Scripture: Mark 4:35 – 41; Isaiah 41:10
Theme: Dealing With Worry/Fear
Title: Do We Trust God?
INTRO:
Grace and peace from God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit.
Have you ever been afraid this morning? Have you ever been terrified? Have you ever had a time when something scared you so bad that it seemed as if you couldn’t move, breath or even think?
Did you know that over 19 million people in the United States suffer with a debilitating phobia? Not just a minor fear but a debilitating fear, but a fear that often takes over their whole lives. Some of those phobias or fears include things like:
Claustrophobia: Fear of being in constricted, confined spaces
Aerophobia: Fear of flying
Arachnophobia: Fear of spiders
Hypochondria: Fear of becoming ill
Zoophobia: Fear of animals
Aquaphobia: Fear of water
Acrophobia: Fear of heights
Tunnel phobia: Fear of tunnels
Phobias are not to be trifled with or taken lightly. Doctors tell us when people have to face their fears it can lead to some serious physical, emotional and even spiritual consequences. People have reported the following things happening to them when they become overwhelmed with fear:
Intense sweating Irregular breathing Accelerated heartbeat
Uncontrollable trembling Hot flushes or chills A choking sensation
Chest pains or tightness Nausea Dry mouth
Confusion Disorientation Migraine headaches
Although not mentioned in those above the disciples in our passage this morning seemed for a least a little while, had to deal with the phobia labeled Astraphobia – or the fear of storms, mainly lightning and thunder. The Bible tells us that they were scared, horrified and terrified.
And if those certain phobias are not enough to deal with there are all kinds of scary things that can happen in our lives –
- Things like those little noises that happen around our homes when no one else is there causing us to wonder what is going on or if someone is roaming around without our permission.
-The threat of a bad medical report – finding out that our health is failing.
- The thought of losing control over our own lives – not being able to be independent.
- The fear of not being able to drive anymore and having to rely on others to get us from point A to point B.
- The fear of running out of money and not being able to meet our financial obligations.
-The fear of becoming alone and isolated.
-The fear of the death of a loved one, spouse or other family member
All of those things are serious fears that at one time or the other each one of us may have had to experience. None of them are to be taken lightly, whether it is a phobia we suffer from or something else that brings fear and dread into our lives.
Our Lord Jesus knew all about worry, fear and anxiety. He knew what it meant to be around those who suffered from such things. And in our story this morning we see that the Holy Spirit shares with us a couple of quick things that I believe that can help us deal with our times of worry, fear, anxiety and dread. So, let’s take a few moments and look at them:
I. We need to always remember that Our Lord is Sovereign
Sometimes one of the best ways to read a passage of scripture is to read the end of it and then go back and see what fits.
In this particular passage the disciples after everything was over asked a very important question -
“Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?”
That was a really great question. After all, how many times have you been in a boat that was being rocked by a violent thunderstorm and had one of your fellow passengers get up, raised their voice and suddenly the rain, the wind and the sea obeyed them and become still. I have never had that happen and I am pretty sure the majority of us here today have never experienced that magnitude of a miracle.
Why did the sea obey this man named Jesus of Nazareth?
Why did the wind obey this young rabbi named Jesus?
Why did the rain obey this young carpenter named Jesus?
In short, because Jesus was not just a man from Nazareth, a young rabbi or even a carpenter – The Bible tells us that Jesus is LORD – the Bible tells us that Jesus is Sovereign – that is to say, Jesus is the Great I Am – Jesus Is All Powerful – there is nothing or no one greater than our LORD Jesus Christ.
Now, don’t gloss over this fact.
Don’t just say – Oh, okay. Jesus is Lord. Jesus is part of the Trinity – Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Let it sink in down to the depths of your heart, mind and soul.
Listen to what the Bible says about our Lord – the Father, Son and Holy Spirit:
"He is before all things, and in him all things hold together" (Colossians 1:17).
“'I am the LORD, the God of all mankind. Is anything too hard for me?'" (Jeremiah 32:27).
