and he lifted up his hands and blessed them. And it came to pass while he
blessed them, he was parted from them and carried up into heaven. Just floated up. What manner of man is this? This man. is our God. This man is our God. The God-man. One more, go to
Colossians chapter 1. Colossians 1 verse 16 says, For
by him were all things created that are in heaven, that are
in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones or dominions
or principalities or powers, all things were created by him
and for him, and he is before all things and by him All things
consist. This is the man right there,
that is the man who came to this earth to save sinners. That is the man, the man. Everybody's talking about the
man Jesus. Oh, that poor man, that poor
pitiful man, help him. He needs your help. He's trying
to save people. All he can do is make the ocean
die down, turn the earth back, walk on water, float into glory. That is the man who came to this
earth to save sinners. Do you believe he's able to do
it? Do you believe he's able to do it? Don't turn, but in Matthew chapter
nine, two blind men came to him to receive their sight. And this
was the question he asked them. Believe ye that I am able to
do this? They said, yea, Lord. Then touched he their eyes, saying,
according to your faith, be it unto you, and their eyes were
opened. This is the man who came to save
sinners. Back in our text, we're going
to see how he performs that salvation, all right? Now this account,
the problem in this account for these men, their danger, the
thing that is about to kill them is the wind and the waves. All
right, the wind and the waves. The thing that must be dealt
with, the thing that must be taken
care of is this raging water. All right, this raging water.
This water tells us something about our natural condition. There's a problem, not for just
these men in the ship. There's a problem. There's an
honest to goodness problem. Go with me to Genesis chapter
one. Genesis one, look at verse one.
In the beginning, God created the heaven and the earth and
the earth was without form and void and darkness was upon the
face of the deep and the spirit of God moved upon the face of
the waters, that water right there. represents the darkness
of our sin. That's what it represents. That this is the reality of man.
This is where man starts. That darkness, those dark waters,
represents the depths of our depravity and our sin. It's not a pleasant thing to
talk about, but it's the truth, isn't it? It's just the truth. We know what we are. I don't
have to try to impress you. I know what I am. You know what
you are. Sin. God sent a flood in the
days of Noah, didn't he? He opened the heavens, he opened
the earth, and that flood of water killed the world. He chose to save eight people.
And then he killed the rest. It represents man's sin and God's
judgment. That's what it represents. His
wrath and his judgment against him. Oh, God is a loving God. Yes, he is. But we're going to
see it's only in Christ. Outside of Christ, he's a God
of wrath. Well, let's not say that. Let's
not go there. We better. We better. That's uncomfortable. It will
be. He's a God of wrath. He's a God
of judgment against sin. He will not have it. 2 Samuel 22, don't turn there,
verse 5 says, the waves of death compassed me. He says, I'm overtaken
by the waves of death, sin and death. That's where the men are
in our text. Outside of Christ, that's where
you and I are. That's where we are. There is
a holy God that we must go meet. There is a holy God with whom
we have to do. And outside of Christ, this is
where we are, sinking deep in sin, far from the peaceful shore. Now go with me back to our text
and let's see salvation. We're here this morning to see
salvation. That's what I want and that's
what I need. I need to see salvation. So go with me back to Mark 4. Here's where salvation begins. It begins with the God man's
call. of his own. Verse 35 says, And
the same day, when the even was come, he saith unto them, Let
us pass over unto the other side. Now let me ask you this. Did
he say, fellas, would you all like to pass over to the other
side? Here's what I'm thinking. If it's agreeable to you, I would
like for all of us to pass, he said, everybody get in the ship. We're
passing over to the other side. We're all so consumed with right
now. Here, this life, this flesh,
but all of the sudden, one day, and it's such mercy. Oh, it's
such happiness. It's such grace. All of a sudden,
one day, God comes to his own. He opens their eyes. He opens
their ears. He opens their heart to the other
side. He grabs that soul and something
This ain't it. They realize this is not it.
There's a story of a deaf man in the scripture that came to
the Lord and the Lord stuck his fingers in the deaf man's ear. He was already deaf. And he stuck
his fingers in his ears and he said to that man, be opened. And the man could hear. That's
what he does for every single one of his own. He blocks out
every hindrance. He comes to his own. He knows
how to get our attention. He blocks out every hindrance
of this world and he says, be opened. I am not what you thought
I was. Follow me. I don't want to. Aren't you so glad for that?
Because that's what I don't want to is what I would say. I don't
want to. You don't have a choice in the
matter. You don't have a choice. Let us. Let us pass over. To the other side. This is not
your continuing city. Look to the one that has foundations,
who's builder and maker is God. That's where the whole thing
starts in the life of a child of God. It starts with his call. We call it his effectual call. What that means is he always
gets his effect. Whatever he sets out to do, he's
going to get his effect. It's going to be effect. You're
going to see an effect. Verse 36, and when they had sent
away the multitude. I'll tell you this, when God
calls a sinner. That center will send away the
multitude. You know that he will, he will send away the multitude.
