Sermon #18 Series:
Mark
Title: THE VOYAGE
Text: Mark 4:35-41
Readings: Office:
Merle Hart Auditorium: Rex
Bartley
Subject: Christ’s Calming the Storm
Date: Sunday Evening - April 20, 1997
Tape # T-62
Introduction:
Mark 4:35-41 "And the same
day, when the even was come, he saith unto them, Let us pass over unto the
other side. (36) 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.
(37) And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the
ship, so that it was now full. (38) 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? (39) 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. (40) And he said unto them, Why are ye
so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith?
(41) And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, What manner of
man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?"
As our Lord Jesus and his disciples
were crossing the Sea of Galilee, a terrible storm arose. The disciples in the
panic of their terror, were filled with unbelief. When they cried out, “Master, carest thou not that we perish,” the
Lord Jesus arose, calmly rebuked their unbelief, and by the mere power of his
word calmed the sea and the storm.
Few, if any, of our Lord’s miracles
were so likely to leave his disciples with such an unforgettable, convincing
demonstration of his divine omnipotence. At least four of these men were
professional fishermen and skilled seamen. In all likelihood, Peter, Andrew,
James, and John were very familiar with the Sea of Galilee. They had probably
been exposed to its devastating and often fatal storms from their youth. Never,
not even in the greatest of our Lord’s other miracles, had they seen such power
as he demonstrated here. By the mere word of his mouth, our Savior stopped the
storm!
There
are many important lessons taught in these verses. We would be wise to ask the Spirit of God to frequently
remind us of them.
1.
Faith in and obedience to Christ do not exempt God’s saints
from the storms that other people face.
2.
The fact that our Lord was weary and required sleep
demonstrates clearly that he was a real man.
3.
The fact that the wind and sea obeyed his word demonstrated
our Redeemer’s complete deity. This Man is the Omnipotent God! The wind and the
sea knew the voice of their Creator! - Only One who is both God and man could
redeem us and save from our sins.
4.
The greatest saints in this world are still sinners; and the
strongest believers are sometimes filled with unbelief.
5.
Our Lord Jesus Christ is a tender, compassionate, forgiving
Savior. - “Why are ye so fearful? How is
it that ye have no faith?”
6.
Our Savior’s reason for everything he does is the salvation
of his elect. He went to the other side of the sea because there was a wild,
lost Gadarene on the other side for whom the fulness of time had come.
7.
All who are in the good ship Grace with Christ are perfectly
safe, as they pass through the stormy seas of this world.
Those seven lessons are a sermon in
themselves, a sermon that I frequently preach to you, in one way or another.
They bear frequent repetition. However, tonight, I want to use our text in
another way.
I want to use this event on the Sea of
Galilee as A Parable Of Every Believer’s Life. When the Son of
God enters the hearts of chosen sinners in his sovereign saving power and
grace, he brings us with himself into the church and kingdom of God, he brings
us with himself into the ship of
grace and salvation. As he does, he casts his eyes and ours across the waters
of time to the other side of the sea of life, and says, as, he did to his
disciples in our text, “Let us pass over unto the other side.”
If you will look with me at Psalm 107:23-31, you will see that I have a good, biblical
basis for using our text as a parable of our lives in this world.
Psalms 107:23-31 "They that go
down to the sea in ships, that do business in great waters; (24) These see the works of the LORD, and his wonders in the deep. (25) For he commandeth, and raiseth the
stormy wind, which lifteth up the waves thereof. (26) They mount up to the heaven, they go down again to the
depths: their soul is melted because of trouble. (27) They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man, and are
at their wit's end. (28) Then they
cry unto the LORD in their trouble, and he bringeth them out of their
distresses. (29) He maketh the storm
a calm, so that the waves thereof are still.
(30) Then are they glad because they be quiet; so he bringeth them unto
their desired haven. (31) Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children
of men!"
Proposition: The
believer’s life is a voyage across a troubled sea to our “desired haven” on the other side.
Divisions: Tonight,
I want to describe the believer’s life as it is portrayed parabolically in our
text as…
1.
A Voyage.
2.
A Voyage Across A Stormy Sea.
3.
A Voyage With Christ.
4.
A Voyage Marked By Miracles.
5.
A Voyage That Should Be Without Fear.
I.
First, I want you to
see that every believer’s life is A
VOYAGE.
As we embark on this voyage, the Son
of God takes us into the good ship Grace and says, “Let us pass over unto the other side.” Death is often spoken of
poetically as a passing over, the crossing of a sea or a river. We sing,
He will keep me `til the river
Rolls its waters t my feet,
Then He’ll bear me safely over,
Where my loved ones I shall meet.”
However,
this passing over the sea is not something we shall do some day. It is
something we do every day. We are, right now, passing over the sea of time unto
the other side. We are, right now, walking through the valley of the shadow of
death.
