When I was 26 years old, that's
been a long time ago, I was asked by Pastor E.W. Lucas to preach
with several other fellows in a Bible conference in Appomattox,
Virginia. And Brother Mahan and I drove over there together.
There were several preachers much older than myself. All of
them were much older than me. And I was scheduled to preach
one night, and I was working, studying, getting ready to preach.
But the mayhem came by the room, we sat down and visited a little
while. And he got up and started to leave, as was his custom.
When he got ready to leave, he told me why he came. He said,
I know you're preparing to preach tonight. He said, as you do,
ask God to give you something out of that book that speaks
to you. If it speaks to you, maybe He'll
speak to us by it. If you don't need it, nobody
else does. He said, try in your mind's eye
to get a picture of an old man who's obviously had a rough life,
who's just come in from a hard day's work. He's just buried
his only son and his wife is dying and find something that
he needs. Maybe God will speak by you.
I try to do that as I preach the gospel all the time. And
I believe God's given me something for you. If you'll open your
Bibles to Mark chapter four, the gospel of Mark chapter four. Questions are often asked by
men, some who believe and some who scoff. If God is love, why
is there so much trouble in this world? So much evil, so much
heartache. If Christianity is such a great
life, why do Christians have so much trouble in their lives? Why do the righteous suffer while
the wicked prosper? Such questions cannot be easily
answered. Indeed, they cannot be answered
at all except by this book. And they can't be answered satisfactorily
to anyone except those who believe God. with the perplexing questions
that come up in our lives, in our minds, questions we may not
express, but questions felt in our hearts and asked in our hearts. I think the Lord God has given
some answers for us very clearly here in Mark the fourth chapter. Let's read beginning of verse
35. And the same day when even was
come, The Lord Jesus saith to 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
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? At the end of a long, busy, busy
day, our Lord and his disciples boarded a small ship to cross
over the Sea of Galilee. Our Savior had preached the gospel
all day in the open air to multitudes. He had given to them the parables
of the kingdom and explained them to them. When they were
alone privately, he taught his disciples the meaning of his
words. But there was one more work to be done before the day's
work was complete. On the other side of the Sea
of Galilee, in a place called Gadara, there lived a man, a
lunatic, a maniac, who had been in the clutches of Satan for
many years. That poor Gadarene maniac was one of those sinners
the Son of God had come here to save. The Lord Jesus assumed
the responsibility for that man's everlasting soul in the covenant
of grace before the world was. Determined to save him, he stood
as his surety from everlasting. For more than 30 years now, the
Lord Jesus Christ had lived on this earth as that man's representative
to bring in everlasting righteousness specifically for him, obeying
God's will and God's law in every detail on his behalf. And soon
the Son of God would die to redeem that poor sinner's soul. Now
the time of love had come. when this wretched man must obtain
God's mercy and God's grace in the sweet experience of the new
birth. As he must needs go through Samaria
to save that Samaritan woman at the appointed time of love,
so now he must go over the Sea of Galilee to save the maniac
of Gadara. So our Savior said to his disciples,
let us pass over to the other side. His labor for the day could
not end until he had spoken peace to this Gadarene, until he had
given this Gadarene the blessed assurance of peace and pardon
and eternal life as the chosen object of his mercy, love, and
grace. And the Gadarene, when he had
met the Savior and the Lord Jesus had cast the demons out of him,
he's found sitting at the master's feet. That's the place where
God's people are found. He's sitting there clothed, clothed
in the garments of God's salvation, and in his right mind, believing
on the Son of God. That's what grace does for sinners
such as we are. And then as the disciples began
to cross the sea, before our Lord and his disciples in their
little boat reached this wild Gadarene, They crossed the Sea
of Galilee, and as they did, there arose a great storm of
wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now
full. I try to picture the scene. The
disciples were terrified. It seemed that death was both
certain and imminent. But the Lord Jesus was fast asleep
on a pillow in the back of the ship. And these frightened disciples
woke him up crying in despair. Master, don't you care that we're
about to die? Carest thou not that we perish?