That center will come out from among the people. Why? Because
he now thinks he's better than everybody else. No. God has just
revealed the depths of his sin to him. No, he doesn't think
he's better than everybody else. Because he has to have him. I've got to have him. He'll leave it all. Everything,
everyone. I must have Christ. No fork in the road here. Irresistible. Absolutely irresistible. Verse
36, and when they had sent away the multitude, they took him. They took him, they laid hold
of him. Our Lord said, the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence
and the violent take it by force. What does that mean? When the
Lord wrestled with Jacob. When God in mercy sent a trial
to Jacob and he wrestled with him, Jacob said, now, who do
you think has hold of who? But here's what Jacob said. I
will not let you go unless you bless me. God allowed him, you know, God
could have. But Jacob said, I will not let
you go unless you bless me. Jacob, if you don't let me go,
I'm going to break your thigh. You're going to walk the rest
of your days humbled with a limp. Jacob said, break it. I'm not
letting go. I've got to have you. I've got
to have you. Verse 36. And when they had sent
away the multitude, they took him even as he was. A true call from God is to see
Christ as he is. That's what a true call is. Not
a call to see this Jesus that so many have made up in their
minds. He's not the real deal. He's not the real deal. It's
a call to see the God man, the God, God himself high and lifted
up the one I must bow to. That's what the true call is.
As soon as somebody sees God, you'll know I've been called
by God. It's a call to see that salvation
is on his terms. What is salvation? his terms. That's what it is. Salvation
is on his turn. I'm the one who's drowning. I'm
the one who's treading water. I'm the one who has nothing to
stand on. All power is in his hands. It's his will. It's his choice. It's his work. Salvation is on
his terms. When God calls a sinner to see
that, the sinner says, amen, amen. Peter, who do you say I
am? Thou art the Christ, the son
of the living God. Taking him as he is, is acknowledging
that I'm not taking him. He's taking me. He's taking me. I'm just grateful to be with
him. Verse 36 is in the ship. With all the other little ships,
I'm just grateful to be with him and his people. Verse 37 says, and there arose
a great storm of wind when God calls a sinner. He not only causes
that sinner to see who God really is. He causes that sinner to
see who he really is. Here came his waves mounding
up. That sinner gets a good look
at his own sin, the horror of it, the darkness of it, the fear
and the dread of it. A good look. And then as soon
as God's child sees that, he calls him and he says, I am.
Look unto me. And when he does that, he sees
himself. But as soon as God child sees that. God reveals the most
glorious news he's ever seen in his life. Verse 37 says, and there arose
a great storm of wind and the waves beat into the ship. The waves of your sin. The storm
of your sin, the sin that was supposed to bring you down. It beat into the ship, the ship
get into this ship. We're about to cross over. We're
going to be in deep waters and as all of your sin rises up against
you, it's going to beat into this ship and not into you. Verse 37, there rose a great
storm of wind and the waves beat into the ship so that it was
now full. In Gethsemane, our Lord sweat, as it were, great
drops of blood, bearing the things that I have done. Bearing things that began in
1976. Not just the idea of sin. He died bearing my sin. All of the sin of his people
was beaten into him. He drank the whole cup, the whole
cup. He hung on that cross, beaten,
torn, marred more than any man. Verse 38 says, and he was in
the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow. He died. He died. for the raging, stormy sin of
his people. He gave up the ghost, didn't
he? He died. In the midst of that violence,
that beating, that wrath from heaven, God's judgment, there
he lays. There he lays. Verse 38, and
he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow,
and they awake him, and saying to him, Master, carest thou not
that we perish? Matthew's account words it a
little differently. In Matthew's account, they said,
Lord, save us, we perish. I've seen God, and I've seen my sin, and I've seen
Christ. Lord, save me. Lord, save me. That cry goes out. When God reveals
all this to a sinner, the cry will go out. It'll go out. Lord, you're the only hope. Save me. Save me. Blind Bartimaeus said, Jesus,
the son of David, have mercy on me. Verse 39 says, and he arose. He rose. I love how when the Marys, all
those Marys went to the sepulcher, they ran back to his disciples
crying, he is risen. All of our sorrow is turned to
joy. All of our fear is done away.
All of our sin is gone. He is risen. His salvation has
come. Verse 39, and he arose and rebuked
the wind and said unto the sea, peace be still. After our Lord had risen, he
himself entered into the room where the disciples were. And
this is what he said to them. Peace be unto you. And then right
after that, he said it again, peace be unto you. Eight days
later, he came right back in where they were assembled, and
he said, peace be unto you, peace, peace, peace. Verse 39 says,
he arose and rebuked the wind and said unto the sea, peace,
be still. And the wind ceased. You know what ceased means? No
more, no more sin. No more raging storm, verse 38
says, and there was a great calm. A great salvation. It's over. It's over, it's all over. It's
accomplished, it's finished. Ordered, secure, it's over. And now he says to us, just like
he says to them in verse 40. Why are you so fearful? How is
it that you have no faith? What he's saying is rest, rest. From here on out, rest, just
believe, trust. The Lord Jesus Christ paid it
all. He took care of it all. Verse 41 says, And they feared
exceedingly. And I'm going to tell you this.
We fear him. We fear him. What that means
is we reverence him, we honor him. This is a holy God. Outside of Christ, I'm afraid
of him. Inside of Christ, I love him. And he loves me in Christ. But we fear and reverence him.
Verse 41 says, And they feared exceedingly and said one to another,
What manner of man is this? That is the grand subject of
every believer. That's all we want to know about
every time we come here. This is our message. This is our life. What manner
of man is this? Verse 41. They feared exceedingly
and said one to another, what manner of man is this that even
the wind and the sea obeyed him? They acknowledged everything
has obeyed him. What they were saying is, to
God be the glory, great things He's done. We see His hand, we
see His finished work, and we give Him praise. We acknowledge
Him. And that's all you can say, isn't
it? That's all we can say. Now, are we ready to make our
decision? Decision? All we can say is, to God be
the glory, great things He's done. He's done it, and we just
acknowledge it. All right, let's stand together.