"BIG BILLOWS AND A BITTY BOAT!"
Written and preached by David P. Nolte

MARK 4:35-41

1. WE SEE A STORM RAGING: V37:
1. It is typical of the Sea of Galilee to be assaulted without warning by a sudden, violent storm. The sea can quickly become fierce, raging and dangerous as we see it in this text.
2. Life can be like that. One minute calm, and the next stormy. One moment we experience smooth sailing and the next our boat is pummeled by the waves and is about to go under. One moment a gentle breeze and the next a tempest.
1. It may come in the form of sorrow and grief. A loved one dies; a friend forsakes us; our children let us down; our marriage falls apart.
2. It may be in the form of some problem or difficulty. We face unemployment; we are hit with unexpected expenses; we get bad news from the doctor; we have a difficult and painful decision to make or we may be in perpetual physical pain.
3. It may come in the form of worry and anxiety. We may have some undefined, dread; we may be experiencing depression; we may have a difficult test at school; we may be fighting the effects of aging and loss of ability and independence; and we are worried and afraid of terrorists and criminals.
3. But when the storms of life hit with a vengeance,
1. We should not be surprised or caught totally off-guard.
1. Jesus forewarned us: "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." John 16:33 (NIV).
2. Peter alerted us, "Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you." 1 Peter 4:12 (NIV).
2. We should not be negative, pessimistic, or defeated!
1. Paul reminds us, "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose." Romans 8:28 (NIV)
2. Peter assures us: "And the God of all grace, Who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will Himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast." 1 Peter 5:10 (NIV).
4. Three little boys had been put to bed for the night. A terrible storm was raging. There was lightning and thunder and wind and rain. Two of the little boys hid under the bed, frightened. The youngest of them peered underneath and said, "Aw, quit yer bawlin'! Don't you s'pose God knows what He's doin'?"

In the text we see a storm raging; but what else do we see?

1. WE SEE JESUS SLEEPING: V38:
1. His repose did nothing to restore their confidence! It could have: they could have reasoned, "Jesus isn't worried; everything will be okay!"  But no, they said, "Look! Jesus is sleeping!" "What?" "Doesn't He care what's happening to us?" "What's the matter with Him?" They thought He didn't care! They saw His relaxation as a sign of indifference!
2. Has it ever seemed so to you? It's okay to admit it, He knows anyhow and it won't offend Him. Have you ever felt that Jesus slept while you baled the boat for all you were worth? Have you ever assumed that Jesus slept through your pain and hurt and difficulty?
3. Note:
1. It will seem that Jesus sleeps on if we rely on our own emotions: We may feel alone, or overlooked, or forsaken. But Martin Luther rightly said, "Feelings come, and feelings go, and feelings are deceiving. My warrant is the Word of God; naught else is worth believing." His Word assures that He will not leave nor forsake us. Believe that.
2. It will seem that Jesus doesn't care if we look at circumstances more than we look at Him and His promises. Things change, but His covenant never fails! Believe that.
3. It will seem that Jesus is indifferent if we believe what others tell us: "If God loved you, He'd take better care of you!"  They lie!  Believe God.
   
4. It will seem that Jesus slumbers if He doesn't answer when and how we want Him to! But remember: "Delay is not denial!" Believe that.
4. When it seems He is indifferent, we should learn the lesson a girl named Catherine learned: She underwent a severe testing of her faith and it seemed that Jesus was absent. She was tempted to despair and to turn her back on God. In a few days, she sensed His presence anew, and prayed, "Lord, where were You when I was so tempted?" He seemed to say, "I was right beside you, child. If I had not been there, you would have failed." Unseen, unnoticed, seemingly uncaring, but He was there.

In the text, we see Jesus sleeping, seemingly unconcerned; but what else do we see?