And when they said that, the Lord Jesus arose and calmly rebuked
the wind and said to the sea, peace, be still. and the wind
ceased, and there was a great calm. Then the master gently
reproved his disciples, those fearful, unbelieving disciples,
and the story ends. Three times this specific story
is recorded in Holy Scripture by divine inspiration. Matthew,
Mark, and Luke, all three give us a record of this event in
our Lord's earthly life. Obviously, God the Holy Ghost
intends that we remember it and that we learn from it. The fact
is, it is easy enough for us to see the storm, the winds,
the waves, the tossing of the ship, and the threat of death.
But as we read the story, our minds ought to be focused not
on the storm and the waves and the little ship that's being
tossed about in the sea, but rather our minds ought to be
focused on the Lord Jesus himself, the ruler of the storm. That's
my subject this evening, the ruler of the storm. whatever the storm is into which
the Son of God sends you, whatever the storm is, He is the ruler
of the storm. Now get that and you've got everything
I have to say tonight. Christ is the ruler of the storm. Let's hold our Bibles open here
at Mark chapter And I pray that God the Holy Ghost will speak
his word to you and write it upon your hearts. Remember that
this is what our Savior did with his disciples while he walked
upon this earth with them in the flesh. And when you read
what he did with his disciples while he walked on this earth
with them in the flesh, understand that he has experienced and undergone
no change and never will. What he was then, he is now. What he did then, he does now. and what he was and did then,
he will be and do tomorrow. He is the same. His years change
not. He's the same yesterday and today
and forever. Blessed be his name. He never
changes. Now let me show you four or five
things in this portion of scripture. Number one, I'm certain the Spirit
of God has recorded this event to show us that following Christ
will not shield us from the storms of life. Many people have the idea that
faith in Christ is the end of trouble. That is not the case.
Many have the idea that if you faithfully follow and obey the
Lord Jesus, everything is peaceful and tranquil in your life. That
is rarely the case. Here are Lord's disciples, these
chosen men, these first believers in the gospel age, men who had
forsaken family and friends and livelihood to follow the Savior. These men were in the midst of
a horrible storm. They were saved men. True believers,
they were following the Lord Jesus, but suddenly as they followed
him without any warning or preparation, they're in the midst of a terrible,
terrible storm. The fear of death seized them.
It looked like death could not be averted by any means. What
these faithful men experienced that evening, all faithful men
and women experience in this world. In the world, So long
as you are in this world, you shall have tribulation. We must,
through much tribulation, enter into the kingdom of God. Though
we are believers, though I trust we follow Christ, we will have
our appointed share of sickness and pain, sorrow and weeping,
vexation and disappointment, partings and separations, bereavement,
and death. Our Lord never promised any of
his children in this world material prosperity, bodily health, financial
success, domestic peace, earthly ease, or longevity of life. Those things are promised to
no one. He does promise his presence.
He said, I will never leave thee nor forsake thee. two of my favorite
texts of Scripture, Isaiah chapter 41, Isaiah 41, hear the Savior speak to you.
Verse 10, Fear thou not, for I am with
thee. That ought to stop us from being
fearful of anything. Fear thou not, for I am with
thee. Be not dismayed, for I am thy
God. I will strengthen thee, yea,
I will help thee, yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand
of my righteousness. Turn over to one page, chapter
43. Now thus saith the Lord that
created thee, O Jacob, he that formed thee, O Israel, fear not,
For I have redeemed thee. I have called thee by thy name. Thou art mine. When thou passest
through the waters, I will be with thee. And through the rivers,
they shall not overflow thee. When thou walkest through the
fire, thou shall not be burned. Neither shall the flame kindle
upon thee. For I am the Lord thy God, the Holy One of Israel,
thy Savior. I gave Egypt for thy ransom.
Ethiopia and Cebu for thee. He doesn't promise a life of
ease. He promises us his presence and that makes our life a life
of ease in the midst of trouble. If only we could believe him.
