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Mark 4:35-41 · Providence Baptist Church - Sermons

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On that day when evening had come, he said to them, let us go across to the other side.
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And leaving the crowd, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was.
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And other boats were with him.
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And a great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was already filling.
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But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion.
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And they awoke him and said to him, teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?
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And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, peace, be still.
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And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.
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He said to them, why are you so afraid?
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Have you still no faith?
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And they were filled with great fear and said to one another, who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?
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Let's pray together.
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Father God, we do thank you this morning for your holy word.
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And we thank you for Christ, who is your very character made manifest amongst us.
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And we thank you for the gospel of Mark, that we have an opportunity to behold his life, to learn from it, to glean, to wonder at who he was.
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We thank you for his accomplished work.
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We thank you for who he is to us this day.
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And I pray that by the gift of the Spirit, to those of us who have placed our faith in him, that we might learn, we might understand, we might apply your word today in wisdom in this world.
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For the great end cause of magnifying your name.
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And we pray this in Christ's name.
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Amen.
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Well, we would do well this morning as we would any time we study the gospel of Mark together to remember why it is Mark wrote this gospel account.
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And it's very similar to the other gospel accounts.
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It shouldn't be a strange concept to you.
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But remember Mark 1, verse 1, it reads,
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The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
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And he takes a great deal of pains in presenting to us the fact that Jesus Christ was, in fact, the Son of God.
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And therefore, God himself made flesh to dwell amongst us.
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And the natural then response to understanding that is that we might follow him.
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That we will be disciples of Christ.
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And disciples of Christ make disciples.
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So you've heard me saying over and over again that the great call of Mark to our lives is to recognize Jesus as the Christ.
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And to become disciple-making disciples of Jesus the Christ.
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We've witnessed a series of Jesus' miracles up to this point.
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In fact, Mark fires through them pretty quickly for us.
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Kind of laying out for us the authority that Jesus had.
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His power over creation we've seen a number of times already in his healings.
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That he has healed people of physical illness means that he had to do some regenerative work in them.
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That there was some malady of a particular organ or of some limbs and he had to do a regenerative work.
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Not apply some medicine but actually make something new.
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So we've already seen this power over creation displayed for us in the gospel.
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But here we see it in a particularly mighty way.
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We see a display of Jesus as the creator and sustainer of creation.
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Now, if you study much the attributes of God, you will come to know and understand that there are attributes of God that are both communicable.
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Meaning things that we can do.
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God is love.
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Therefore, we can love.
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And there are also some incommunicable attributes of God.
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Things that God is that we will never be.
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We're called to be holy because God is holy.
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Not like God is holy.
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We'll never be like God in that way.
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And another way that we'll never be like God is in his creativity.
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And I'm not suggesting that we cease using that term for the things that we do that are creative.
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I have a very creative wife and I will continue to call her creative and appreciate her creativity.
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But none of us are creative the way that God is creative.
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The way that Jesus Christ is creative.
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And that is that God creates from nothing.
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The fancy Latin term for that is ex nihilo if you care about such things.
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We will never be this way.
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And in fact, I think one of the reasons that we're so wired to appreciate creativity
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is that it gives some semblance, some reflection of who God is.
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That God creates beauty.
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Whether you like art or not, if that's where your mind is gone,
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you may appreciate music.
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You may appreciate buildings that are beautiful to behold.
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All of these things are some reflection of God's creative person.
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So we see that on display here in the person of Jesus Christ.
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And this shouldn't be, for those of us who are students of the Bible, any real surprise.
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We should already know this to be true.
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I've got a number of texts I'd like for you to try to turn with me quickly for the sake of time.
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John 1, verses 1-3.
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Anybody catch that I just spilled water all over myself?
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I'm just not being quite as full.
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In the beginning was the Word, being Christ.
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This is who John is writing of.
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And the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
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He was in the beginning with God.
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And all things were made through Him,
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and without Him was not anything made that was made.
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Jesus Christ.
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All things were made through Him,
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and nothing was made apart from Him.
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Ready?
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Hebrews 1, verses 1-3.
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Hebrews 1, verse 1.
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Long ago, at many times and in many ways,
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God spoke to our fathers by the prophets,
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but in these last days He has spoken to us by His Son,
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whom He appointed the heir of all things,
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through whom He also created the world.
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He is the radiance of the glory of God,
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and the exact imprint of His nature,
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the facsimile of God.