The sea is a fit emblem for our lives
and all the varied circumstances of our lives in this world. How quickly we
pass across the sea!
James 4:14 "What is your life? It is even a vapour, that
appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away."
Job 7:6 "My days are
swifter than a weaver's shuttle, and are spent without hope."
Job 9:25-26 "Now my days
are swifter than a post: they flee away, they see no good. (26) They are passed away as the swift ships: as the eagle that hasteth to the prey."
As I look into your faces, I think to
myself, “There go the ships, not painted
ships upon a painted sea, but immortal souls, rising and falling upon the
billows of time, disappearing one by one over the horizon of time into
eternity.” Soon, we must all pass over that horizon.
Perhaps, the horizon seems very far away to some of you. Do
not be so foolish. Soon, you will pass from this changing world of time into
the unchanging world of eternity. How
will it be for you in that day? How will it be for you in the swelling of the
Jordan?
II.
Secondly, Let
me show you that this life is not only comparable to a voyage, but it is A VOYAGE ACROSS A STORMY SEA.
Mark 4:37 "And there
arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was
now full."
We must often sail into the tempests
of sorrow, affliction, adversity, and grief; but Christ’s presence assures us
of safety no matter what the storm may be.
Notice: These disciples were not acting in disobedience. They followed the Master into the ship
at his command. Loyalty and obedience to Christ is often the surest
course to trouble. The path of faithfulness is always right through the eye of
the storm.
Though our storms are many and varied, basically, all our
trials and troubles in this world arise from two sources:
A.
The contrary winds of our circumstances without.
B.
The waves of sin and unbelief within.
Romans 7:14-24 "For we know
that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin. (15) For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I
not; but what I hate, that do I. (16) If
then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good. (17) Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in
me. (18) For I know that in me (that
is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find
not. (19) For the good that I would I
do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. (20) Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but
sin that dwelleth in me. (21) I find
then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. (22) For I delight in the law of God
after the inward man: (23) But I see
another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me
into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. (24) O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body
of this death?"
Psalms 73:1-3 "Truly God is good to Israel, even to such as are of a clean heart. (2) But as for me, my feet were almost gone; my steps had well
nigh slipped. (3) For I was envious
at the foolish, when I saw the
prosperity of the wicked."
Psalms 73:21-28 "Thus my heart
was grieved, and I was pricked in my reins.
(22) So foolish was I, and
ignorant: I was as a beast before
thee. (23) Nevertheless I am continually with thee: thou hast
holden me by my right hand. (24) Thou shalt guide me with thy
counsel, and afterward receive me to glory. (25) Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that
I desire beside thee. (26) My flesh
and my heart faileth: but God is the strength of my heart, and my
portion for ever. (27) For, lo, they
that are far from thee shall perish: thou hast destroyed all them that go a
whoring from thee. (28) But it is good for me to draw near to God: I
have put my trust in the Lord GOD, that I may declare all thy works."
III. Thirdly, Let me hasten to tell you that our life in this world is A VOYAGE WITH CHRIST.
A voyage, yes. A voyage through stormy
seas, yes. But, blessed be God, it is a voyage in the company and constant
presence, protection, and care of the Son of God, our Savior.
The Lord Jesus does not say, “Go over
to the other side and I will meet you there.” He said, “Let us pass over unto the
other side.” And, though “there arose a great storm, and the waves
beat into the ship, so that it was full,” we read that the Lord Jesus “was in the hinder part of the ship.” He was silent; but he was there.
So it is with us. Our Lord may appear to be asleep. He may be silent. It may
even appear at times, to our feeble, sinful hearts, that he does not care if we
perish! But he is always with us!
How I pray that God will teach me and
teach you to believe him. Did not our Savior say, “Lo, I am with you alway”? Did he not promise, “I will never leave thee” (Heb. 13:5)?
Isaiah 41:10 "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."
Isaiah 43:2 "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 shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon
thee."
Philippians 4:4-7 "Rejoice in
the Lord alway: and again I say,
Rejoice. (5) Let your moderation be
known unto all men. The Lord is at
hand. (6) Be careful for nothing; but
in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests
be made known unto God. (7) And the
peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds
through Christ Jesus."
IV. Fourthly, ours is A VOYAGE
MARKED BY MIRACLES.
Mark 4:39 "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."
The charismatics talk about miracles.
We experience them. They put on a show of sham tomfoolery; but God’s saints are
men and women whose biographies are histories of God’s miraculous works.
·
The Miracle Of Redemption
·
The Miracle Of Regeneration
“It took a miracle to put the world in place.
It took miracle to
hang the stars in space.
But when God saved my soul,
Cleansed and made me whole,
It took a miracle of love and grace!”
