Order Of Service

Mark 4:35-39

35. 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.

Introduction

We don’t all face the same type of storms, but we all face storms. It could be a thunderstorm, a windstorm, a hailstorm, a snowstorm or even a dust storm but a storm is a storm, and storms make us all feel uncomfortable in some form or fashion.

We have all heard the saying that we’re all in the same boat, but I beg to differ. We can be in the same storm on the same sea but some of us are on yachts which means were comfortable while going through our storm, some of us are in speedboats which means our storm is a fast moving storm, some of us are in tugboats because even though we are in our own storm, we are carrying the weight of our friend’s or families storm alongside our own storm and some of us are in rowboats which means we are just plain tired and warn out in our storm because our energy is drained while pushing against the resistance of the water, so the storm won’t always impact or hit us the same but the storm still exists in some form or fashion, Amen.

Some storms are loud like thunderstorms; some are silent but dangerous like hailstorms and some come suddenly and catch us off guard like tornados. But in the text with the disciples and Jesus, the Word says a storm appeared while they were already on the water, while they were already in the process of going to the other side. The text states that they were in the ship and there were other little ships around. This indicates that (1) they were all facing the same type of storm and (2) they were all in the same type of ship as Scripture states there were other little ships around.

It is important to recognize that sometimes we go through storms because we are disobedient while other times, we go through storms because we are obedient. But we have the tendency to think more often than not that when people are going through storms that they must have done something wrong or rather must have been disobedient and this just isn’t always the case.

Jonah’s Storm - Disobedience

Jonah went through a storm because he was disobedient. Jonah 1:1-4 states, “The word of the LORD came unto Jonah, saying, Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it, for their wickedness is come up before me. But Jonah rose up to flee, and he found a ship going to Tarshish: and he went down into the ship to hide from the presence of the LORD. But the LORD sent out a great wind into the sea, and there was a mighty storm in the sea, so that the ship was like to be broken.” Later in verse 12, Jonah realized the storm was because of his disobedience, so he told the sailors to throw him into the sea so that the sailors could experience peace. Jonah 1:12 states, “And he said unto them, Take me up, and cast me forth into the sea; so shall the sea be calm unto you: for I know that for my sake this great tempest is upon you.

Disciples’ Storm – Obedience

In our Scripture text this morning, the disciples were facing the storm because they were obedient. Jesus simply told them to go to the other side. Jesus said, Let us pass over unto the other side! The disciples were exactly where Jesus told them to be. They were following Jesus’s instructions: yet a storm still arose. This storm was not punishment. It became an opportunity for growth in faith, revelation of Jesus’s power and preparation for ministry on the other side.

The point that I’m trying to make is that not every storm is caused by disobedience. Some storms come while we are walking in obedience and trusting God.

Jonah faced a storm because he was trying to avoid his assignment. The disciples faced a storm because they were on their way to their assignment. Scripture says in Mark 5 that once they reached the other side, they immediately encountered a demon-possessed man name Legion who lived in the tombs, broke chains, cried day and night, cut himself with stones and was possessed by many demons. You see there was a miracle waiting to be performed on the other side of the storm.  Later in Mark 5:15, the disciples came to Jesus and saw the demon possessed man, sitting, clothed and in his right mind. You see, a life that had been completely bound before a storm arose, was completely transformed after the storm. This shows us that miracles take place on the other side of storms! The storm didn’t come to stay; it came to pass. The storm is passing over!

Point 1 – Storms Are Part Of The Journey

The Bible says a great storm arose, and Jesus was on the ship! That means, being saved won’t stop storms, being faithful won’t cancel storms, and the disciples showed us that even walking alongside Jesus doesn’t prevent storms. Jesus never promised us as a believer a storm-free life. But, if Jesus is in your ship or in your boat, you’re not going under! You will survive your storm. Isaiah 4:32:2 states, “When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee.” Notice that God says when, not if. The promise is not the absence of water but His presence in it. You are not alone.

Point 2 – God Is With You In The Storm

God didn’t say you wouldn’t go through it, He said, I’ll be with you in it. The question is: As Sister Frances Anderson says, What is your it? James 1:2 says, Count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations. Not because the ‘it’ feels good. Not because the ‘it’ is easy. But because God is doing something through the ‘it.’ And what are these divers temptations? They are the various storms that we face in life.  Your ‘it’ may not be my ‘it’ and my ‘it’ may not be yours. Your ‘it’ may be sickness. Your ‘it’ may be grief. Your ‘it’ may be financial hardship. Your ‘it’ may be family conflict. Your ‘it’ may even be loneliness. But whatever your ‘it’ is, God promised His presence in the midst of ‘it.’

He never said that the weapon wouldn’t form, He said the weapon would not prosper. When the waters rise in your storm, He’s there. When the winds blow in your storm, He’s there. When you feel alone in your storm, He’s there. God promised to never leave you or forsake you. The disciples safety was not in the condition of the sea; it was in the presence of the Savior. The storm was real, the waves were real, the fear was real – but Jesus was also real. As long as Jesus was in the boat, they were never in danger of sinking. The storm could shake them, but it could never destroy them. And when Jesus is in your boat, the storm may rock you, but it cannot sink you. We must remember that storms are temporary.