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And He upholds the universe by the word of His power,
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certainly the creator and sustainer.
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of this world.
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Colossians 1.
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Don't turn in here.
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Just stick with me.
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Colossians 1, verses 16-17.
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For by Him all things were created,
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in heaven and on earth,
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visible and invisible,
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whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities,
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all things were created through Him and for Him.
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And He is before all things,
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and in Him all things hold together.
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And the last one, 1 Corinthians 8, verse 6.
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For us there is one God, the Father,
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from whom are all things,
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and from whom we exist,
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and one Lord, Jesus Christ,
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through whom are all things,
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and through whom we exist.
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And this is only a sampling of texts
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in the New Testament
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that make this very apparent to us,
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that Jesus Christ,
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being the Son of God,
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is Himself God,
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and is therefore the creator
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and the sustainer of the universe.
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And this is what we see displayed for us
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as He has power over this storm.
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There's much conversation as of late
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about the question of origin.
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Recently there was a debate
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between Bill Nye, the science guy,
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and Ken Ham,
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which had some mixed review
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at the quality of the debate itself.
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But that sparked a lot of conversation.
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There's a lot of people talking about
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the issue of origin right now
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and applying science to the age of the earth.
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And all of those things are important and valuable.
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And I appreciate young earth apologists
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that are making a case
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for the inerrancy of Scripture in that way.
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I love it.
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I appreciate that.
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But more importantly than all of that,
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if you want to ask where our origin is from,
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how did this world come into existence?
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It came into existence by Jesus.
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That is it.
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That is the answer to this great question.
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I have encouraged a number of you,
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particularly the families,
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to use with your children
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a resource called New City Catechism.
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I would actually encourage everyone in here
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to use it as a resource.
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A question and an answer.
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A doctrinal layout.
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A road map, so to speak,
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for us to understand the truths of God
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in a very systematic way.
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And the second question of that,
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which we're working on with Cade,
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is what is God?
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What is God?
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And the answer,
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and Cade can say this with confidence,
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I don't think he fully understands it,
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but is that God is the creator
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and sustainer of everyone and everything.
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And this is such an important truth
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for us to understand.
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It's so key that we wrap our minds
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around who Jesus is.
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This is a magnificent thing about our Lord.
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In fact, the use of the word Lord
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in the Old Testament
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was the word Yahweh.
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In Hebrew, spelled Y-H-W-Y
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in our English equivalent of that.
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Which is the name that God gave Himself
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in speaking to Moses in the burning bush,
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which was to say,
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I am.
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That's how we read it in English.
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I am.
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In that everything emanates from Him.
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You've heard me say before
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that everything plugs into God.
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God plugs into nothing.
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He is self-sufficient.
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He is self-sustaining.
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All the power in this universe
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comes from His being.
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And in this miracle,
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Jesus expresses Himself uniquely
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as the Great I Am.
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This is huge.
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The miracles before this
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have been a big deal.
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He's shown that He has authority over sin.
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He's shown that He has authority over Satan.
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He's shown that He has authority over flesh
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and that failing.
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But here He is saying,
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I am the Great I Am.
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Watch what I'm about to do.
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Now I'll tell you that I've stolen great part
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the outline for this sermon
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from John MacArthur.
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I just think it's proper to give him
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proper due in this
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and not be a plagiarizer.
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College students know what that means.
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But we're going to look at this story
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in four different parts.
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The calm before the storm.
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The calm during the storm.
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The calm after the storm.
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And the storm after the calm.
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So that's how we're going to progress
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through this together.
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So let's look first
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at the calm during the storm.
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Verse 37.
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We're just going to read that again
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so it's fresh in our minds.
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And a great windstorm arose.
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Oh, excuse me.
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I just jumped.
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On that day when evening had come,
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He said to them,
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Let us go across to the other side.
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And leaving the crowd,
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they took Him with them in the boat
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just as He was.
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And other boats were with them.
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Now, it's widely understood.
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There's some debate.
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We can't say with a great deal of finality on this.
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But that this event proceeds,
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follows up a day,
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excuse me,
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follows a day of teaching.
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So beginning in chapter 4,
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we see Him casting out on the side
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teaching from a boat.
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He's on the side of the Sea of Galilee.
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And He's now gotten out
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because the crowd is pressing it around Him
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in a boat.
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And He uses the water then
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as a natural projection.
