Bulletins - Mission Church LV

- - Psalm 117:1–2CSB
Psalm 18
The Mighty Hand of God
- - Matthew 6:21CSB
- - Hebrews 4:15CSB
Is He Worthy
Holy Is Our God
Good morning! If I haven't had the pleasure of meeting you my name is John Lee and I serve Mission Church as the Lead Pastor. Our mission and vision is to partner with God to see His Kingdom come in Las Vegas as it is in Heaven. And we will accomplish this as we Love Jesus, Live like Jesus, and Lead others to Jesus.

Now…this morning...... we are going to press pause on our series through the book of Ephesians. But... don’t worry....after Christmas....we’ll pick it back up.... right where we left off. Today we are looking at a familiar story from a first hand account of the life and ministry of Jesus found in Mark 4. Most New Testament scholars believe that Mark records for us Peter’s authoritative eyewitness account of Christ’s life, death, and resurrection. Our story…beginning in v35.... is the first in a series of episodes that reveal Jesus’s sovereign authoritative power demonstrating His identity as God and as the One we can trust.
If you would......Please grab a Bible and open it to Mark 4. If you don’t have a Bible we have some available for you on the book shelf in the foyer. I will give you a moment to turn there and when you have it…and if you are able…please stand for the reading of God’s Word.

Mark 4:35–41 (CSB)
35 On that day, when evening had come, he told them, “Let’s cross over to the other side of the sea.” 36 So they left the crowd and took him along since he was in the boat. And other boats were with him. 37 A great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking over the boat, so that the boat was already being swamped. 38 He was in the stern, sleeping on the cushion. So they woke him up and said to him, “Teacher! Don’t you care that we’re going to die?”
39 He got up, rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Silence! Be still!” The wind ceased, and there was a great calm. 40 Then he said to them, “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?”
41 And they were terrified and asked one another, “Who then is this? Even the wind and the sea obey him!”

This is the word of the Lord. You may be seated. Pray.

Who then is this Jesus that even the wind and the waves obey Him!? The disciples asked this fundamental question right after they experienced what could have been one of the scariest moments of their lives. It was in this frightful, confusing, and stressful moment….A moment in which these disciples had no power or control .....that they experienced the unlimited power, the authority, and the loving care of a sovereign God.

Tell me……..Have you ever experienced something difficult?....something painful?….confusing or stressful? Maybe it was a circumstance in your life….or a broken relationship with a family member or a friend….maybe the death of a loved one……have you ever gone through something in your life that caused you so much anxiety….so much stress…..that you began to not only question who God is…but you began to question wether he cared……wether he was good……and even wether or not he loved you!?!

This reminds me of several instances that have occurred throughout my life.....but most recently ....I am reminded of last year when my youngest fell down the stairs. The dog came barreling down the stairs behind her…took out her legs and she hit the base of her skull on the corner of the stairs.... causing her to have an impact seizure and go completely limp and unresponsive.

Juniper and my wife rode in the ambulance while I raced to meet them at UMC. Once there they rushed her into the ER where they cut her clothes off and began running tests. Next to her was a man screaming in pain and on the other side as a man who had just been shot multiple times yelling an cursing …and there laid my baby girl unresponsive and almost lifeless.

And .....as I sat there in the ER..... holding my wife as she cried....we were both scared..... I tried to be strong for her while holding back tears of my own …….I began to question God. Why? Why would you do this? Why are you silent? Why does it feel like you’re not here? Why aren’t you doing anything to help my baby girl?

Now…in moments of difficulty…..How do you answer questions like these? Moments when God seems silent. Times when God is not responding as quickly as you want Him to? Situations when.....what you expected life to be like is not lining up with the life you are currently experiencing?

Well….if you’re human…….and if you’ve ever had a rough day…then your’e in good company! In our text….we see a group of guys…who were the closest to Jesus when he physically and visibly walked this Earth……and they are experiencing those same emotions…….you see….as followers of Jesus we are not immune to suffering or trials…We are not immune to difficulty. In fact the Bible emphatically declares that as we walk through this life with Jesus....we will encounter suffering…we will encounter trials. And as we live in this world broken and marred by sin we will endure hardship and difficulty. It is inevitable!
Consider 1 Peter 4:12

1 Peter 4:12 (CSB)
12 Dear friends, don’t be surprised when the fiery ordeal comes among you to test you, as if something unusual were happening to you.