He doesn't promise us a life of ease, but it does promise
his grace. He says in the midst of every
difficulty, In the teeth of every trial, in the midst of every
heartache, my grace is sufficient for thee. And his grace, he has
proved, has he not, is sufficient for every time of need. Our Lord
Jesus makes it very clear that faith in him, obedience to him,
does not shield us from trouble. The scriptures plainly tell us
that these disciples were in this ship because they were obeying
the master. He said, let us go over to the
other side, get in the ship and cross the sea. And as he gave
them that command and they followed that command, the master was
sending them on purpose directly into the eye of the storm. He's
the one who made the storm, and he set the storm where it was,
and he sent his disciples immediately into it. These disciples then
were being obedient to him. Whatever the storm is that you
have to endure, my brother, my sister, though it seems to threaten
your very soul, if you believe the gospel, if you trust Christ,
can be assured of certain things. Let me give you just three. Whatever
the storm is, it comes to you by the hand of God, your Heavenly
Father, whatever it is, whatever it is. I have, now we have, many
of our family and friends in this congregation and around
the world, going through heavy trials. Heavy trials ordered
and sent by God who loved his own, chose them, redeemed them,
called them by his grace. God who holds them by the right
hand of his righteousness and says, come, follow me and go
with me now through this storm. They're ordered by him. Eli,
you remember, I think I mentioned this to you last week, last time
I preached to you. He went through a terrible, terrible
storm. Imagine, just imagine, Lindsay,
that you, your two children, God suddenly took them in judgment
and said, it's your fault. Because you refused to correct
them. Eli's boys were rebels, and Eli
was a lenient father, and let them get by with their rebellion
with no correction, and for that reason, God killed them in judgment. And even in the teeth of that,
Eli said, it is the Lord. Let him do what seemeth him good. When Job went through the trials
and difficulties he had, and what trials they were, and just
one on the heels of another, each one becoming more and more
severe, each one greater and greater loss, each one greater
and greater pain. And finally, Job arose and rent
his mantle and shaved his head and fell down upon the ground
and worshiped God. Oh, God, give me such grace.
He said to his wife, shall we receive good at the hand of God
and shall we not receive evil? Whatever the storm is, it is
designed by God for your good. He chastens us, not for his pleasure,
but for our profit. He is a good father, a wise father,
a gracious father. and he will never cause his child
a needless tear. He will never cause his child
a needless tear. I think it was Cowper who wrote
these words. Bastards may escape the rod,
sunk in earthly vain delight, but the true born child of God
may not, must not, if he might. Trials Make the promise sweet. Trials give new life to prayer. Trials bring me to his feet. Lay me low and keep me there. And whatever it is that gives
new life to prayer, brings me to his feet and lays me low and
keeps me there is good for me. Thank God for whatever it is
by which he graciously forces me to bow at his throne and seek
his grace. And third, the Lord will sustain
you. He will see you through the trial
and he will see you through that trial to a good end. We read
in the 107th Psalm of how the Lord led Israel through the wilderness. And we often talk about how crooked
that way was. They just, they went this way
and that way and this way and that way, all the while going
to the promised land. And it's just a few day journey.
It took them 40 years to get there. But this is what God says
about the whole 40 years. He led them forth by the right
way. He led them forth by the right
way. Hear me, my brother. Hear me,
my sister. all the days of your life. The Lord God has led you by the
right way. And He will continue by the taking
you by His right hand. He will continue to lead you
by the right way. So leave all to Him. Leave your life to God. Leave it to Him to determine
what's best for you and be assured He will do what's best for you.
