When You Think You’re Going Under
Mark 4:35-41
We have all had that “sinking feeling,” haven’t we? We’ve all had our share of storms. There are various types of storms in life. 1. Situational storms. This is when circumstances seem to plot against you and everything seems to go wrong. Murphy’s law is in full force. Everything seems to go wrong at once. I felt like that last week when our new air conditioner blew up and it was 94 degrees out.
Then there are Relational storms. This is when there is tension between people, when a relationship has been strained to the breaking point - parent and child, husband and wife, brother and brother, brother and sister, friends – when those relationships are off balance, your life will be stormy.
And what about Emotional storms. These are often hidden on the surface. We wear a big smile, make jokes about our problems, but inside we’re boiling over in distress. A number of years ago there was a soap opera on television called “The Secret Storm.” That’s a good description of a lot of people. Many times there’s a storm going on inside of us that doesn’t even show. Paralyzed by fear. Overcome by guilt. Raging with anger. Consumed with worry or jealousy. Those are the emotional storms of life.
The Bible says three things about the storms of life that I want you to get before we look at the text. 1. Storms in life are inevitable. They will happen. You will experience them. If you’re not in a storm right now, just wait. You will be in a storm. They are a part of life. In James 1:2 it says "When you face trials..." It does not say “If you face trials.” Count on it! You will face storms in life. Nobody goes through life sailing easy from the cradle to the grave. We all will have tough times.
2. Storms are unpredictable. They come suddenly. They come unexpectedly. They are unpredictable. In today’s scripture lesson the Bible says that, "Without warning a furious storm came up". Try as we may, we cannot predict the things that will happen to us. People try all kinds of things to see if today’s going to be a good day or a bad day. They check their astrology reading in the paper or gauge it by the weather outside. But we can’t predict storms. They are unpredictable.
The third thing the Bible says about the storms of life is that storms are impartial. Storms are impartial. They happen to good people, they happen to bad people. They happen to believers, they happen to unbelievers. They happen to all of us.
Matthew 5:45 says, "He makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous." Being a Christian does not exempt us from being in storms.
Now, let’s look at this familiar passage together: (READ MARK 4:35-41)
There is a misconception that some people have, that the reason they have tough times is because they’re disobeying God. That’s not true. The disciples got into a storm because they obeyed God. (PAUSE) Jesus said, “Get in the boat.” They got in the boat and they sailed right into a storm. They were obeying God. They were in the center of His will. And they were right in the middle of a storm. When you’re going through a tough time, don’t automatically assume, “I must not be praying enough, I must not be doing God’s will.” You may be exactly where God wants you to be.
The fact is, God has not promised us a storm-free life. This is not heaven, where everything is perfect and where God’s will is perfectly done. That’s why we’re to pray, "Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven" because it’s done perfectly in heaven. God has not guaranteed us a storm-free life.
So, if storms are inevitable and unpredictable, and impartial, then the issue really becomes what is my response going to be to the storms that are inevitably, unpredictably, and impartially going to happen in my life?
There are two ways we can respond to storms. They are seen in this story in the way the disciples responded and in the way that Jesus responded. One responded in fear, one responded in faith. One trembled, the other trusted.
When we face a storm, 1. WE CAN BE FILLED WITH PANIC. God’s Word says, "The disciples woke Christ up and said, `Don’t you care that we are going to drown here?" These guys were not new to the sea. They’d been through many storms, but this one had them scared. “We are goners! We’re gonna die!” That shows the intensity.
It says they panicked. They got uptight. They got afraid. That is our typical reaction when a storm comes, isn’t it. But there is an alternative to being filled with panic. When we face a storm, 2. WE CAN BE FILLED WITH PEACE. Look at the contrasting reaction of Jesus in v. 38 "But Jesus was asleep on a pillow." Sleeping in a storm? You talk about peace!
This also shows the humanity of Jesus--that He got tired. After a full day of ministering, teaching and preaching, He was exhausted. He lays down and He takes a nap. If you’ve ever wondered if Jesus can identify with your fatigue, this answers that question.