"The earth is the LORD’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it; for He founded it on the seas and established it on the waters" (Psalm 24:1-2).
"The LORD does whatever pleases Him, in the heavens and on the earth, in the seas and all their depths" (Psalm 135:6).
“For God is the King of all the earth; sing praises with a song” – Psalm 47:7
One of the things that we have to get our heads wrapped around and understand it down to the depths of our bones is that fact that our LORD is both Creator and Sovereign of all.
Our Lord is King, He is Lord of Lords, He is the Creator and there is no power above Him. There is nothing greater or more powerful than our LORD.
All the power that we see on our earth is power that has been either been given, inherited or forcibly taken. For example:
+ Our President (United States) has power because we as a people have elected him/her. It is not absolute power. It is limited by our constitution and it has an expiration date – either four years or eight years but no more than eight years.
+ Some Monarchies – Kings and Queens. There are those in the world who have been given their power by just being born. Some of these like the monarchy ruling in Saudi Arabia seem to have what could be called absolute power. But even their power is limited to only their lifespan and there are times when they must make sure that they protect themselves against enemies who want to topple them.
+And then there are those who have either bullied their way or forced their way into power like Alexander the Great or the Roman Caesars of old.
In all those cases those who are in power may think that they are Sovereign but once a period of 60 – 70 – 80 years has passed then the only thing that that person is ruling is rust and dust. We humans are quite moral are we not?
However, there is no power above God – Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
They are everlasting. They have always existed and will always exist. No one gives them their power – They are not elected nor did they bully their way – They Just Are – They Are GOD – God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
There has never been a time when God has not been Sovereign. It is just who God is – He is Supreme Ruler – King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
And while we may not think that it is fair and just or we may have our own little opinions about all of this it really doesn’t matter. What God says is what goes. How God rules is how it is going to be ruled.
Those that choose to disobey God have Hell to pay – both figuratively and literally.
Let’s get back to our story.
Lordship and Sovereignty is why the wind and the waves obeyed Jesus. It is why the rain obeyed Jesus. Creation understands who is Sovereign and who is not. Creation has to obey its LORD.
If it doesn’t then it receives what Jesus tells it to do in 39 – “Peace, be still!”
Actually, those words are a little more commanding than what we find in the NKJV or even the ESV. The words at their most basic meaning are more like this – “PUT A MUZZLE ON IT.” - HUSH! STOP! DON’T MAKE ANOTHER SOUND.
It had been a full day for Jesus. He had taught all day and when he wasn’t teaching his disciples were asking him to explain what he had been teaching. The Bible tells us that Jesus taught in parables – parables like
+The Parable of the Sower – Mark 4:1-9
+The Parable of the Seed Growing – Mark 4:26-29
+The Parable of the Mustard Seed – Mark 4:30-34
Each time that Jesus spoke, there would be those whose hearts received His message and understood exactly what Jesus was teaching.
Some would shake their head and go away confused because they would not listen to the Holy Spirit or put their faith in Jesus and so it went over their heads or around their ears so to speak.
A lot of times Jesus’ disciples were somewhere in the middle. They believed in Jesus but they just didn’t trust Him fully. They like his words, were amazed by his miracles and enjoyed their times together, but, sometimes they just had hard hearts and hard heads.
So, after Jesus would tell a parable some would get the meaning and others wouldn’t. Some didn’t want Jesus to take the time to explain it to them further. They wanted Jesus to make it all milk and no meat. They wanted everything to be given to them on a silver platter where they wouldn’t have to think, study or contemplate.
Now, Jesus was on the boat resting. He was tired. It had been a long day and he grabbed a pillow and went to sleep. You get the feeling that He didn’t want to be bothered until they reached the other side of the Sea of Galilee.
However, before they could get to the other side the Bible tells us that a violent storm came up and pretty soon the disciples were scared for their lives. This was not some ordinary storm. This was the mother of all storms. And even though Peter, James, John and Andrew were seasoned fishermen there was something about this storm that terrified them.