All things are of God and He does all things well. The gospel
doesn't promise sinners health and happiness and prosperity. Nowhere, nowhere. If I told you
that believing on the Lord Jesus will make your life a happy,
easy life and bring peace to your family and everything will
just be rose colored from then on, I'd be lying to you. And
these preachers, health, wealth, prosperity, preachers of our
generation who teach such are lying, deceitful men. They're
lying only to get what they can from you. The gospel doesn't
promise anything in this world for God's people except tribulation. That's all it promises. But it
promises eternal life, eternal salvation, the blessedness of
everlasting glory with Christ our Redeemer, perfect righteousness,
complete forgiveness, acceptance with God, permanent acceptance
with God, all in Jesus Christ our Redeemer. Blessed be God. Faith in Christ shields us from
the wrath of God, but it doesn't shield us from the storms of
life. As a matter of fact, the Apostle
Paul writes by divine inspiration in Philippians 129 and says,
to you it is given in the behalf of Jesus Christ, not only to
believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake. God gives you faith,
with that faith God gives heartache. As God gives you faith in his
Son, with that faith God sends trouble, tribulation and pain
by which he tries and proves and strengthens the faith. Second,
this event on the Sea of Galilee shows us that God our Savior
is a real man. I stress that great deal I realized
the last several months. God our Savior is a real man. When the waves began to break
upon the ship we read in verse 38 that our Lord Jesus was in
the hinder part of the ship asleep on a pillow. What a picture. What a picture. You remember
when he came in John 4 to Jacob's well and sat down by the well
and said to the Samaritan, give me some water. I'm thirsty. I'm thirsty. There he sat, God
Almighty, who holds all the waters of the earth in the palm of his
hand. He said to that woman, I'm thirsty.
Because this one who is our Savior, this one who is our God, is a
real man. Like us in all things, sin alone
excepted. He had been preaching all day
long. All day preaching. And when he
got done, he was exhausted. He was tired. He was tired. Not
that preaching itself is physically exhausting work. But the strain,
the weight of speaking God's word to eternity bound men, that's
exhausting. He'd been preaching the gospel
all day long to crowds. And he got into this ship going
to take care of another man's needs, going to heal this gathering
on an errand of mercy, but he's exhausted. So he lays down in
the back part of this ship on a pillar. And that thing is,
if he hadn't been plumb exhausted, the storm would have awakened
him like that. How many times do you go through
a storm in your well-secured house? The wind blowing and the
winds beating against the wall of the house and suddenly you
wake up, what's going on? But our Lord was sound asleep
in the back of that ship, a tired, tired man. Why does God tell
us that? Because the Lord God would have
us to understand that He who redeemed us at Calvary is truly
a man like us. He who is God our Savior is the
perfect man, Christ Jesus our Lord. Turn to Hebrews chapter
two. Because our Savior is a real
man, He is able to save unto the uttermost them that come
to God by Him. And He's able to understand,
to feel, and sympathize with the experiences of His people
in this world. Look at Hebrews 2 verse 17, Wherefore
in all things it behooved Him to be made like unto his brethren,
that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things
pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of his people. For
in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to
succor them that are tempted." That word, succor, what a blessed
word. It means help, but it means more
than that. It means to help with compassion,
to help with feeling, to succor them that are tempted. Because
the Lord Jesus is a man like us, bone of our bone and flesh
of our flesh, he's a sympathizing priest who is touched with the
feeling of our infirmities. God, your Savior, knows what
you're going through. He's been there. And whatever
touches you, touches Him. I can't say that like I wish
I could. Whatever touches you, touches
Him. He knows the heart of man, the
pains of a man's body, the difficulties of a man's life, even the fears
of a man as he lives in this world. For he is a man, a man
just like us. Listen to this. In the days of
his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications
with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save
him from death, he was heard in that he feared. What a word, what a word. Whatever it is that touches you,
touches Him. You can't feel a pain. You can't know a sorrow. You can't know a need that our
Savior doesn't know and feel. In all their afflictions, He
was afflicted, the prophet tells us. A few weeks ago, Shelby and I
were watching Will play in a basketball tournament, and he took a pretty
hard fall, and he got a neck about that long, and when he
fell, his head hit that court, and I had to look away, make
sure she didn't see me, because I couldn't hardly keep from crying.
