Bible Text: Mark 4:35–41 | Preacher: Pastor Andrew Okai

The Master Who Makes the Impossible Possible
Sermon text: Mark 4:35–41

Sermon prepared by the Holy Spirit and Pastor Andrew T. Okai

5th Sunday after Pentecost

June 24, 2018

 

Introduction

Grace, mercy, and peace…

One of the things little boys like to do when they get together is brag about their fathers. For example, three boys in the schoolyard were bragging about their fathers:

My dad scribbles a few words on a piece of paper, he calls it a poem, and they give him $50.
That’s nothing. My dad scribbles a few words on a piece of paper, he calls it a song, and they give him $100.
I got you both beat. My dad scribbles a few words on a piece of paper, calls it a sermon, and it takes eight people to collect all the money.

Today we won’t be bragging about our earthly parents; rather, in this sermon, we will be bragging about the head of the Christian church—Jesus Christ—as we look at the security that is there to enjoy as we join with Jesus.

According to Mark’s gospel, Jesus had been preaching to the multitudes all day, and he was weary from the business of that day. They got in the boat and he went below deck to get some rest.This is a clear picture of our Lord’s humanity and is why I see that he understands and empathizes with our weaknesses.

Something happened on this particular night that would change the disciples’ lives and their perception of our Lord. As they sailed, a storm appeared out of nowhere. Let’s join our Lord and his men as they sail across the Sea of Galilee.

The Power of the Storm

The Suddenness of the Storm—Storms like this are common on the Sea of Galilee The sea can be calm one minute and violent the next minute. That’s the way of life too! Things can be fine one moment, and the next moment, the bottom falls out. So we are also susceptible to storms.
The Severity of the Storm—Trained seamen were threatened and frightened by the severity of the storm. This tells us that this violent storm surpassed their experiences. (Have you felt like this at some point in your life?)
The Source of the Storm—Where did the storm come from? It may have been natural or it might have been from God, to teach these men to trust in Jesus; or the storm could have been Satanic in origin.

The Lessons of the Storm

The disciples learned of His power: the storm terrified the men but posed no threat to their Lord.
They learned of his presence: when the Lord is in your vessel, you are at a greater advantage.