Remember ....Peter was one of the guys in that boat with Jesus. And...I think it’s safe to assume that as Peter writes these words …memories of his many trials and suffering flashed before his eyes……specifically that moment when He was on a boat in the middle of a storm....that moment when his life hung in the balance and he questioned Jesus…saying .“Hey ……Jesus…I thought you loved me…….why aren’t you doing anything?!?! Don’t you care?!?” But...... on the other side of the storm…..what was it that gave Peter the confidence to say….look…when troubles come…don’t be surprised……don’t stress?? Well…let’s look back Mark 4 and find out.

Mark 4:35–36 (CSB)
35 On that day, when evening had come, he told them, “Let’s cross over to the other side of the sea.” 36 So they left the crowd and took him along since he was in the boat. And other boats were with him.

We pick up the story at the end of an extremely long day. Jesus and His disciples have been out ministering…they were out teaching people all day….and they’re tired……and not only tired from walking around and from teaching but also tired from being constantly surrounded by crowds of people……so in order to get rest…in order to get away from the crowd….Jesus asks his boys…He asks the disciples to take him by boat across the Sea of Galilee. So Jesus…just as he was...tired…maybe hungry…and possibly in great need of a shower ……..He gets in the boat …he grabs a cushion…he heads for the stern…and he falls asleep.

So... you have Jesus and his disciples in a boat headed for the other side of the Sea of Galilee…and understand… the Sea of Galilee is a shallow lake… it’s a lake that is known for its violent storms. The weather in that region has a bad reputation and to this day …the weather can change drastically…it can change in a blink of an eye….from a sunny cloudless sky to ....a dark sky and hurricane like winds…..and that’s the scene as we look at v37.

Mark 4:37 (CSB)
37 A great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking over the boat, so that the boat was already being swamped.

Suddenly everything turns upside down. The words “great windstorm” speaks of hurricane-type winds The boat is being violently thrown around and overwhelmed with water……. I imagine Peter yelling and cursing at the storm with one fist in the air and scooping out water with the other hand…while John... the emotional disciple... is crying and holding on to the boat for dear life……..These seasoned sailors and fishermen suddenly find themselves in a storm unlike anything they have ever experienced.

Now…… before we continue ……there is a crucial detail that we have to take note of……You see…… it was Jesus who led them into the storm! This was not an accident. This storm did not catch God off guard. Which tells me that we should not be alarmed by the storms that rage in our lives……because those storms and even those small ...everyday....unideal circumstances that we experience…….those are moments in which God is working to reveal to us who He is….. who we are……and who we need! Bad days, rough situations, difficulties, and desperate moments are when God does His greatest work in our lives. For that’s when He brings us to the end of ourselves……it’s in those moments were we are driven to Him and Him alone as our Savior and Rescuer. However…in this moment these guys have yet to see this truth… look at at v38

Mark 4:38 (CSB)
38 He was in the stern, sleeping on the cushion...

I love this detail in the text... because.... if Jesus can take a nap in the midst a chaotic busy time….then maybe that means that I can too….and the truth is…… sometimes the most spiritual thing you can do in times of stress is take a nap. You see…….this verse speaks to the humanity of Jesus. The Bible teaches, and the church has always believed, that Jesus is both fully God and fully man, two natures united in one person. He is 100 percent God and 100 percent human..He is the God man.

And it’s important to note that…the only qualification related to Christ’s humanity is that He is without sin. He has no sin nature.... He never committed a single sin— not one. Consider Hebrews 4:15
Hebrews 4:15 (CSB)
15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has been tempted in every way as we are, yet without sin.

In Mark 4....both Jesus’s humanity and His deity are put on full display. And it’s His humanity that appears so clearly when He is in the stern of the boat, fast asleep…with his head on a cushion.

In fact.....The Bible repeatedly teaches about Jesus’ humanity……We read that He got hungry (Matt 4: 2). He got angry (Mark 3: 5). He cried (John 11: 35)…and now we see in Mark 4……that He slept. Which makes sense......He had an exhausting day, and He kept on sleeping right through the storm.

Yes, He is human. But there is something else….something that we can’t miss….you see...Jesus…in His humanity ..He had complete trust in the care of His Father. These veteran sailors may have been terrified, but the Carpenter from Nazareth slept soundly. You see….Jesus knew He had work to complete on the cross….he knew He still had work to accomplish. Therefore…..He was confident in His Father’s promise to see Him finish. Therefore….he wasn't afraid.

But the disciples…well………that’s another story……you see…As the storm was getting bigger and the boat was tossing and filling with water……these seasoned fishermen are thinking, “We’re in big trouble!!!!”…….and Jesus….well…he’s asleep on a pillow in the stern of the boat. These disciples are dealing with two things……..they’re first dealing with the terror of the storm and being confronted with the fact that they have no ability to do anything about it. I mean think about it……..what do you do in a moment like this?? These guys have no power to change their circumstance whatsoever! They can try and bail the water out as fast as they can …… hoping that the boat doesn't take on too much water and sink but they still have absolutely no power over the wind and the waves.

