Sunday Sermon
sunday morning 21st Feb 2010
Mark 4v35-41
After a full days teaching the multitudes Jesus takes some time out by crossing to the other side of the lake! V35
Teaching was his work, he came as the Light of the world to reveal the truth to the world.
But at the end of the day he needed rest. He needed to leave the crowds behind.
Without leaving the boat he was teaching from they go over the lake to the other side.
Mark also notes that a few other boats came along too.
That sets the scene for the remarkable event that is about to come.
Before we get to that, why the note of the other boats v36?
Possibly for witness verification. A boat load of disciples telling the people what Jesus had done might not be as believable as a few other boatloads telling the same story!!
1) a terrifying storm v37-38
This was no ordinary storm, it was a large hurricane wind - wild and life threatening!
The waves were laying hold of the boat and filling it with water!!
But Jesus was in the back of the boat asleep on a pillow!!
This sleep of Jesus shows how exhausted he was. To sleep surrounded by the noise of a storm! Was there more to His sleep? It does seem astonishing given the circumstance!
Everything he does is amazing! Even His sleep.
The disciples woke him up – raised him up from the dead of sleep!
“Teacher, do you not care if we perish”
Note:
They call Him “teacher” but do not understand what kind of Teacher!!
The disciples were now about to be taught a life changing lesson!
App
Immature faith blames God at the first sign of trouble.
It does not have the right kind of “fear of God”
The disciples thought that Jesus should have been doing a bit more to help them!
How we react to difficulties is a good measure of our faith.
Do we honour God in our problems by still giving Him the praise or do we feel that it is Gods fault and that He should be doing a bit more to help!!
Like the disciples perhaps we begin to think that God is asleep!
When really God is testing our faith.
2) a terrifying calm v39-40
In response to the disciples panic, Jesus gets to work controlling the wind and the sea.
He rebukes the wind – we do not know what that rebuke was.
And says to the sea – “peace, be still” or “silent be muzzled!”
Then there was immediate obedience from the elements!!
No debate or argument, just instant obedience!
There followed a “great calm” – from great storm to great calm.
Then Jesus turns to the disciples!
He question them: why are you so afraid. Not why were you so afraid!
The storm was over but their fear had just begun!!
The fear reveals to Jesus their hearts prompting the next question:
“Do you still not have faith” – they still not believe in Jesus!?
Their fear of Jesus was because they did not trust Him!
They should not have been as afraid as they were of either the storm or the Saviour!
App
How are we to properly fear God?
By getting to know Him – that leads to mature fear of God.
Thus, we come to him with reverence and awe and adoration.
And we show our fear of him in our obedience. Instant obedience.
What is the wrong fear to have? 1John4v18
All misguided Fear comes from a misunderstanding of who God is.
The fear that comes when we begin to think that God is there just to judge and punish us.
Fear that comes from unbelief.
Fear that thinks that God wants something less for us than what is for our absolute good.
Fear that doubts the goodness of God.
3) terrified disciples v41
Following the great storm, then the great calm, we have the disciples in great fear!
Literally “they feared a great feat”!
They could not help themselves. The storm sent their bodies into panic stations, now
the Presence of Christ grips them with fear.
This time they ask the question “who is this even the wind and the waves obey him”?
Just think of all that they had seen already of Jesus: his teaching power, his miraculous healings and demons exorcisms. They knew his power, they had experience it.
But this was something different! This was power up another level.
Power over natural forces!
So the disciples are terrified and ask who can this be!!
There is only one answer of course, who has power over nature? Only God.
Who is this standing in the boat with them?
None other than God himself.
Thus the disciples are terrified because they are in the presence of God!
Note:
Jesus does nothing to calm their fears at this point.
Previously they shook him up out of his sleep, calling him “teacher”, questioning his care!
Now they stand off – asking each other – not able to speak to Him!
And Jesus lets them be afraid, he lets it sink in!
App
Fear of God is good if it gets us to ask the right questions:
The disciples were on the right track with their question – “who is this......?”
Who is Jesus? Is he really the revelation of God on earth?
If he is then we need be afraid no longer!
If Jesus shows us what God is really like then we have nothing to be afraid of about God.
Yes He is powerful, Glorious, Holy, Sinless .......