Have you ever been that scared – not just a little frightened but I mean really scared?
It’s one thing to know that certain things cause other people to be afraid but it’s quite another when it is you that is faced with
+A bad medical report +The possibility of losing your job
+Experiencing your own money problems
+The threat of your loved one dying
+Your marriage heading towards a divorce
+ Or some other Major Life Change that you are not welcoming
When things like that hit our lives or the lives of our loved ones one of the best things that we can do is to remind ourselves first of all that the LORD, the God we serve – the One that rescued us, redeemed us and lives within us not some god among gods. He is not some minor deity.
He is All Powerful – not some powerful or powerful today and maybe not tomorrow. He has all Authority and Power – Here on this Earth, in all of Heaven and in all of Creation.
And He is LOVE – He is Holy – He Loves Us – We are His Children
There is nothing that Our God can’t handle. There is no problem either too big or too small. There is nothing that is smarter than He is. There is nothing to great for our GOD.
We need to take that fact – whenever we find ourselves worried or becoming afraid and put it on the front windshield of our lives. We need to look up and connect with the ONE who is ALL POWERFUL – Who is the LORD of LORDS and KING OF KINGS.
II. We Need to Understand that our LORD is Faithful and True
You see, God is not only All Powerful, He is Faithful and True. Everything God says is True and we can place our full trust and faith in God.
Revelation 3:14 ESV
14 Write to the angel of the church in Laodicea: The words of the AMEN, the Faithful and True Witness . . .”
Revelation 19:11-16 (MSG)
A White Horse and Its Rider
11-16 Then I saw Heaven open wide—and oh! a white horse and its Rider. The Rider, named Faithful and True, judges and makes war in pure righteousness. His eyes are a blaze of fire, on his head many crowns. He has a Name inscribed that’s known only to Himself. He is dressed in a robe soaked with blood, and he is addressed as “Word of God.” The armies of Heaven, mounted on white horses and dressed in dazzling white linen, follow him. A sharp sword comes out of his mouth so he can subdue the nations, then rule them with a rod of iron. He treads the winepress of the raging wrath of God, the Sovereign-Strong. On his robe and thigh is written, King of Kings, Lord of Lords.
Focus for a moment on two words that we read in Revelation 19:11-16 – the words FAITHFUL AND TRUE. They are powerful words that point to the same truth. To be faithful means that you are true and when you are true then people can put their faith in you.
At least that is what we tell our children. As long as they tell us the truth we will put our faith in them. However, once they have lied to us we begin to be hesitant in putting our faith in them. We begin to no longer believe in them; to trust them.
It is the reason we have such a hard time with certain salesmen and certain people who work with the law. We don’t always believe their words and therefore we don’t fully put our faith in them.
We trust something that is true. We have faith in something or someone that has integrity. We trust something or someone that has proven time and time again to be true – real, proper and spot on.
Well, this morning there is nothing or no one more true than God. The more you know God the more you know you can trust God. The Bible tells us over and over again that God cannot lie:
Numbers 23:19: “God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?”
Hebrews 6:18: “[I]t is impossible for God to lie.”
James 1:17-18: “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.”
God is the only being who is incapable of lying.
Everything that the LORD said would happen has happened—just as He said it would. Since God knows all things past, present, and future (and since He is completely honest), it is impossible for Him to speak lies/untruths. The LORD has never “gone back” on a promise. God has never lied—He has never even made an “honest mistake. He has never been tempted to lie.
Sometimes it is hard for us to believe all of this because, well frankly, we lie – whether it is what we would like to call a little “white lie” or an all out “black lie”. We lie. We tend to bend the truth. We lie at times to get ourselves out of trouble. We lie to not hurt someone’s feelings. We lie to stay in power and control. We lie when we become afraid.
But who and what we are, is not who and what God is. God will not lie. God does not lie. He will not tell us a “white” lie and He will not tell us a “black” lie. If we are His, then He will tell us. If we are not His, He will tell us. God is truth. God is true. And God is faithful. Not just today, not just tomorrow but every day and all days and forever and ever.