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He didn't have a handy mic
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that thumps His voice
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when He looks the wrong direction.
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But spoke out across the water
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so that all this crowd
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might hear the message
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that He was teaching.
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And we saw very quickly
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kind of backing up that
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a series of four sayings,
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some of them parables,
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some not really fitting into that mold.
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And I believe that Mark
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intends for us to see this
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as a day of teaching.
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There's some evidence to that.
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There's just a little bit of evidence
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contrary to that,
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like in verse 10.
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And when He was alone,
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those around Him with the twelve
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asked Him about the parables.
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So at some point,
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He was not with the crowd
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and was able to give some explanation
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to the disciples.
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Ultimately, it doesn't really matter.
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And praise God for that.
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But certainly,
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He has concluded some teaching.
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And it's likely,
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I would err,
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if I'm going to err on a side,
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I would err to the side,
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of this being a full day of teaching.
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Because it says,
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in verse 36,
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that they took Him with them
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in the boat.
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And the article is there
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in the original language.
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So, what boat are they referring to?
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And I would assume
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that it was the boat
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that He was teaching from
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in the beginning of chapter 4.
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So it's been this
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long day of teaching.
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And I can say to you
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that preaching a 45-minute sermon
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is exhausting.
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And some of you in your lives
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will understand
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what that looks like
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and what that means
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and what it feels like
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to have this many eyes
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staring at you
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and have to kind of
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pour yourself out
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and to have both
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something happening
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coming out of your mouth
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and dialogue running
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in the back of your head.
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Like, why is He looking
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at me like that?
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I'm not really sure
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what I just said wrong.
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Or as I tend to invent words
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at times,
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I'm thinking,
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is that a word?
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I don't think that's a word.
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Should I go back
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and correct myself?
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No, I won't worry about it.
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And moving forward like that.
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And it's quite mentally exhausting.
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The preparation for such
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is exhausting.
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And so we see Jesus here
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wanting to get away.
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Getting in a boat
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in order to get away.
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Jesus was God in flesh,
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but He was still a man.
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And I'm always encouraged
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to see the times
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that He rested,
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the times that He withdrew,
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because I feel that so readily
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in my life as well.
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So there's a calm
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before the storm.
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There's a calm during the storm,
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beginning in verse 37.
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And a great windstorm arose,
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and the waves were breaking
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into the boat,
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so that the boat
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was already filling.
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But He was in the stern,
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asleep on the cushion,
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and they woke Him
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and said to Him,
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Teacher,
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do you not care
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that we are perishing?
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And He awoke
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and rebuked the wind
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and said to the sea,
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Peace.
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Be still.
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Now some of the incredibly
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fascinating things
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I learned this week
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were about the Sea of Galilee.
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As a person who likes adventure,
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I really want to go
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to the Sea of Galilee now.
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It's a fascinating place
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in the world.
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I would say primarily
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for its historical significance.
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Many very important things happen.
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The other lake miracle,
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Jesus walked on these waters,
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the Sea of Galilee.
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The fact that He stilled a storm
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on these waters
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would be a reason
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to go see this place.
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But it's unique
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in many different ways.
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It's different from
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all other bodies of water
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in the world.
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To give you some approximation
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of the size of it,
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it's 13 miles long
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and 8 miles wide,
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64 square miles.
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And just to kind of
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help you understand that,
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Lake Lanier is 59 square miles.
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If you ever look at pictures
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of the Sea of Galilee,
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it's much more open.
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It doesn't quite have the fingers
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that Lake Lanier has.
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But it's roughly the same size.
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At its greatest depth,
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it's about 150 feet deep.
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Just like Lake Lanier,
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at the dam,
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it's about 150 feet deep.
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So it kind of helps,
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I think,
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you wrap your mind around
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this is not a massive
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body of water.
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It's unique in that
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it's 682 feet below sea level.
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Not the lowest lake in the world.
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The Dead Sea is the lowest,
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but the Dead Sea
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is a saltwater lake.
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This is the lowest
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freshwater lake in the world.
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682 feet below sea level.
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Fed primarily by the Jordan River,
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although it does have
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some natural springs
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that feed it as well.
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What's really,
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really unique about
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this particular lake
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is the way that the mountains
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border it
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and the way the winds blow
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across this lake.
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Primarily in the wintertime.
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There are two seasons.
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The summer,
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there's some fairly regular storms
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that come in
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that can be calculated.
