Lord Of The Storm

When I was growing up in South Carolina I thought there was only one Great Lake and it was in the middle of South Carolina and its name was Lake Marion. It was indeed a great lake. At least I thought so every time my daddy would wake me up to go fishing. I would leap out of bed, already dressed because he had told me the night before to be ready to go early. We would leave home while it was still dark and stop for eggs and grits along the way. When the sun came up we were usually headed out on the lake in the boat for wherever he thought fishing might be the most productive. Most of the time we would leave the lake around noontime with our legal limit of crappie or at least a respectable catch for the day. Rarely did we go and not catch anything. It was during this season in my life that I first heard the phrase, “A bad day of fishing is better than a good day at work.” I don’t remember if it was my daddy that said it or someone at the boat landing or one of the folks that gathered before daylight in a southern restaurant. But one day we went fishing and I believe that my daddy would have rather been working. I know that day I would have preferred to have been cutting grass, washing cars, or delivering papers. That day was the day of the storm. It was the worst storm I had ever seen or heard tell of. It was the ultimate potentially bad day of fishing. We were overtaken by the most perfect granddaddy storm I had ever encountered. Storms on that lake often came unannounced but not altogether unexpected for some. Storms on the lake were part and parcel to life on the lake.
My daddy’s boat was a 14 foot aluminum water craft equipped with a small horsepower Evinrude outboard motor. It was a very small boat and could not compare to the high powered and custom equipped bass boats of today. There was no electronic sonar or high tech fish finders on board. Our fish finder was called Daddy! As I remember the fish were biting pretty good late in the morning and I didn’t notice the change in the weather. When my daddy told me to put away the fishing pole it didn’t make sense to me until I looked toward the other side of the lake. Black clouds had covered the area of the boat landing and the wind began to blow really hard. I was instructed to turn around in the boat and face him as he began to try to outrun the storm. I usually sat in the front of the boat and looked ahead to where we were going. This day he told me to look at him and hold on tight. So I did. I kept looking at him while the hail began to rain down upon our heads and the waves broke over the front of the boat and water began to swirl around my feet. That little boat became like a roller coaster as it rode the waves and several times the motor came all the way out of the water. I didn’t know how fearful and fierce the storm was because I was too busy watching my daddy’s face as he guided the boat to the other side of the lake. As the boat ran aground on the sandy shore, he scooped me up and we sat the storm out under the shelter of somebody’s lake house porch. As you can tell, I survived the storm. And I learned that the best way to survive when you’re in the midst of a storm is to focus on someone you can trust that can help you through it. Storms in life are part of life.
Mark’s Gospel is focused on chronicling the established authority of Jesus in these first four chapters. His authority is demonstrated to the disciples who followed Him, the multitudes who encountered Him, and these principles are preserved for Christ followers of all time. Let’s hear the word of the Lord for today:

On that day, when evening came, He said to them, “Let us go over to the other side.” Leaving the crowd, they took Him along with them in the boat, just as He was; and other boats were with Him. And there arose a fierce gale of wind, and the waves were breaking over the boat so much that the boat was already filling up. Jesus Himself was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke Him and said to Him, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?” And He got up and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Hush, be still.” And the wind died down and it became perfectly calm. And He said to them, “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?” They became very much afraid and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him? (Mark 4:35-41)

Sometimes it takes a perfect storm to recognize the Lord of the Storm.

I. GOD HAS A PLAN IN SPITE OF THE STORM. (35-36)

…He said to them, “Let us go over to the other side.”

The instruction of Jesus to His disciples is more than a desire for a boat ride. He was revealing the plan of God. Jesus was on mission, moving from one place to another. In most of chapter four, Christ has been teaching about the nature of the Kingdom of God. Now these kingdom principles were going to be put into practice. The King was going somewhere. The Kingdom of God is like a man sowing seed. The seed had been sown in the hearts of these men. On the lake with Him they would respond to life according to the faith that was growing within them. When disciples go with God they can reasonably expect they will be tested. The Kingdom of God is like a lamp that is lit, Jesus had said. The Kingdom of Light invades the Kingdom of Darkness. They were launching out onto the lake and into the dark. They were going to the other side. Jesus had an appointment with a representative of this dark and demonic realm. And darkness would not prevail. It is helpful to read the first verse of chapter 5 along with this directive to get a sense of the purpose of our Lord. …He said to them, “Let us go over to the other side.” and …They came to the other side of the sea, into the country of the Gerasenes. All that transpires between these two parts of the narrative tells us that Jesus had a plan to go to the other side of the lake and nothing was going to keep that from happening. When God says Let us go over to the other side, He is going over to the other side! And if He says “Let us go…” He is talking to His disciples of that day and this day. He wants us to go with Him and He is going with us.
God’s plan is to be our Companion to the other side of life. This is a part of another chapter of redemption’s story. God’s original intent of unhindered and full fellowship between God and man is still His plan. Storms and darkness are major deterrents for man’s pursuit and plans of perfection. But God has a plan in spite of the storms of life. This day we can learn a lesson from the actions of His first disciples: … they took Him along with them in the boat just as He was;