The more you serve God, the more you read His Word and the more time you spend time with God the more you understand that you can trust God and therefore put all your faith in God.
This is what we read about in Psalm 23. This song was written by David when he was king. It had been years since he had been in the sheep fields and had taken care of a flock of sheep. But what he learned in those sheep fields never left him. He knew he could trust God, he knew he could put his faith in God.
When he needed rest, David knew there would be some green grass and a cool spring. When he needed protection he knew he could count on God’s rod and staff. When he needed his fears relieved through the valley of the shadow of death he knew God would by his side all the way.
David might not have been able to see or feel God each and every day but God was there watching over him, protecting him and loving him. And what God did for David He is willing to do for us if we ask Him.
But you might say, there have been times when I just knew that God had left me all by myself.
It is during those times that what is actually happening is represented in this little film entitled “ABANDONED”. Let’s watch it.
(See the video -Abandoned | A Messenger Short Film
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yrOoJ_iEWoE&feature=youtu.be&fbclid=IwAR0A1Kt3lzdvln_nKMdWWs4gSu4fnXiebHPsq5JL92A8QQtBdreOqIHbsAg )
Did you notice that even when his daughter didn’t think her father cared that the direct opposite was true? That his heart broke over his daughter’s illness. That he spent his time helping her the best way that he could. That she was never without him watching over her and protecting her.
That is the same way it is with our GOD. We have never been abandoned. We are never alone. God is always there watching over us, helping us and caring deeply for us.
This morning, when you go through difficulties, when your find yourself worried or anxiety ridden, when you find yourself even terrified – don’t try to go through it alone – understand that God is right there with you. He is all powerful. He can be trusted and He is faithful.
Now, it doesn’t mean that we will never face tough times. The disciples here were facing the mother of all storms. The daughter in our video was facing a life of blindness.
It doesn’t mean that we will always have peaceful settings and calm waters. We live in a sin sick world and we live in a world in which our sins have caused damage to everything – every creature, every rock and stream, every person and even to the weather – when we sinned in the Garden – everything came under a curse.
But that should not cause us to despair. For in the midst of all of that, Jesus came, died for us and promised us His Holy Spirit.
And in closing it is always vital that we remember Jesus’ first words and last words – especially as we look at this passage:
+Go back to Mark 4:35 and see what Jesus says –
“Let us go across to the other side.”
+Now go back to Mark 4:40
“Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith (trust)? (IN ME)
Jesus had promised them that they would get over to the other side – and when Jesus makes a promise He makes good on that promise.
His last words are words not only for those 12 but for us as well – Have we no faith in Jesus today?
+He promises us that He will be with us until the end of the age.
“ … an lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” – Matthew 28:20b
+He promises us the comfort, the companionship and the guidance of His Holy Spirit. – John 14; John 17
+He promises us an abundant life.
“I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” – John 10:10
+He promises us that He will be with us even through the shadow of death – our death. – Psalm 23
+He promises us a new resurrection, a new body and a new home on the New Earth – 1 Thessalonians 4; Revelation 21-22
Today, this morning, do we still believe Him?
Do we still believe that God is All Powerful – that there is nothing that God can’t do?
Do we still believe in the God of miracles?
Do we still believe that God can stand up in our lives and hush the storms around us?
Are we still putting our faith and trust in Him?
Do we believe that He is with us no matter what we believe the future holds?
In Isaiah 41:10 the LORD gives the Prophet a promise – a promise we need to take with us this week
“Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God, I will strengthen you. Yes, I will help you, I will hold you with My Righteous Right Hand.”
This Is God’s Word for us today – for our family today and for our friends today. Don’t go through life alone – in your own power and strength. Don't believe that you have to endure a life of fear, worry and anxiety. Don't believe that the storms that come into your life will win. Reach out and ask God to bring peace, to bring comfort and to make a way where you can see no way.
Call out to the LORD who is Our Waymaker!
Closing Song - Waymaker
Closing Prayer/Open Altar/Benediction