But all of that is exercised for our salvation, for our good!
sunday evening 21st Feb 2010
Mark 5v1-20
Kingdom advances through changed lives:
This morning we saw Jesus cross the sea and calm the storm.
We saw the disciples terrified at the sea, then terrified at Jesus.
We saw the reason for their fear was that they did not believe.
Tonight we pick up the story as the boat now reaches shore v1-2.
Note: a. the area, was none Jewish.
b. the picture of Jesus getting out of the boat! Wonderful picture of his physical being.
1) a powerful case of demon possession....
As soon as Jesus get to the shore, His presence attracts attention v2!
This time from a man who has a particularly bad case of demon possession.
· V3 the man was out of control the evil spirit had totally overpowered him.
· V4 underlines the point – the man was uncontrollable. No one could contain him.
· V5 he was totally out of his mind – screaming and harming himself!!
But Jesus is now here! The Kingdom of God has come.
Instantly the evil spirit is constrained to run to Jesus and fall at his knees v6
Jesus commands the spirit to leave v8.
But the spirit puts up a bit of a fight to delay the inevitable!
We see again the terrible nature of this particular incident!
The demon has the audacity to shout at Jesus v7, but then begs Jesus not to be sent out of the area at least v10.
During the conversation further evidence of terrible nature of this case is revealed
The demon is Legion – many v9. (a Roman legion was 5000-6000).
But all the time Jesus is in control, He has the power!
Satan’s kingdom is being destroyed, Gods kingdom is taking over.
Finally the demons try to occupy the herd of pigs, but the pigs cannot handle such a thing and run madly into the sea to be drowned!!
Humans can barely survive demon possession – animals, who have no spiritual capacity just perish!
The spirits presumably go straight to hell because they have no body to live in and thus cannot stay in the physical realm.
App
Even the worst of cases are no match to the Power of Jesus.
The kingdom of God’s advance is unstoppable!
But note the care of Jesus even in the face of the demons.
He is seen speaking to them, listening to them, questioning them, allowing them their request!!! And this is probably the worst case of demon possession recorded in scripture.
How much more then will Jesus have time for you, if you start to seek him!?
2) is met by the more frightening Power of God...............13-17.
The advance of the kingdom into enemy territory is met with rejection in the first instance.
The pig herders report all that has happened and then the towns folk come to see.
a) Seeing the previously demon possessed man they were afraid!
Maybe more than they were of him previously!
This is a fear of the holy, something they had not experienced before.
And because the man’s case was particularly bad, their fear at the change is even more acute.
b) they beg Jesus to leave!
Such is their fear of what has happened they want Jesus out of there!
What else might he do!
And the pigs are all gone too! Perhaps that was a living gone, their food supply gone!
They just cannot cope with the whole scene!
App
The work of God as we saw this morning is fearful!
Some respond in fear to begin with when God starts his work.
But that same fear opens up a door for witnessing as we will see.
3) which results in a powerful testimony that amazes people.........v18-20
The final scene is very moving.
Jesus gets back into the boat to leave only for the man to beg him again!
This time not demon possessed but in his right mind! He longs to go with Jesus.
But Jesus does not allow it! Instead he commissions him to take his testimony to the world!
On previous occasions Jesus has told people to keep quiet about what he has done for them, but now he sends the man off to proclaim freely the work of God.
And so the man goes telling all he can about what God has done, all who hear are amazed.
App
Note to the patience of God in all this:
The towns folk had begged Jesus to leave, and he leaves, not forcing his will on them.
But he leaves behind a witness for them. A bridge to God!
We may put God off for a more convenient time (Acts 24v25), but the grace and compassion of God is such that He keeps calling us to salvation!
And he uses the Church so to call:
Because Gods kingdom is seen especially in the changed lives of believers.
· This however places us under a tremendous responsibility to testify.
So what can we learn from this man’s great testimony and effective witness?
a) witnessing must start with a great desire to be with Jesus v18.
The man longed to be with Jesus, begged it.
Our desire first of all must be to be with Jesus.
Witnessing is of secondary importance to this first thing.
b) then we must listen to Jesus as he guides us v19.
The man wanted to go one way, but Jesus said go another!
Only as we seek Jesus and seek his guidance can we effectively witness.
c) then we must proclaim what Jesus has done for us v20.
The final step is the actual testifying. Not the first or the middle but the last.
Walk close to Jesus, following His guidance and then the testifying will flow naturally.