But more than that, I think this is a picture of complete trust in God. Jesus was not worried at all by the storm. He was setting an example by the very fact of His sleep, teaching a lesson to His disciples.
Did Jesus know there was going to be a storm before He even got into the boat? Without a doubt! Of course He knew. He knew they were sailing right into a storm. But He says, “I’m going to take a nap.” Jesus is so cool! He knows exactly what’s going to happen yet He says, “By the way guys, I’m beat! I’m going to go up into the comfortable stern of the boat and take a nap.” It’s part of His plan to teach the disciples—and us—a lesson about faith.
Nothing ever surprises God. “God, I’m going bankrupt!” He knows. “God, my marriage is falling apart!” He saw it coming. Nothing ever surprises Him. If we could just believe that, and not doubt, our faith alone would protect us from the worst of our storms.
But we forget so easily! How do you make it through a storm? When it seems like your ship is sinking, what do you do? The answers are simple but they are profound, so profound you may want to write them down: 1. Remember God’s presence. 2. Rest in God’s care. 3. Rely on God’s divine protection.
1. REMEMBER GOD’S PRESENCE. Remember that He is near you, that He is with you, that you are not by yourself. The disciples had nothing to fear. Jesus was in the boat!! Do you think God was going to let the boat sink with Jesus in it? That in alone should have calmed them down. Jesus Christ was there with them, experiencing the storm with them. If you’re going to make it through a storm, the first lesson you’ve got to learn is this: God is always with me.
Say that out loud: GOD IS ALWAYS WITH ME. What? GOD IS ALWAYS WITH ME.
There will be nothing you will face the rest of your life that you need to face alone. God is with you. Jesus is in your boat. We tend to forget that in storms. We think we’re all alone. We think that God is far away.
God has promised every believer, "Lo, I am with you always." Isaiah 43:1-3 is one of my personal favorites when I feel alone: "But…thus says the Lord, he who created you…he who formed you…Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you, and through the rivers, they will not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned and the flame shall not consume you. For I am the Lord your God…"
Every one should jot that down in the front of your Bibles: Isaiah 43:1-3. What a promise! What a comfort! You don’t need to worry if Jesus is in your boat, no matter how hard it is rocking, he won’t let you drown.
2. REST IN GOD’S CARE. This is the second great lesson that we must learn if we’re going to make it through storms: God cares about what I go through. Repeat this over and over until you get it in your mind: God cares about what I’m going through! “I created you, I formed you, I have redeemed you, YOU ARE MINE,” God says.
There are over 7000 promises in the Bible, read them and then try to tell me God doesn’t care. He cares! 1 Peter 5:7 - "Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you." The one thing that the disciples did right in our scripture lesson today is that when they did become afraid, they took their fear to Jesus. Why? Because He’s the only one who can do anything about it.
3. WE MUST LEARN TO RELY ON GOD’S DIVINE PROTECTION. Let His power see you through. Mark 4:39 says "Jesus got up, rebuked the wind and said to the sea, ‘Peace! Be still!’ Then the wind ceased and there was a dead calm." Jesus stood up in the boat in the middle of the storm and said, “Quiet! Be still!” and instantly, it was quiet.
The disciples had seen Jesus do one miracle after another. They, of all people, should have known He was competent and capable to handle this situation too. There was no need to be afraid. If you’re going to make it through the storms in life: Know that God is in control. God is with me, God cares about what I’m going through, and God is in control. There is nothing beyond the control of God. We don’t understand the storms. There are many things we’re not going to understand until we get to heaven. But God is in control.
SAY THAT OUT LOUD: GOD IS IN CONTROL.
Before they got into the boat, Jesus said to the disciples, “We’re going to the other side.” Now the very fact that He said we’re going to the other side, means it was inevitable that they were going to the other side. He didn’t say it would be an easy trip. He didn’t say they wouldn’t get wet. He didn’t say they wouldn’t have a scare, a problem in the middle. He just said, “We’re going to the other side.” And if He said it, they were going to make it.