Point 3 – Storms Don’t Last Forever

There’s an end date attached to your storm, it doesn’t last forever. It won’t last forever; It can’t last forever. Every storm has an expiration date. The disciples thought they were facing their end. What looked permanent was only temporary. The winds were strong, but the winds were not eternal. The waves were high, but the waves were not permanent. The storm had an assignment, but the storm also had a limit. Before the storm every arose, Jesus had already announced the destination: “Let us pass over unto the other side.” The storm was not the final word. The destination was. Jesus never said, “Let’s go into the storm.” He said, “Let’s go to the other side.” The disciples were focused on the storm, but Jesus was focused on the other side. The storm was an event; the other side was the assignment. Remember Jesus spoke to the storm and said Peace be still. He demanded peace! He authorized peace to show up! The storm didn’t come to stay; it came to pass. The storm is passing over!

Point 4 – Jesus Has Authority Over The Storm

The disciples were afraid, but Jesus got up and said: Peace, be still. And the wind obeyed Him. The same voice that calmed the storm then, is the same voice that can calm your storm now! Notice that Jesus did not negotiate with the storm. He spoke with authority. When Jesus said, “Peace be still,” chaos had to obey. When Jesus spoke, confusion had to leave. When Jesus spoke; the storm lost its power. Psalm 34:19, states, “Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all.” Not some of them. Not most of them. But He will deliver you out of all of them. You may be in a storm today, but you will not be in the storm forever. Your storm is passing. Your calm is coming and the other side is waiting. Yes, the storm is passing over. Your storm didn’t come to stay; it came to pass. The storm is passing over because Jesus still has authority over your storm.

Point 5 – The Storm Is Already Moving

You may not see it yet, but it’s shifting. You may not feel it yet, but it’s moving. You may not understand it yet, but God is already working. The disciples thought they were stuck in the storm, but while they were looking at the waves, Jesus was already carrying them toward the other side. Storms don’t have permission to stay forever! The storm didn’t come to stay. It came to pass.

Look at Job.

Job went through the storm of loss and suffering. He lost his children. He lost his wealth. He lost his health. Yet Job 13:15 states, “Though He slay me, yet will I trust in him.” What Job did not know was that while he was suffering, his storm was already moving. God was already preparing restoration. God was already preparing double for his trouble. And out of that storm came restoration, revelation, and a greater testimony of God’s faithfulness. Job thought he was watching his life fall apart, but God was putting his life back together. The storm was already moving, and Job didn’t even know it.

Look at Hannah.

Hannah went through the storm of irritation. Peninnah provoked her. 1^st Samuel 1:6 states, “And her adversary also provoked her sore, for to make her fret, because the LORD had shut up her womb.” Peninnah ridiculed her. Peninnah emotionally distressed her. But the storm pushed Hannah into the very presence of God. What Hannah thought was a season of barrenness was actually a season of preparation. The storm was already moving. Samuel was on the way. That irritation pushed Hannah to the temple, and she prayed like she had never prayed before! And out of that storm came Samuel, a prophet, a priest, and a judge who would help lead God’s people. Whatever your storm is today, God is still bringing something out of it.

Look at Joseph.

Joseph went through the storm of betrayal. His brothers threw him in a pit. He was sold into slavery. He was falsely accused. He was imprisoned. But every step of the journey was moving him closer to the palace. The pit moved him. The slavery moved him. The prison moved him. The storm was already moving. That’s why Joseph could later say according to Genesis 50:20, But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good.” If they had not thrown him in the pit, he would not have made it to the palace. The storm tried to stop him, but it actually promoted him. The storm tried to break him, but it actually positioned him for his destiny. And out of that storm came a palace, a promotion, and the opportunity to save his family when they needed him most.

Closing

The disciples thought the storm was holding them back, but the truth of the matter is the storm was carrying them forward. Every wave was pushing them closer to the other side. What if the storm you’ve been fighting is the very thing God is using to push you?

Push you to pray, push you to grow, push you to move, push you into your purpose. In other words, the storm might be carrying your blessing! What’s agitating you, may be activating you! What’s disturbing you may be developing you! What’s shaking you may be shaping you! The storm may not be your enemy. It may be your escort into your destiny. It wasn’t a wind to blow against you. It was a wind to blow for you.

Some of you thought your storm came to break you, but God sent it to build you.

Some of you thought your storm came to stop you, but God is using it to move you.

Some of you thought your storm was punishment, but it was preparation.

Some of you thought your storm was to close a door, but it came to open a door.

Some of you thought your storm was a setback, but it really was a setup.

The storm is working for you, not against you. So don’t give up! Don’t throw in the towel! Don’t abandon ship! Jesus is still in the boat! The same Jesus who spoke, “Peace be still,” is still speaking “Peace be still” today.

Remember, the same Jesus who brought the disciples through their storm is bringing you through yours. The storm is passing over. Your storm didn’t come to stay. It came to pass. The winds are settling, the waves are calming, the clouds are breaking, the other side is waiting. And if you can just hold on a little while longer, you’ll discover what God knew all along: The storm was never going to take you under, it was always meant to carry you over.

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