He is Here – in the Storm – Mark 6 But Jesus spoke to them at once. “Don’t be afraid,” he said. “Take courage! I am here!”
Intro: Over this Advent season in preparation of our heart and minds for Christmas we will be reflecting on the tag line – He is Here – and ways in which that is witnessed in our human experience.
He is here – in the valley; in the wilderness; in the storm; always.
Review: The first of our ‘He is Here’ statements – in the valley.
- In the valley of despair.
- In the darkest valley.
- In the valley of discontent.
- In the valley of discipleship.
Last week He is here – in the wilderness – As the wilderness photographer Olegas Truchanas would portray images of the wilderness, so the writers of Scripture continually returned to the wilderness experience of the nation of Israel to remind them of the lessons learned.
Wilderness books: Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy
Psalm 136:16 To Him who led His people through the wilderness, For His loving kindness is everlasting;
Hosea 13:5 I cared for you in the wilderness, In the land of drought.
Acts 13:18 For period of @ 40 yrs He put up with them in wilderness.
God is with us in the Wilderness – Deuteronomy 32:10 pictures the desert as a “10 … an empty, howling wasteland.” PPT He surrounded them and watched over them; he guarded them as he would guard his own eyes. (… as the pupil of His eye).
God reveals our hearts in the Wilderness – Deuteronomy 8:2 (NLT) 2 Remember how the Lord your God led you through the wilderness for these forty years, humbling you and testing you to prove your character, and to find out whether or not you would obey his commands.
It was in the wilderness that the ancients encountered God.
Hebrews 3:8–13 (NKJV) 8 Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, In the day of trial in the wilderness, 9 Where your fathers tested Me, tried Me, And saw My works forty years…12 Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God; 13 but exhort one another daily, while it is called “Today,” lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.
Transition: The 1998 Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race was the 54th annual running of the “blue water classic” Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race. It was the most disastrous in the race’s history, with the loss of six lives and five yachts. Only 43 of the 155 starters actually finished. 55 sailors had to be airlifted from their yachts by rescue helicopter.
Larry Ellison, billionaire CEO of Oracle, had faced many high sea challenges of internet commerce, but nothing like the real thing.
Off the south-east of the Australian coast heavy seas smashed his 25 metre boat Sayonara repeatedly.
By evening of next day the Sayonara was being lashed by hurricane force winds, and the race became a struggle simply to survive.
At times, the boat would climb to the crest of a towering wave and instead of sliding down the other side, it would actually become airborne for as long as three seconds, then plunge into the trough.
One point, Ellison, it occurred to him to think, “What a stupid way to die.”
As they pulled into Constitution Dock said “it gave us time to reflect”
The disciples were with Jesus on the sea on more than one occasion when they thought they were going to die. On both occasions they were incredibly afraid. On both occasions Jesus reminded them of his presence.
In storms of life – as in the valleys, wilderness – knowing that God is present through the advent of Jesus Christ we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.
One of the difficulties we have is thinking that in the storms of life we have a God that does not know what our experience is like…
Mark 6:32–35 (NLT) 32 So they left by boat for a quiet place, where they could be alone. 33 But many people recognized them and saw them leaving, and people from many towns ran ahead along the shore and got there ahead of them. 34 Jesus saw the huge crowd as he stepped from the boat, and he had compassion on them because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things. 35 Late in the afternoon his disciples came to him and said, “This is a remote place, and it’s already getting late…
Max Lucado – in the Eye of the Storm (1991) God under pressure
- Pressure of demands – work place, family, expectations to deliver, yourself.
- Storms of questioning – Jesus knows we’re in this storm. Why doesn’t he act?
- Wound of failure – Peter walks on water, becomes afraid, sinks. Wonderful story of how God deals with the storm of our failures.
There was no rabbi rage. He didn’t blow up or bail out.
He served people.
He met with God.
He modeled resilience.
He made reasoned decisions.
He provides grace.