I felt the pain. Well, you weren't there to feel
anything. No, but that's my grandson, and he can't hurt without me
hurting. That's a very weak, insignificant comparison. Whatever
it is that touches you, touches Him. Therefore He says, We have
not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeding of
our infirmities, but was in all points tempted like as we are,
yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly
to the throne of grace. Come with absolute freedom and
confidence. that we may obtain mercy and
find grace to help in time of need. I want so much for us to
get hold of this. Our Savior lived as a real man. He was tempted as a real man. He bore in his body our sins
on the tree as a real man. He died as a real man. He sits
in heaven today as a real man and rules the universe as a man
touched with the feeling of our infirmities. A man full of compassion
for us who are his people living in this world. Number three. clearly shows us in this passage
that there is much evil and sin in the strongest believer. We don't need proof of this for
ourselves, you know it. But we seem not to think this
to be the case with others. We recognize something of evil
in ourselves, but we tend to think others shouldn't be like
we are. The fact is, these disciples,
these faithful men, These bold men. These men who swam against
the tide the whole time they followed the Savior in this world.
These men who ran constantly against the trend of public religious
opinion. These bold faithful men. When
they were in that ship, in that storm, they were full of fear. They said, Master, carest thou
not that we perish? They should have known better.
They should have believed more. They should have trusted more.
But I'm going to tell you a little something I have learned. Fear
has no logic. You can't reason with fear. These
poor men heard the wind and they saw the waves and they felt the
waters and they felt the ship shaking beneath them. And they
quickly forgot everything they had seen and heard and learned
and experienced in the previous three years. Like that, he's gone. I mean,
like that. Everything was out the window.
They forgot it all. How like them we are. I offer no excuse for any man's
sin and unbelief. Not mine, not yours, not theirs. But I do want to help you if
I can. Even when you stumble and fall
in unbelief, for even the greatest examples of faith given in the
Scripture had horrific fits of unbelief. Abraham, that man who
is the father of the faithful, that man who is the example of
faithfulness and faith, when he was before Abimelech in Abimelech's
land, feared feared and said, Sarah, you tell him you're my
sister, not my wife. He might kill me to get you.
Elijah. Oh, I'd like to be a tithe to
the man he was, wouldn't you? Elijah. That man stood before the prophets
of Baal on Mount Carmel and he defied everyone of them. He stood alone for God in the
midst of a whole apostate group of people. And then he fled like
a little child in fear from Jezebel. David, the man after God's own
heart, the giant slayer, was overtaken for a time by fear
and unbelief. He said, I shall one day perish
by the hand of Saul. Peter. He's in the garden with
the Lord Jesus and come out to take him and arrest him and Peter
takes out his sword. It was just a fisherman's knife
and he starts to attack the high priest servant, cut off his ear.
And the next night in Pilate's judgment hall, he trembles before
a little girl. You see, there's not much to
you and there's not much to me except sin. There's not much
else to us. Sometimes the Lord leaves his
children for a season like he did Hezekiah. You remember what
scripture says about Hezekiah? God left him to try him that
he might know all that was in his heart. Sometimes God leaves us to ourselves
for a little while. to teach us what we are. Just
see it. Just see it. We need to be constantly
reminded that salvation is by grace alone. That our only righteousness
is Jesus Christ. Our only redemption is his blood. And we need to learn to be patient,
forbearing, long-suffering, and forgiving with one another. Brethren,
if a man be overtaken in a fault, Ye which are spiritual, restore
such one in the spirit of meekness. Help him. Considering thyself,
lest thou also be tempted, bear ye one another's burdens, and
so fulfill the law of Christ. Let us never conclude that someone
is an unbeliever, has no grace because he has much sin. The
fact is there are spots in the sun, but we still walk in the
sun's light and enjoy its warmth. There's never been any gold found
in this world that didn't have dross, but I've never known a
man to despise the gold because of the dross. Diamonds have their
flaws, but no one throws away the diamond because it has a
flaw. Should we not cherish God's people? God's people. In spite of their falls, in spite
of their faults, in spite of their difficulties, indeed even