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In the wintertime,
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the winds come from
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a different direction
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and they are really hard
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to calculate.
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Come up at any moment.
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And this is the experience
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that they find themselves in.
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I can't say with certainty
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that this was in the wintertime,
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but they certainly
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didn't set out across the lake
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to brave a storm
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of this nature,
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so it's safe to assume
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that it came up on them
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very suddenly.
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Now get this.
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Imagine Lake Lanier.
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I think most of us
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have been out on the lake
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and the lake on a really windy day
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gets pretty choppy.
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Pretty choppy on the lake
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is like one foot waves.
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Those waves are caused
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by the wind.
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Well, on the Sea of Galilee,
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these waves can be up to
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ten feet high
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caused by the wind.
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Isn't that fascinating?
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Just a small body of water.
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Waves ten feet high.
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And these boats
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were low-sided boats.
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They were used to fish out of.
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They hauled nets aboard them
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and they hauled nets manually,
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not with some kind of a crane
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or something like that.
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So they were low-sided boats
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and these waves
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would have crashed
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across the deck.
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And we see here
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that it was happening,
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such a storm was happening
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that the boat was filling
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with water
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and a boat that's full of water
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sinks,
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just in case you didn't know that.
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Right?
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Now,
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up to seven of the disciples,
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possibly up to seven
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were confident,
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five,
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but up to seven of the disciples
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were fishermen.
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They would have been very familiar
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with this circumstance.
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Very familiar with it.
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They probably would have
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encountered it before.
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But here we see this calm
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during the storm
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as they're terribly concerned
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having experienced this,
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being in the midst of it,
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having the boat
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filling with water
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and in the back of the boat,
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Jesus is sleeping.
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Jesus is sleeping
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in the back of the boat.
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That's the stern,
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the back of the boat.
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And He's asleep on the cushion,
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which is probably something
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that was always in a boat like this
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and that the fishermen
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would sit on
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in order to steer the boat.
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He just decided to doze off
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and take a nap
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after his long day of teaching.
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Right?
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This is similar
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to the story of Jonah.
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Remember the story of Jonah?
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God calls him
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to go and preach to Nineveh,
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to call them to repent
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and turn to God.
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And he flees instead
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in the opposite direction
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across the Mediterranean
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towards a town called Tarshish.
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He doesn't quite get there,
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but a great storm comes up
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and he is also asleep in a boat.
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And he admits
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that it's probably his fault
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that this is happening.
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This is in Jonah 1
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and is thrown overboard.
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Although I think
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that this comparison
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is meant to express
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contrast
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rather than similarity.
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Right?
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It's meant to express
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contrast
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rather than similarity.
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Jonah
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is the victim
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rather than the victor
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in his story.
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Jonah was tired
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from running away
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from God.
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Fell into such a sleep
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that he could sleep
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through a storm
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like this.
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And I would
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propose to you
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that Jesus was tired
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because he was running
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after God.
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Jesus could rest
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because he knew
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the promises of Romans 8.28.
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Even though Paul
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had yet to write it,
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for those who love God,
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all things work together
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for good.
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For those who are called
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according to his purpose,
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he could rest
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confident
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in the hands
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of the king.
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Further,
19:07
as Jonah's running away
19:11
from the call of God
19:13
to preach good news
19:14
to the people of Nineveh,
19:17
Jesus is running
19:18
towards
19:19
a divine appointment.
19:23
In John 5.19,
19:24
Jesus says,
19:24
Truly, truly,
19:25
I say to you,
19:26
the Son can do nothing
19:28
of his own accord,
19:29
but only what he sees
19:30
the Father doing.
19:32
For whatever the Father does,
19:33
that the Son does likewise.
19:37
He had a great confidence
19:38
in his ministry.
19:40
He didn't have to look
19:41
to some methodology.
19:42
He didn't have to
19:43
come up with some
19:44
sort of strategy.
19:46
His single-mindedness
19:47
is that he would listen
19:48
to what the Father
19:48
was doing
19:49
and do
19:50
what he said.
19:52
So he gets into a boat
19:53
and he sets out
19:54
across a lake
19:55
headed from the west
19:57
side of the lake
19:58
to the east
19:59
side of the lake.
20:00
We don't know.
20:01
Did Jesus know
20:02
the encounter
20:02
he was about to experience?
20:04
Maybe.
20:05
Probably not.