Ans second......they’re dealing with the unexpected response of Jesus to their situation. “How could He be sleeping in a moment like this? What kind of response is that?? Who do you think you are?? Can’t you see what’s happening….do you even care?” Remember...these guys left everything to follow Jesus….don’t you think in a moment like this….in a moment of difficulty ….Jesus would be the first one to help?! So the disciples wake Jesus up from his nap and they ask him…….look back at v38 …they ask him

Mark 4:38 (CSB)
38 ... “Teacher! Don’t you care that we’re going to die?”

And I think this is a fair question! “Jesus!!! Don’t you care that we are about to drown and die?!!?” I think this is a normal human reaction to something that we can’t control. However, this is not the spiritual response you would expect from a bunch of dudes who have been with Jesus……I mean….these guys physically…visibly walked with Jesus…ate with Jesus…talked with Jesus….they had been with Him for a considerable amount of time! But still…These guys are panicking…and they scream out…. “Wake up Jesus !!!….. Don’t you care that we are going to die.”

Now…don’t miss what the disciples are doing here…you see.....They’re questioning Jesus’ love and concern for them……AND I think they’re frustrated by what appears to be Jesus’ lack of concern …and as a result of having no hope of handling the situation themselves……they lash out in a rude outburst. And to be honest with you……I see myself in these disciples……Jesus has proven Himself faithful to me over and over..... yet when caught by surprise and when faced with an unideal circumstance I get frustrated and angry rather than show faith in the God who promises that He will never leave me or forsake me.

And I think that when we respond like that……I think it’s rooted in fear……obviously the disciples were afraid……and…… I think we are too….and I think our fear is a direct interpretation of how we view life. Don’t get me wrong….fear is not always a bad thing…… when Juniper went flying and tumbling down the stairs…I was Immediately gripped by fear….and that fear in my heart and the adrenaline surging through my body enabled me to jump up and respond with the appropriate action.

But fear is an interpretation……it’s kind of like a math equation……when you’re faced with a struggle in life…….. Here’s the math equation….. Bad Circumstance + Self+ God= Fear. In other words.......I look at the size of my difficulty…I look at myself and my inability….I add my view of who God is and what I think he is doing….and the result is either hope or fear.....courage or anxiety. You see…..it all hinges on your view of who God is and how you think He views you….. that is why it’s so important to read this book……memorize this book…….meditate on the verses that speak to the characteristics of God…and speak to the truths of who you are in Christ Jesus.

So I guess the question is this….how are you responding in these situations….when the storms of life rage and you’re being thrown around……how do you react?…How are you responding? ….How does your equation work out? ………….difficult circumstance +self+God = what in your life? Does it equal fear…or does it equal courage?…anxiety or rest?…stress or peace?…….because your response speaks directly to where your heart is….it speaks directly to the current depths of your understanding and faith in who God is and what He has done on your behalf.
I love how Jesus responds in v39

Mark 4:39 (CSB)
39 He got up, rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Silence! Be still!” The wind ceased, and there was a great calm.

Don’t miss this!!!! Jesus is speaking to the elements personally. It has the feel of a Master commanding his servants…and that’s exactly what’s happening here………Jesus is the ruler of nature…He is the Word through which the world was created…….this is Jesus the Creator….this is Jesus the Messiah….and He literally has the authority to speak to the natural elements…like the water…and the wind…and they have to obey Him.

Jesus says, “Silence! Be still.” ….the literal translation for this would be,…… “Be silent, you have been muzzled…..I have exercised my power over you…..stop!!!”

This should blow our minds….and radically change our perspective of not only our circumstances but it should begin to develop our understanding of who God is. We need to let scriptures like this one take root in our hearts and minds…Brothers and Sisters.....I don't know what else to say but, “This is your God……This is your Lord…..and He his amazing!” And this is the same Jesus who has invited you and me into a personal relationship with Him……this is the One who said…. “I will never leave you….I will never walk out on you…….I am with you always even to the very end.”

But….unfortunately……I think that you and I have the tendency to doubt God and accuse God before we first look at our own hearts…….we are so quick to question Jesus’ care….to question his love…it’s easy to doubt his wisdom and His goodness rather than examining our own hearts and repenting of our lack of faith

Consider how Jesus replies to the disciples in v40

Mark 4:40–41 (CSB)
40 Then he said to them, “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?” 41 And they were terrified and asked one another, “Who then is this? Even the wind and the sea obey him!”

