Let's turn to Mark chapter 4. Mark chapter 4. Let me start
reading in verse 35. And the same day When the evening 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. I believe he was totally exhausted. They took him even as he was
after he fed his multitude. He was totally exhausted. And
we'll see this as he slept during this storm. 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 hindered 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 he 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 ye so fearful? How is it that ye 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? Let us pray. Our Heavenly Father, Thou art God, and beside Thee
there is none else. Our Father, we pray that you
would bless us with your presence this evening, that you'd break
unto us the bread of life, that you'd enable me to exalt the
name of the Lord Jesus Christ, that you'd enable us to worship
you in spirit and in truth. And what we pray for ourselves
here, we pray for all your people and all your preachers this day
throughout this world. Our Father, we thank you for
your many, many blessings which are too numerable to be reckoned
up in order, but we thank you for them. We continue to pray
for the sick. We continue to pray for Andy,
that you would bless, that you would give grace for the trial,
not only to him but to the whole family. Our Father, many are the afflictions
of the righteous, but the Lord delivereth them out of them all. Bless us, Father, here this evening
with Thy presence. In the name of the Lord Jesus
Christ, we pray. Amen. Too often for me, I can say this
about myself, but too often I question the Lord's care of me. Don't
we question the Lord's care of us? If we'd be honest now, if
we'd be honest. Too often we do that. We look
too often at the wind and the waves and forget whose they are. We forget that so quickly. Who
the wind belongs to and who the waves belong to. Who all this
belongs to. We forget it. And it do us well
to remember that all, all things, all things, all persons, everything
that exists are His servants. Everything. Listen to these scriptures. Psalm 107. I'll read these to
you. I wrote them down. Verse 25. For He commandeth and raiseth
the stormy wind. This storm that has come upon
them, He brought it. He commanded this wind to come
up because He's going to display His glory and power. He commandeth
and raiseth the stormy wind which lifteth up the waves thereof.
He's the one who does that. Scientists call it Mother Nature.
You and I call it God. God does this. Psalm 148, 8. Fire and hail. snow and vapor, stormy wind,
fulfilling His Word. Nahum chapter 1 verse 3, the
Lord hath His way, I like this one, I like all of them, the
Lord hath His way in the wind and in the storm, and the clouds
are the dust of His feet. I was never so impressed with
that last statement there, the clouds are the dust of his feet.
That's when the first time I took a plane ride and we got above
the clouds. And that's the first thing I
thought of when I went with Richard Pennington and took me for my
first plane ride. And we got above those clouds and I looked
at it and the first thing I thought of was the clouds or the dust
of his feet. Psalm 107, verse 29. He maketh
the storm a calm so that the waves thereof are still. The
disciples saw this happen. They witnessed the fulfillment
of that Scripture. Listen to this one. Psalm 104, verse 3. Who walketh upon the wings of
the wind. God does. He walks upon the wings
of the wind. All things serve Him. All things. I want us to notice some things
here. First of all, they were doing the Lord's will when this
happened. They were doing the Lord's will when this happened.
They had been with Him all day as He taught the people by the
seashore. And then he said, let's get into the ship and let's go
to the other side. And they did. They did their
Lord's will. They did his bidding. And the
storm came. And I know that natural religious
people think that they must have done something wrong. That's
what Job's friends thought. Job, what have you done wrong?
Job, you must have really messed up. That's the natural way of
thinking. I tell you this, God could chasten
us all day. He could afflict us all day,
every day, for everything we do has sin in it. I realize that. I realize that
He could afflict me from the time I get up to the time I go
to bed because everything I do has sin attached to it. Lord, if thou shouldest mark
iniquities, who would stand? It's Christ who makes us accepted.
We're accepted in the beloved. Nothing good that I do makes
me accepted at all, ever, at any time. It's Christ. And then
we live in a world that's against us, and all principalities and
powers of darkness are against us. But God is for us. God is for us. And knowing this
ought to quiet our fears in the storms and in the trials, because
they come of Him. Old Satan went before God and
said, let me touch you. Let me at Job. Let me at him. God said, go ahead. You can't
touch his life. Our life's here with Christ and
God. You can't touch that. But he let him touch these other
things. But if God is for us, who can
be against us? It says in Psalm 119.75, in faithfulness, he has
tried me. He's afflicted me. In faithfulness,
God tries the heart of His people. In faithfulness, He does that.
Now, not only were they in the way of duty and doing the Lord's
will, this is when most of the afflictions
come. This is when. Most of our afflictions
come when we are in the way of duty. Most of them do. Look at
the history of believers. Look at Abraham. Look at David. Look at Moses. Look at the disciples. Look at our Lord. No one was
more obedient than the Lord Jesus Christ, and no one suffered more
than He suffered. No one. And then notice this,
and this storm, this trouble that came upon them. He was with
them. This storm didn't come up because
He was not there. No, He was with them. They didn't go off on their own
and He didn't leave them. And it would have done them well
to remember this Scripture. And this is where we draw our
comfort. We draw our comfort from the Word of God. In Isaiah
43, 2, when you pass through the waters, I will be with you. And through the rivers they shall
not overflow you." Oh, if they could remember that one. If they
would remember that one. He was in the boat with them.