Notice that Jesus said to the disciples, “Why are you afraid? Have you still no faith?” Jesus told the disciples two things: One, the root of your problem is fear. Two, the solution to your problem is faith. The greatest threat to the lives of the disciples was not the storm. It was their unbelief and fear of the storm. (PAUSE, THEN SOFTLY) The greatest threat to the lives of the disciples was not the storm. It was their lack of faith in Christ and fear of the storm.
The secret of our survival is faith. And it’s not the amount of faith you have. It’s what you put your faith in that makes all the difference. Everyone has faith. You have faith every time you get on the highways. You had faith when you ate breakfast this morning, that it wasn’t poisoned. Everyone has faith. It’s just what you put your faith in that makes the difference. You don’t need a lot of faith. Just a little faith will do. You put a little faith in a big God and you get big results. I think God is pleased when we go to our limits, and when we know it’s going to be impossible, because then He gets the opportunity to show His power. You’ve never really believed in God until you’ve done something that can’t be accomplished by human beings alone. Many Christians live lives that require no faith at all. The Bible says, “Without faith, it is impossible to please God.”
God knew in advance that the storm was going to be out there, so why did He let them go through it? Because He wanted them to learn a lesson. It’s the same lesson that all of us must learn, and the only way you learn it is by experience. Jesus can be trusted in the storms of life. The only way you’re going to learn that is to go through them and allow Jesus to be at your side.
If we never had problems, we’d never know that God could solve them, would we? It is when we respond to the storms in life with faith that we see God’s power, and sense His presence most intensely. The disciples really had no reason to fear. They had what every one of us has. They had the presence of Christ, the power of Christ, and the promise of Christ. You have to have those three things to make it through your storms.
What’s rocking your boat today? What’s flooding your ship? What kind of storm are you going through? Is it a strained relationship? Is it a financial difficulty? Is it a painful memory that’s got you so tied up that you can’t see anything else? Is it a health problem? Is it a secret sin, a secret storm? An emotion that’s overwhelming you? Guilt? Grief? Anger? Worry? Fear?
Maybe you feel like the circumstances of life are tossing you back and forth and you feel like you’re just a little toy boat out there in a big ocean and you’re getting bashed back and forth every day. And you’re thinking, “I’m going under! I’m not going to make it!”
If that’s the way you feel, then God wants to say to you today, “No matter how big the wave is, Jesus can rebuke it.” And He wants to calm the storm in your life. He wants to say, "Peace! Be still!" Only Jesus Christ can calm the restlessness in your life right now. Quit looking for someone else to be your solution. Quit looking to some experience to be your solution. There’s only One Person that can calm storms - Jesus Christ.
The Bible teaches us that storms are inevitable. They’re going to come. Storms are unpredictable. They come without warning. Storms are impartial. It doesn’t matter how good or bad you are, you’re going to experience them. But the other thing that the Bible teaches is that storms are temporary. They don’t last.
One last thought to take with you: Mark Twain and a friend walked outside one day in the rain. The friend said, “You think it will stop?” Mark Twain said, “It always does.” That’s true with any storm. You’ve got to go through it, but it’s not going to last forever.”
Some of you feel like you’re in a major storm right now and God’s word to you is, “Hang in there!” Keep on living. Don’t be afraid. The sun will shine again. There is hope. God is with you. He’ll get you through. You’ll make it to the other side - just like Jesus said.
Please pray:
Almighty, Omnipotent Father, I stand in awe of you. We give thanks that you have revealed yourself in the words of Scripture. Awaken a sense of hope and trust in us so that we can know that you are always there at our side. And when we forget, Lord, whisper in our ears, “God is in control.” Amen.
BENEDICTION:
To live is to risk dying.
To believe is to risk despair.
To try is to risk failure.
The person who risks nothing, does nothing, has nothing, is nothing.
They may avoid suffering and sorrow, but they cannot learn, feel, change, grow, love, live.
Go back to your lives this day, living in fullness, believing that God is in control, and trying because you know that God cares.
Amen.
Sources:
Author Keith Linkous