Underline or make note of these two phrases....first, “Why are you so afraid.” and second, “They were terrified.”

There is a play on words going on in these two verses.…You see....When Jesus says, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?” The word for afraid here …in the original language is the word for.... “timid….or cowardly”….so it’s the idea that when you are in a difficult circumstance…or an unideal situation……your response is that of a coward.

And the next phrase, “and they were terrified.”.... this word terrified.....in the original language is rooted in the word phobia…….which speaks to a life shaping alarm…it speaks to a fear that changes your perspective and outlook ….which means that in this moment…….these guys’ fear turned into awe…….their accusation of Jesus turned into worship…They went from being cowards to being confident in God.

And I think that this is significant….we cant miss this…..you see….it’s only fear that has the power to defeat fear…..And you might be thinking…..uh…John what do you mean? .....that doesn't make any since… But here’s what I mean…..It is only when you have a healthy understanding of who God is …..it is only when you have a healthy fear of God……or.....it’s when a grace driven awe of God is at the center of your heart…….that you will be free from the kinds of fears you will face in this life. Charles Spurgeon says this about fear....

Half our fears are the result of ignorance. - Charles Spurgeon

And I will add....ignorance about who God is. The fact of the matter is this………. life is bigger than us. And wether you like it or not……. you are going to face many situations that are beyond your strength and beyond your wisdom. And the only way that you will find peace….and rest in those moments is if you fear God above all else….and if you are overwhelmed by the glory of his power…..overwhelmed by his love for you….overwhelmed by his grace and his wisdom and his presence. Only that deep awe of God….only that fear has the power to defeat all the fears that the world will throw at us.

So……as we finish up I guess a question we need to answer is this…..What is Faith? Jesus said to his disciples, “Do you still have no faith?” What did Jesus mean by this? What is Faith? …Well one way to define faith is....that.... faith is carrying with you a deeply rooted fear of God that gives you hope and courage in situations where you once had been afraid.

And to express their faith....the disciples ask a very important question….in fact it’s the same question we started with…..they ask “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?”

And this is a question that everyone of us has to answer. Who is Jesus? And the answer is…… He is the one who was consumed by the stormy sea of God’s wrath as He hung on the cross. He endured the ultimate storm so that we could find peace and be saved. And Jesus calmed the only storm that could truly drown us: God’s wrath and judgment. He went down in the storm only to emerge three days later as the One who stilled the just and righteous wrath of God against sinners. “Who then is this?”......Well....... He is Lord!!! And we can know Him and trust Him regardless of our circumstances!

Brothers and Sisters.....Do you rest in Him in moments of difficulty? Do you believe in His power to defeat what you can not and will never defeat? Does your fear of Him overwhelm any other fear that you would have? You see……..your greatest difficulty doesn’t exist outside of you…….your greatest difficulty exists inside of you. The greatest storm in your life is not whatever circumstances that you may be facing.….…..the greatest storm in your life is called sin…….and the waves of sin beat at the borders of your heart.

And like the disciples in that boat….you have no ability to save yourself….you have no ability to defeat it. You see……salvation is only found in an awe of the saving grace of Jesus and in a recognition of the sufficiency of His sacrifice on the cross. Trust in HIm today!

So the question is ……When you are faced with that truth…the fact that you are in need of a savior…and that you can not save yourself….that only Jesus has the ability and the authority to save you…….in that moment…..do you recognize your weakness ? And if you do……. will you run to Jesus? Because only Jesus has the ability to save you…and give you peace. This morning.... I invite you …wherever you are at…and whatever storm you’re facing....... trust and rest and find peace in the one who has power over the storm.

Let’s pray
- - Matthew 26:26–28ESV
- - 1 Corinthians 11:27ESV
- - Matthew 26:29ESV
- - 1 Corinthians 11:23–29ESV
- - 1 Corinthians 10:17ESV
- - Luke 22:19–20ESV
- - Romans 6:3–4CSB
I will wait for You (Psalm 130)
God Is Good
- - 2 Thessalonians 2:16–17CSB

Psalm 117:1–2CSB

Matthew 6:21CSB

Hebrews 4:15CSB

Matthew 26:26–28ESV

1 Corinthians 11:27ESV

Matthew 26:29ESV

1 Corinthians 11:23–29ESV

1 Corinthians 10:17ESV

Luke 22:19–20ESV

Romans 6:3–4CSB

2 Thessalonians 2:16–17CSB