If God is to be our companion in life we have to take Him “as is”, not like we want Him to be. The first thing we have to realize in our journey on this great sea of life is that we don’t take Him along and then change Him into our image. Here is the error in the disciples thinking. They thought they took Him along. In reality, they are the ones along for the ride. Just as we are. One of the most heretical bumper stickers or license plates that I see on people’s cars is: God is my co-pilot. Really? I want to stop the driver and say: If you are going with God, He is the pilot, you are the passenger. This is your journey, but it’s His plan. He is the captain. We are the sailors. And storms will come. When you’re going with God, the question is not if there are storms, but when they will come. Are you prepared for the storms of life?
God doesn’t alter his plan around the storm. His plan is to go through the storm! A disciple’s life is not like modern day mariners and fishermen who have the benefit of GPS systems and satellite imagery of major storms. They can steer clear of their projected course. Storms that we have ample warning of are easier to avoid. But the storms like this one brewing on this lake at night come up suddenly and without warning. This is our lives as disciples. Often you can’t avoid the sudden storm. But you can prepare for it.
Are you wondering how to prepare for the sudden storm that comes without warning? Sudden and serious marital conflict can bring massive confusion and fear and helplessness and hopelessness. Drastic economic downturns that result in the loss of job and the loss of financial security cause many to doubt the institutions that we all thought we could trust with our treasure. The teenager that shares with her parents that she is pregnant can suddenly bring about a storm that sucks the wind right out of our lungs. The parable of the soils teaches us that the seed of the kingdom will grow on soil that has been prepared. The growth will survive the hard times when we have taken the time to take Jesus “just as He is”. This Jesus in the boat is the same Jesus we can know today. He is Lord. He is Lord of the storm. Before, during, and after the wind blows... He is Lord.

II. GOD IS AWARE OF THE PERIL WITHIN THE STORM. (37-38)

…and the waves were breaking … the boat was already filling up.”

The disciples had weathered storms before. The Sea of Galilee was known for its potential for sudden storms. But this storm frightened these fishermen. When a fisherman is fearful, when a sailor is terrified, it is a significant and a very perilous condition. When the boat is full of water, it will no longer serve as a boat. It will sink. This storm was a threat to their lives. But it was also a threat to their faith. Would what they knew about Jesus be enough to sustain them? Is it enough for us?
Storms can be a threat to our faith because of our fear. Where there is fear, faith cannot thrive. Where there is faith, fear must flee. Humans are fearful creatures. And here once again the Lord is on mission. Fear is a by product of man’s sinful humanity. All through the Bible, people are given this comforting message, no matter what they were threatened by: Fear not…God is with you. Perhaps these disciples had not come to this understanding of the nature of God. Maybe they were too fearful to be very faithful. Sometimes we can find ourselves in this predicament. The nature of fearful disciples can bring us to a point where we begin to think wrongly about the nature of God. This wrong-headed thinking drives the disciples’ question: “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?”
Fear asks that question and faith answers back. Fear speaks from the hearts of the disciples. In much the same way fear screams today, If God really cared, why am I in so much trouble? Why do I have so much sorrow? Why didn’t God come through with what I need? Doesn’t He care? Perhaps a better question would have been, Lord, don’t you know the danger we are in? To that we can give the answer. The text gives the answer. He does not try to reason them back to reality. Of course He cares. He just acts and the disciples can know that God is aware of the peril within the storm! God is aware and God does care! He is in their boat to go over to the other side. He has chosen them to be with Him in this moment.
The perfect storm is a perfect place to work out what we believe about God. Perhaps you are questioning God’s integrity because of your storm’s intensity. When the serpent insinuated in the Garden that God did not really care about His people, they believed the lie. This is the essence of sin. And we inherited it. If you really know God today you will know that He does really care…and He is calling us to trust Him when we really don’t understand all that is happening. God cares. Keep your eyes on Christ today. Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you. God can make a way.