the more in the realization of those things, for Christ loved
them, and redeemed them, and called them, and made them His,
so that they, like us, just as you say, are as He is. And they are to be esteemed by
us in just that way. God make me quick, to see grace
and slow to see sin in my brethren. It's shameful, utterly shameful. But it is a fact that you and I, God's people
in this world, believers, sinners saved by God's grace, are far
more quick to see, observe, and talk about another's faults,
his weaknesses, his failures, his shortcomings. Something we
see, he shouldn't have done that, shouldn't have said that, shouldn't
have, he shouldn't have. Merle, why are we so quick to
see those things and so slow to observe the good? I'll tell
you why. because we are by nature proud,
sinful, self-righteous creatures. And the Lord God sometimes, as
He did Hezekiah, leaves us to ourselves for a season so that
we might know what is in us, so that we might know all our
heart. Here's the fourth thing. Our Lord Jesus Christ has the
power to calm your storm. In verse 39, we're told that
he arose and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, peace be
still. And the wind ceased and there
was a great calm. He who is our savior is a savior
you can trust. He's proved it over and over
again. He maketh the storm a calm so
that the waves thereof are still. Doubt anything else if you must,
but never doubt the power and grace and goodness of our Redeemer. He who has all power is able
to do all things. What manner of man is this that
even the wind and the sea obey him? The Lord Jesus speaks peace
to chosen sinners overwhelmed by the storm of God's wrath.
And he who can do that speaks peace and calm in the storms
that terrify our souls. And he will speak peace and calm
in the storm that rages in your heart, even when he leaves you
in the stormy sea. Cast your care on Him, for He
careth for you. Cast all your care on Him, for
He careth for you. Continually be casting all your
care on Him, for He careth for you. The Lord Jesus can calm
your storm. And then learn this. Our great
Savior is a very tender master. We read here in Mark 4, when
the disciples came in their unbelief, in their fear, Master, carest
thou not that we perish? If it had been me, oh, I would
have skinned them. I'd have skinned them. I'd have
raked them over. I know myself. But our Master,
so tender. He does speak a word of rebuke,
but it's Such a tender word that it doesn't have a tinge of anger,
not the slightest threat of punishment, not even a hint of disgust. He
just asked them two things. Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith? It's as though he had said, there's
no reason for your fear. There's no reason for your unbelief.
Haven't I proved that to you? I'm with you. I've taken care
of you all this time you've been following me. I've fed you and
clothed you. I've provided everything for
you. I've protected you. I've taken care of you. Why are
you so fearful? There's not any reason for that.
Let all the world know this. Our Lord Jesus will never cast
off his own. because of their sin and their
falls and their fears and their unbeliefs. Neither should we. Why are you so fearful, my brother? Why so fearful, my sister? Why? How is it that you have
no faith anytime, in any circumstance? The other night coming home from
Alabama, Shelby and I, The car broke down in the middle of the
night, down below Liberty, and getting late. And four hours
later, finally got a wrecker to come pick us up, standing
out there on the side of the road in the middle of nowhere. And as we got in
the car, actually got in the truck, the wrecker pulling us
home, Shelby said, the Lord God fixes it so that a dog shall
not move against you. Dog will not bark against my
people. No, no harm come to God's own in any circumstance. Several years ago, Brother Mayhem
down in Mexico in the Chiapas Highlands with Brother Milton
Howard, his wife Claudia, several folks in the truck, they're going
to one of the mission points preaching We washed out the roads
and narrow, narrow mountain roads like you only see in those third
world places. And some of the ladies in the vehicle were getting
real distressed and excited. Milton was driving the truck
and just pitch dark. Henry said, Milton, if you don't
mind, stop the truck. He said, now you all listen to me. We're
here doing what God sent us to do, to preach the gospel of his
grace. And he is worthy of our trust. Be calm. Everything's all right. Hear me, children of God. Whatever
the storm, be calm. Everything's all right. He who loved you and gave himself
for you is the ruler of the storm. He sends it when he will. Put you in it. for as long as
he will. Brings you through it as he will. And when the work is done, he
will say, peace, be still. And there'll be perfect calm.
For he is the ruler of the storm. Amen.