20:06
I would guess
20:06
in his humanity
20:07
that he did not know
20:08
the future
20:09
of his encounter
20:10
on the other side
20:10
of the lake,
20:11
but he knew
20:12
that he was meant
20:13
to go across the lake
20:14
and he could rest
20:16
in that.
20:18
Now we see where he goes
20:19
at the beginning
20:19
of chapter 5.
20:20
We'll talk about this
20:21
at length
20:22
in some coming weeks.
20:24
Chapter 5,
20:24
verse 1,
20:25
he ends up in the
20:26
land of the Gerasenes.
20:29
There are two cities there,
20:30
Gerasa and Gadara,
20:32
I'm assuming,
20:33
is the way you pronounce
20:34
these things.
20:35
And this is where
20:35
he casts out
20:37
a demon,
20:38
which is demons,
20:39
called legion.
20:40
Remember the story
20:41
of the crazy man
20:42
who lived amongst
20:43
the tombs
20:43
and he casts the demons
20:44
out and he puts them
20:44
into a herd of pigs?
20:47
Guess what Jews
20:47
didn't eat?
20:49
Pigs.
20:50
These are Gentile towns
20:51
that he's gone to.
20:54
Jesus' primary ministry
20:55
was amongst Jewish people,
20:57
but here we see him
20:58
crossing to the other
20:59
side of the lake
20:59
to proclaim
21:00
the good news
21:01
of the coming kingdom,
21:03
which was his
21:03
consistent message
21:04
to Gentile peoples.
21:07
How do we know this?
21:09
Chapter 5,
21:10
verse 18,
21:11
the man that he's
21:12
cast this legion
21:13
out of
21:14
wants to go with him.
21:16
They're going to get
21:16
back in the boat
21:17
and go back across
21:18
the Sea of Galilee
21:19
and he wants to go with him
21:20
and instead
21:21
he tells him
21:22
to stay.
21:24
He tells him to stay
21:24
and go share
21:26
the good news.
21:26
Verse 19 and 20,
21:28
into the Decapolis,
21:29
which is a group
21:30
of ten cities
21:31
which were on the
21:32
eastern front
21:32
of the Roman Empire
21:33
in modern day Jordan,
21:35
they were Gentile cities
21:36
in this largely Jewish region
21:38
and this is where
21:39
this man that legion
21:40
was cast out of
21:41
goes and shares
21:43
the good news
21:44
of the coming kingdom.
21:46
I was so enlivened
21:48
by this
21:49
as I read this
21:50
because our God
21:51
is a global God.
21:53
He makes
21:53
global promises
21:55
all throughout
21:56
the Old Testament.
21:57
We know that we are meant
21:58
to go to the ends
22:00
of the earth
22:00
and here we see
22:01
Jesus as part of that work
22:03
as ministering primarily
22:04
to Jewish people
22:06
of Jewish descent
22:07
but also expanding
22:09
that reality
22:11
out and beyond
22:12
to Gentiles as well.
22:14
We read in Isaiah 60
22:16
verses 1-3
22:17
Arise, shine
22:20
for your light has come
22:22
and the glory of the Lord
22:23
has risen upon you
22:24
for behold
22:25
darkness shall cover the earth
22:26
and thick darkness
22:28
the peoples
22:28
but the Lord
22:30
will arise upon you
22:31
and His glory
22:31
will be seen upon you
22:33
and nations shall come
22:34
to your light
22:35
and kings
22:36
to the brightness
22:37
of your shining.
22:39
And Jesus could
22:40
rest
22:41
in this.
22:44
So that's the calm
22:45
during the storm.
22:49
And then the calm
22:50
after the storm.
22:53
He awakes
22:54
and He rebukes
22:55
the wind
22:55
and rebukes it
22:57
peace
22:57
be still
22:58
and the wind
22:59
ceased
23:00
and there was
23:02
a great calm.
23:04
He said to them
23:05
why are you so afraid?
23:08
Have you still
23:09
no faith?
23:12
Now remember
23:13
that these are the men
23:14
that Jesus spoke to
23:14
in chapter 4
23:16
verse 11
23:17
He says
23:18
to these men
23:19
to you has been given
23:20
the secret
23:21
of the kingdom of God.
23:22
We know that these men
23:24
except for one
23:25
all became
23:26
followers of Christ
23:27
in their finality.
23:29
They pursued Him
23:30
to death.