That's where he was. Now, how would I act right now? How would you act
right now? If I knew for a certainty that
the Lord was at my side. then act like it because He is. He said, I'll never leave you
nor forsake you. Paul said this, all have forsaken
me, but the Lord what? Stood with me. He didn't forsake
me. He didn't forsake me. Now we've come to this storm.
The wind. Some of the writers that I read
said it was a hurricane force. No one could survive such a storm
without divine help. This storm was far out of their
control, as every storm is. Yesterday, standing out at the
shop, looking out the window, it became a storm yesterday.
It was raining sideways out there. I had nothing to do with that
storm. I couldn't do anything with it if I wanted to. I stood
there and all I could do was watch it. Watch it. That's all we can do with a storm
is watch it. This is one thing we have absolutely
zero control over. A storm. It was out of their
control. They could not stop the fury
of the wind and they could not stop the waves. I was watching
a program on TV the other day. I mentioned to Vicki, and it
was showing the ocean. It was just churning. It was
just churning up in my... I said, that's so scary looking.
She said, look at that. The waves were just... The power. The power that was harnessed
in those waves. And God says, hither shall thy
proud waves come and no further. The affliction will accomplish
its purpose and will do no harm. Not to his people. It was totally
out of their control. They were totally helpless. The
storm swept away every hope of surviving that they had. Now
you can just picture now them in this ship and it says it's
full of water. It's filled up with water. It's
full. Boats don't float like that. It was full of water. They had lost all hope except
one. There was one in the boat. There
was one in the storm with them. They only had one hope, Him.
They couldn't jump out and run off. They were in this storm.
They were out in the middle of this ocean. God, I'll tell you what's happening.
Here's what's happening in this situation. And this is what happens
with every one of His children. I believe it's over in Isaiah.
I mean, I wrote this down somewhere. I believe it's over in Isaiah.
Look at Isaiah 32. Isaiah 32. Listen
here in verse 2. And a man shall be as a hiding
place from the wind and a covert from the tempest, as rivers of
waters in a dry place, as the shadow of a great rock in a weary
land." They experienced that, the fulfilling of that scripture
right then, just as God makes us experience it, time after
time. And the sooner we find this out,
the better we will handle troubles and trials. Everyone whom God
saves Everyone whom he saves is going to find their hope,
every ounce of it, their rest, their peace in the Lord Jesus
Christ for time and eternity. Not just eternity, but also for
time. Notice here, it says that the
wave beat into the ship so that it was now full. Every affliction,
every trial has its measure. It has its measure, just like
this cup right here has a measure, and the full mark is at the top
of it. And God knows where that's at in every one of us. He knows
where it's at in every one of us. And He has promised to lay
upon us no more than we can bear. He's promised that. And we can
take God at His promise, take Him at His word. Scripture says
it's good for a young man to bear the yoke in his youth, the
yoke of discipline. It's good for a young man to
be disciplined by God in his youth. Let me read you out of
Job 36.15. The Amplified Version says this,
he delivers the afflicted by their affliction and opens their
ears to his voice by adversity. That's how He instructs us. That's
how He teaches us. I want you to notice in verse
38 the quietness of the Lord Jesus Christ. He's in the back of the boat,
asleep. As I said, it says they took
Him as He was. I have no doubt that He was absolutely
being a man like us. Human, like us. He was absolutely
exhausted. He exhausted himself in his work. He wore himself out every day
in his work. And he was in the back of that
boat asleep. But I tell you this, while he
was in the back of that boat asleep, he was still in the captain's
seat. He still had this thing under
control. We know as God, I just read it
to you in Psalm 121, He never slumbers nor sleeps who keeps
Israel. Never, never. The storm is under
His control. He's riding. They can't see it. He's riding upon the wings of
the wind. But they can't see that yet.
Not yet. What they see is a man asleep.
That's what they see. A man asleep. Laying in the back
of that boat is God Almighty. The God of the storm. The one
who commands the wind and the waves. He's the one. I'll tell you this, he's back
in that boat asleep because of this also. He's tired, he's exhausted,
and he's in no danger. Let me ask you a question. Now,
I want you to think about this. Are we really ever in danger? Are we really ever in danger?