III. GOD MAKES PROVISION TO SURVIVE THROUGH THE STORM. (39)

He got up and rebuked the wind and said to the sea…be still.”

Jesus speaks during the storm. He does not speak to His disciples. People in crisis often cannot hear God speak. The Lord of the Storm is in full crisis management here. He speaks to the storm. In our lives God speaks to storms that are raging. The storm will rage until Jesus speaks. How do we apply this to our storm-tossed lives? Consider changing your petition from Lord, don’t you care that we are perishing to this prayer: Lord help me. I am helpless in this storm. I turn to you and away from my ineffective way of restoration. I trust that you are able to save me. Have mercy on me.
The One who made the wind and sea can change them with His word. The One who holds the world together is able to restore order from chaos. Jesus can tell the wind to stop blowing, because He made the wind. Jesus can tell the sea to stop churning because He made the sea. Do we really believe that this man in the boat was more than a good teacher and a great prophet and a model of morality? Do we really believe that He was God Himself, Creator and Sustainer? If we do then tell me, what circumstance is out of control in your life that Jesus can’t handle?
God makes provision to survive the storm when we submit to His authority. This is the teaching. He is Lord of the Storm. He is Lord of our lives. He is Lord. Jesus knows about human suffering because He is man. Jesus knows how to do something about it because He is God. The Living word is alive and well during the storm. And He has a word for His disciples in the aftermath.

IV. GOD SHOWS US PERSPECTIVE DURING AND AFTER THE STORM. (40-41)

“Why are you afraid?… How is it that you have no faith?”

How Jesus speaks after the storm is instructive. Do you find it strange that Jesus doesn’t say to His disciples, Whew! That was almost a disaster! I’m sorry you were so afraid. You should have awakened me earlier. It’s strange that He does not comfort them as much as confront them. Why? Perhaps it was time that they learned to trust in the truth of His teaching. They were citizens in the kingdom of God and the King was in the boat. This is a revelation to me. We all are in the same boat together. No coincidence that God uses an ark in Noah’s day to preserve His people. Don’t we have enough knowledge about the character of God to trust Him more than ever? Does our prayer life consist of petitions that God help us become holy? The storms of life are used by God to build our faith and not increase our fear.
Our lives are secure when Jesus is with us. Is He with you today? Are you strangely stirred in this moment that you are more fearful than faithful? There is good news. The safest place on earth can be in the eye of the storm with our eyes on the Savior. Safest... but not totally safe. There is pain and trouble and loss in this life. We take great hope to know as Christ followers we will see trouble in this world. It is not a safe place. But with Christ, and in Christ, we are eternally secure. Are you “in Christ”?
During the storm, disciples gain new perspective on God, self, fear, and faith. Stunned at the sudden calm, they reacted to the event in a new way. This is how the holiness of God is often manifested. Sudden and complete stillness and silence can accompany His commanding presence. What is there left to say when you witness the awesome power of a holy God?
“Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?”
Sometimes it takes a perfect storm to gain a perspective of the perfect Christ.
Jesus spoke before the storm, during the storm, and after the storm. The disciples once feared the storm and now they feared the Lord of the Storm. Do you fear Him? Are you reverent in your interaction with God? Does God’s awesome power of God cause you to hold your breath at times and marvel at His majestic and sovereign authority? Sometimes it takes a perfect storm to recognize our imperfections and His perfect plan.
God’s plan is unchanged. He’s going to the other side. Will you go with Him?
God’s perspective has not changed. He takes us just as we are. We can take Him just as He is. He will not change to accommodate our comfort or convenience. That is a good thing. We have an unchanging God in a rapidly changing world.
God’s not as concerned with the problems of the storm as the people who are caught in them. He cares more about our holiness than our happiness. Remember where they were going. Into the darkness. On mission. At war. If you want to live in the Kingdom of God, warfare is a part. Storms are coming.

Our so what teaching of the day:

Get your eyes off the storm and fix them upon your Savior.
We can trust our captain.
Let us go over to the other side.

Jesus is Lord and has authority over the storms in our lives. He is Lord of the Storm.