·
The Miracle Of The Resurrection
Still, there is more, much more to
consider. It is upon the dark
background of our great troubles that our Lord most clearly displays his
wondrous power and grace. It is in the fiery furnace of adversity that
we know the preserving power of his presence. It is only in the lions’ den that
we see the Lord’s dominion over the lions. The Lord God who is with us and for
us is the God who is able to deliver us. He is God alone. He is God indeed!
V. Now, in the last place, I want you to see that our voyage
with Christ across the stormy sea of life is A VOYAGE THAT OUGHT TO BE FREE OF FEAR. The voyage we are on
is a perfectly safe voyage.
Mark 4:40 "And he said
unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith?"
The disciples’ fear arose from their
unbelief. Fear is the rank weed of nature that grows wild in the soil of
unbelief. These poor disciples were so much like us. They should have been
perfectly calm. They were on the Master’s business. They were in the Master’s
presence. They had repeatedly seen and experienced the Master’s power. They should
have most reasonably looked to Christ; but they didn’t. Instead of looking to
the Lord God omnipotent, they looked at…
·
The Terrible Storm.
·
Their Own Weakness.
·
The Apparent Frailty Of Their Ship.
Let us, each one, take the Lord’s gentle rebuke personally.
As I prepared this message, I tried to apply it to myself. I hope God will
enable you to do the same. Our greatest difficulties, our greatest temptations,
our greatest falls are always the result of unbelief. Yet, unbelief on the part
of one who has experienced the saving power and grace of God in Christ is the
most absurd and unreasonable thing in the world. “Why are we so fearful? Why is it
that we have no faith?’
A.
Our Savior is the sovereign God of providence, omnipotent,
wise, and good.
B.
Christ is in the boat with us!
1.
He is in the
boat of your heart.
Colossians 1:27 "To whom God
would make known what is the riches
of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the
hope of glory:"
1 John 4:4 "Ye are of
God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in
you, than he that is in the world."
2.
The Son of God
is in the boat of his Church.
Deuteronomy 23:14 "For the LORD
thy God walketh in the midst of thy camp, to deliver thee, and to give up thine
enemies before thee."
Psalms 46:5 "God is in the midst of her; she shall not be
moved: God shall help her, and that right
early."
Revelation 2:1 "Unto the
angel of the church of Ephesus write; These things saith he that holdeth the
seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden
candlesticks."
The Church of God, the true Church, is
safe. She will pass over this sea. She will be brought to her desired haven.
She will reach the other side. Not one passenger aboard the good ship Grace
will be lost at sea.
3.
Christ is in
the boat of Holy Scripture.
His Word is forever settled in heaven. It cannot be broken.
All the shifting winds of pseudo-science and waves of unscholarly criticism
will not sink this vessel. We have no reason to fear the carpings of reprobate
men. The Word of God abides forever. When their laughter is turned to weeping
and their criticisms burn as fire in their souls, the Word of God will still be
forever settled in heaven!
4.
Our Lord Jesus
Christ is in the boat of Providence.
Not only is he in the boat, he is at the helm. We do not
trust providence, or worship providence (We are not Deists.); but the Lord God
almighty whom we do trust and worship is the God of providence; and we rejoice
to know it!
The Lord Jesus Christ, who is with us,
has the whole world in his hands. All power in heaven and earth is given unto
him. He holds the reins of universal dominion. This omnipotent God bids us cast
our care upon him with these assuring words, “For he careth for you!” He says to us, “Be not afraid, only believe.”
Application: Now,
let me finish by applying this story to you who are yet without Christ. I trust
that God has brought you into deep waters and begun to cause you to reel to and
fro like a drunken man by reason of your souls’ trouble.
1.
The storm of God’s wrath is beating your little boat.
2.
Cry out from your soul to Christ, the Master. Appeal to his
great compassion - “Carest thou not that
I perish?”
3.
May the Son of God now arise and speak peace to your troubled
heart.
4.
If he will speak by his Spirit, his word of grace will bring
great calm; and he will bring you to your desired haven!
Psalms 107:23-31 "They that go
down to the sea in ships, that do business in great waters; (24) These see the works of the LORD, and his wonders in the deep. (25) For he commandeth, and raiseth the
stormy wind, which lifteth up the waves thereof. (26) They mount up to the heaven, they go down again to the
depths: their soul is melted because of trouble. (27) They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man, and are
at their wit's end. (28) Then they
cry unto the LORD in their trouble, and he bringeth them out of their
distresses. (29) He maketh the storm
a calm, so that the waves thereof are still.
(30) Then are they glad because they be quiet; so he bringeth them unto
their desired haven. (31) Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children
of men!"
Psalms 107:42-43 "The righteous
shall see it, and rejoice: and all
iniquity shall stop her mouth. (43) Whoso
is wise, and will observe these things, even they shall understand the
lovingkindness of the LORD."
Amen.