Does it not say He gives His angels charge over you? Not really. We're never really
in danger. Not really. I mean, it looks
like we're in danger. We say we get into dangerous
situations, but I'm telling you the truth. We're never really
in danger. He gives His angels charge over
you. And that's a charge I promise
you they'll keep. They'll keep that charge. And
then He's given us an example of how we ought to rest in Him
at all times. Just like this. I know I can't
do it. I mean, I wish I could do it,
but this is how we ought to do it. This is how we ought to do it.
We are as safe as he is. I know this. If I cannot find
my rest in him concerning these things, if I have a trouble resting
in him over these things, how can I find my rest in him concerning
the weightier matters such as judgment and eternity? These
are to be the easier things to rest in. Or we can rest in Him. One writer said this, if they had sunk to the bottom,
they couldn't have had better company. They couldn't have had
better company. But we know this, no soul has
ever perished who has the Lord Jesus Christ. No soul has ever
perished nor ever will perish that has Christ. None. Then here's
the question in verse 39. They awoke him and they said,
carest thou not that we perish? Let me note this. God will show
mercy when no one else can. When you cannot find mercy anywhere
else, then God will show mercy. When you have bailed out all
the water you can, can you imagine trying to bail water out of a
boat in an ocean? You're going to bail that ocean
dry? Not possible. And when you have bailed out
all the water you can, and it keeps getting worse, it's just
worse. Remember that woman with the
issue of blood? She tried every physician in town and it said,
and she rather grew worse. And it wasn't until then that
she heard and learned of Christ and came to Him and He healed
her after she tried everything else. And that's the point he
brings us to. Not just one time either. Not
just one time. This is a lifelong process. This is a lifelong process of
bringing us to the end of ourselves. And then after a while we get
full of ourselves again. Then He's got to empty us again.
Then we get full. Then we've got to empty us again.
That seems to be the process of life. And when you've built
it out, and it gets worse, and you can't do anything about it,
that's when He'll deliver. When He receives all the glory.
I believe it's Psalm 107 that you go over and read that Psalm
where they go up and down. in the sea, and they're in trouble,
and they beg for mercy, and He delivers them, and then they
get in trouble again, and they beg for mercy, and He delivers
them, and it keeps going through that whole psalm like that. That's
the course of life. I found it that way. And then
in verse 39 it says, He arose. He arose. Oh, the Master. The Master has risen. The master
of the wind and the sea. The creator of the wind and the
sea. The creator of all the elements
arose. When he rises, everything else
has to subside. Everything else. When he rises,
everything else has to bow down to him. Whether it likes it or
not, it has to bow down. And He arose, and He rebuked
the wind and the sea, and they hushed. Can you imagine this
scene? Here they are, bailing out water.
And I mean, it's just waves coming over them. I don't know, have
you ever seen that movie, The Perfect Storm? Waves coming up way over
that boat. I mean, it's the scariest looking
thing you've ever seen. Water scared me anyway. And He makes this thing just
stop that fast. Just quit. At His command, all that was
against them is now for them. That is His Word. The same voice that commanded
their beginning commanded them to be still. He makes everything
serve our good and His glory. One writer said this, I like
this. If we could see how all our heartaches and tears are
working for us a far more exceeding weight of glory, we would count
the first as great a blessing as the gold that comes out of
it. If we could see, if we could
see how all our heartaches and tears are working for us a far
more exceeding way of glory, we would count the first as a
greater blessing, as the gold that comes out of it. Paul said
in 2 Corinthians 4, 17, these are but light afflictions compared
to the glory that awaits us. Now he spoke and they obeyed.
I wish I could do that. I wish I was more like that.
We do that, We shouldn't let the elements outdo us. The wind
and the waves shouldn't outdo us. He died for us. This is our Master. This is our
King. When He speaks, oh, we ought to obey. And then He asks a question.
Why are you so fearful? Well, Lord, don't you see the
wind and the waves? Yeah, but don't you see me? Peter
wanted to walk on water. He said, well, come on, Peter.
Peter stepped out there and started walking on water until he looked
at the water. Then he started to drown. Why are you so fearful? Why do
you get up in the morning so fearful? Why do you go to bed
at night so fearful? God is asking this question.
God Almighty is asking this question. Why are you so fearful? How is
it you have no faith? What did he just do before they
got into this boat? Didn't he just feed the multitude? Just a little bit of fish and
bread? That's just as great a miracle. How is it you have no faith?
Have I ever failed? Has he ever failed you? Never.
Never. This is one of the things I can
say, this is one of the things that gives me some courage, some
comfort, some confidence. Because I've got a little history
behind me now. I've lived a little while. And
I can look back and I can say the Lord has never failed me.