3. WE SEE THE DISCIPLES IN TERROR: V38:
1. At least four of His disciples were fishermen, men of the sea. But it seems that all those in the boat with Him were in a state of panic. When you are suffering, when storms batter your life, do you fear? Does panic set in? Then you know how these men felt.
2. Fear is not a bad thing in itself. We ought to fear doing wrong; we ought to fear doing stupid things like playing Russian Roulette or snorting Coke. When fear produces a rational, prudent alertness and makes us circumspect, it is good. But when fear causes us to see danger when none exists, when fear reduces us to helplessness, when fear paralyzes us, when fear renders us unable to cope, fear is a harmful thing. The terrorist thugs like Osama Bin Ladin want to create that kind of crippling fear within their victims. That's what this D.C. Sniper hopes to do!
3. So, many are like Abdul-Hamid, Sultan of Turkey until 1909. He lived in constant fear of assassination. He was heavily guarded and allowed interview in only one room. The visitor would sit on a chair in the center of the room, and Abdul would talk from behind a fine grill work where he was unseen by the visitor. He would pace ceaselessly since he feared the visitor would fire a gun in the direction of his voice if he remained stationary. All his other rooms had alarm systems, trap doors, and mirrors by which he could see in several directions; he set up lifelike models of himself, standing in windows, or seated in a chair. He hoped these would receive any bullets intended for him. He was a slave to fear.
4. But God doesn't want us in fear! Someone counted 365 "Fear Not's" in the Bible; one per day! God says, "Fear not!"
1. Speaking to Ezekiel, God said, "And you, son of man, do not be afraid of them or their words. Do not be afraid, though briers and thorns are all around you and you live among scorpions. Do not be afraid of what they say or terrified by them, though they are a rebellious house." Ezekiel 2:6 (NIV).
2. Paul wrote, "For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline." 2 Timothy 1:7 (NIV).

We see the disciples in terror; but what else do we see?

4. WE SEE THAT JESUS' PRESENCE MADE THEM SAFE: V39:
1. Jesus was there. Deliverance was not far off. Did they really think Jesus would sleep and go down with the ship? They were safer there in the boat in the midst of storm with Jesus than on the shore in sunshine without Him.
2. They should have had more confidence in Jesus than the pagans did in Caesar; but the Roman sailor believed, "The vessel which carries Caesar and his fortunes can never sink."
3. So, the "boat" (however bitty) in which Jesus rides can never sink, no matter how big the billows or how fierce the storm. In Him and with Him is safety, deliverance and life.
1. The Psalmist expressed this truth: "You rule over the surging sea; when its waves mount up, You still them." Psalms 89:9 (NIV).
2. And "Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble, and He brought them out of their distress. He stilled the storm to a whisper; the waves of the sea were hushed. They were glad when it grew calm, and He guided them to their desired haven." Psalms 107:28-30 (NIV).
4. God grant us the calm confidence of one little girl. She was a passenger on a ship from Liverpool to New York. En route, a severe storm hit. The wind swept waves over the ship and nearly capsized it. The little girl woke up and asked, "What's the matter? What's happening?" They told her of the storm; she asked one question, "Is my daddy at the helm?" They said he was, and she lay back down to sleep, in spite of the wind and waves -- she was secure knowing her daddy was at the helm.  Be at peace!  Jesus is at the helm.

When storms hit, we often think we have Jonah, not Jesus, in our boat. But Jesus is there and you need to trust Him. That old hymn finishes, "The winds and the waves shall obey My will, 'Peace, be still!' Whether the wrath of the storm-tossed sea, or demons or men, or whatever it be, no water can swallow the ship where lies the Master of ocean and earth and skies; they all shall sweetly obey My will: 'Peace, peace, be still!" No boat can sink in which He rides, storm or no storm. No storm, fury, terror, or threat can undo the soul with confidence in Jesus Christ. He is there! He is in control. He is not sleeping! Place your trust, place your life, place your destiny in the hands of Him who is faithful. He is our hope. Because "We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure" Hebrews 6:19 (NIV), we can know that He rules over the surging sea and stills it; Because "We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure" we can believe His promise that when we pass through the waters, He will be with us. Because "We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure" we can be safe, secure, at peace and assured that He is with us, He loves us, and He will see us through. Cast you faith like an anchor into the depths of His great love and power and you'll be safe. Just keep believing Jesus, just keep relying upon Jesus, just keep trusting your Lord and in His time, He will stop the storm and your sea will be calm again.

Stories from Lee Book of Illustrations, and other unknown sources