They've been with him for a while. Have I ever failed you? Then
why are you so fearful? If I ever fail you, then you
can be afraid. But I've never failed you. What do we have to be afraid
of? He's never failed us. I read in a book I've got on
just quotes and sayings. I like this one I read the other
day. Fear, there are two totally debilitating things. Two things
will absolutely debilitate you. Fear and indecision. Both of them will debilitate
you. And they were so afraid that they had failed. Their faith
had just failed. They were afraid they were going
to die. They were acting like men of no faith. If God be for us, who can be
against us? If Emmanuel is in the boat, if
He's in the boat, what do I have to fear? And why is faith so weak? Let
me give you two or three reasons. Two, concerned with the storm.
One, they keep looking at the storm. If we could just look
above the storm, and that's one of the things, the first plane
ride I took, I looked at all those clouds. On the way back,
we came back into a storm. It was a storm, a thunderstorm
going on. But we flew above it. I watched
the lightning flashing down in those clouds. But we were above
that storm and there was not a cloud above it. There was not
a cloud in the sky. It was as blue and as pretty
as can be. And everyone underneath those
clouds saw the storm. They were in the storm. They
were experiencing the storm. But we were flying right above
it. God's above all the storms. And
if we could just get there. We can just get to where He is. He's above it all. Too concerned
with the storm. Don't want to lose anything. We work for
all this. We work so hard to have what we have. Don't want
to lose any of it. That's what the storm's all about.
To take what has your heart. God sends those storms to take
away what the heart is wrapped around. Too afraid of dying. Our Lord said you better lose
this life if you want eternal life. Except you lose your life. And
then immature in the faith. We need to do those things which
make us grow. Read the Word. Sit under the
preaching of the Word. Seeking the Lord in prayer. Do
those things. And the storms won't be nearly
as bad. And then it says in verse 41,
"...and they were filled with fear." When they saw Him calm
this wind, He rose up and He shut up the wind in His ways. He told them to be still. And
they were. And they were filled with fear.
And they were filled with an awe-inspiring fear. What manner of man is this? Now they feared the right one. Now their fear has now started
in the right direction. And now they're asking the right
question. They said, Lord, carest thou not that we perish? Here's the better question. What
manner of man is this? God-man. This is God. This is not just an ordinary
man. This is the God-man. Who is this man that even the
wind and the sea obey Him? They have seen Him perform miracles
on others, and now they've experienced their own weakness and their
own need of Him. Now they've experienced it, and
He delivered. Before we can truly preach Christ
to others, We must first be convinced of our own need of Him and His
ability to meet that need. And now to answer the question,
carest thou not that we perish? Does God care if I perish? Does He not see all my troubles?
He said this, not a head of your head will perish. Not a hair
of your head will perish. Let me give you this. I've given
you this before, but listen. And you've had this many times
before. You know this by heart. Before God made the heavens and
the earth, He made a covenant with His Son concerning you. Concerning you. And everyone
whom He loved. It says in the Psalms, His thoughts
to usward cannot be reckoned up in order. In that covenant,
Christ became the mediator between you and God so that you would
not perish. He was made the surety. He was
made responsible in bringing many sons to glory. He is responsible
to bring you home debt free. He is going to bring you home
debt free. He was made the High Priest to
offer the sacrifice Himself. He was made unto us wisdom, righteousness,
sanctification, and redemption. He's your Prophet, Priest, and
King. God made Him that to you. He's the Lamb slain before the
foundation of the world. And then God created the heavens
and the earth. He made Adam. And God gave the pictures and
the types that spoke of Christ. And He gave His written Word
on it. He gave His Word on it. We have it written here. God
has given His Word on it. We have it written. He gave the prophets to foretell
His coming. And then in the fullness of time,
the Lord Jesus Christ came. He said in the volume of the
book, it is written of Me. Do thy will, O God. He came bone
of our bone, flesh of our flesh. He was born of a woman, made
under the law to redeem you from His curse. He kept that law perfectly, and
in doing so, He worked out a righteousness for you. He suffered the penalty
of that law that was against you, taking it out of the way
and nailing it to His cross. He did this for you. He went
to the cross as your substitute, died in your place, rose again,
ascended on high, seated at God's right hand, making intercession
for you. Then He sent the Holy Spirit
into your heart, and that's why you're inspired to cry, Why do
you think you cry, Abba Father? Why do you think you cry that
you feel inspired to cry, Father, Father? Because His Spirit is
in you. He gave you faith. He gave you
repentance. He gave you life in Christ. You are sealed with the Holy
Spirit of promise. He made you an heir. of all things."
We can't even begin to comprehend that. An heir of all that God
is and God has. And He's given His angels charge
over you. Are they going to keep that charge?
And He's coming for you again to take you to that place He
has prepared for you. Now I ask, what more can He do than for
you He hath done? What more can he do than for
you he hath done? Lord, carest thou not that we
perish? Perish the thought. Yes, he does. Look what he's done for us. Yes,
he does. Not one of His sheep will perish. Not even a hair on your head
that means absolutely nothing to you means everything to Him. Yes, He cares whether you perish.