23:33
But yet
23:34
they still lacked faith
23:36
at this point.
23:37
What a fascinating
23:38
time
23:39
in history.
23:40
They still
23:41
lacked
23:41
the faith
23:42
to believe
23:43
He is
23:45
who He says
23:46
He is.
23:47
He has made this point
23:48
to them
23:48
previously
23:49
at the end of chapter 3.
23:50
They are those
23:52
that are sitting
23:52
with Him
23:53
and He says
23:54
that those who are
23:55
my family
23:55
those who are
23:56
my mothers
23:57
and my brothers
23:57
and my sisters
23:58
are those who do
23:58
the will
23:59
of my Father.
24:00
He has already
24:01
made this claim
24:01
that He is the Son of God
24:03
again and again
24:04
and again
24:05
and yet they still
24:06
find their faith
24:07
so weak.
24:11
Faith is confidence
24:13
in the person
24:14
and promises
24:15
of God
24:16
which find their
24:17
fulfillment in Christ.
24:19
Faith is confidence
24:20
in the person
24:20
and promises
24:21
of God
24:22
which find their
24:23
fulfillment in Christ.
24:25
2 Corinthians 1.20
24:28
says for all the promises
24:29
of God
24:29
find their yes
24:31
in Him
24:32
being Jesus.
24:34
So we ask this question
24:36
why are you so afraid?
24:38
If you believe I am
24:40
who I say I am
24:40
why are you afraid?
24:42
If I am God incarnate
24:44
coming to dwell amongst you
24:46
and I'm asleep on the boat
24:47
why are you afraid
24:48
of a little storm?
24:51
Ten foot waves
24:51
right?
24:52
Why are you afraid
24:52
of a little storm?
24:54
Have you still
24:54
no faith?
24:57
And this is a piercing
24:59
question
24:59
that Jesus asked
25:02
and we would do well
25:03
to ask ourselves
25:04
the same question.
25:07
Do we have faith
25:09
that Jesus Christ
25:11
is the Son of God?
25:14
That's the case
25:14
that's been building here
25:15
that Mark is driving at.
25:17
And most of us
25:19
I believe
25:19
with a great deal
25:20
of confidence
25:21
in the room
25:21
can say yes
25:22
of course I do.
25:25
Of course I believe
25:26
that Jesus is the Son of God
25:27
and I see fruit
25:28
in your lives
25:29
that bear evidence
25:30
of this reality.
25:31
But I don't know that
25:32
to be true
25:33
of everyone in here.
25:34
And we would be remiss
25:35
at this point
25:36
if we didn't ask
25:36
that question.
25:37
Do you believe
25:38
that Jesus
25:39
is the Christ?
25:41
It's not merely enough
25:43
just to say it.
25:44
It's not enough
25:45
just to have
25:46
some mental recognition
25:48
of it.
25:49
It's not enough
25:50
to have grown up
25:51
in a Christian home
25:52
and to attend church services
25:53
on a regular basis.
25:54
All those things
25:55
are outward trappings.
25:57
Where is your heart?
26:00
At the end of chapter 3
26:01
we found three categories.
26:03
We found his family
26:04
coming to him
26:05
thinking that he was insane.
26:07
That he was a lunatic.
26:08
We saw the scribes
26:09
accusing him
26:09
of being a liar.
26:10
Saying that he couldn't
26:11
possibly be
26:12
the son of God
26:13
but that he must be
26:13
the son of Satan
26:14
doing these miracles
26:16
from the power of Satan.
26:18
And then we see
26:18
those who are truly
26:20
his family
26:21
his mothers
26:22
and his brothers
26:23
doing the will of God
26:24
and that is to believe
26:25
that he is the Christ.
26:26
So he's either going to be
26:28
a liar
26:28
a lunatic
26:29
or Lord
26:31
in your life.
26:33
And this
26:33
question
26:35
and the answer to it
26:36
has such
26:37
great
26:38
consequence.
26:40
I would plead with you
26:41
if you can't say
26:42
with confidence
26:42
you place your faith
26:43
in Christ
26:44
do that today.
26:45
Begin searching.
26:46
Begin asking questions.
26:47
Begin stepping out
26:49
of Christendom
26:50
this little bubble
26:52
that we live in
26:53
that for some people
26:55
is so magical
26:56
and neat
26:56
and for some people
26:57
is so distasteful
26:58
because they've seen
26:59
the hypocrisy
27:00
so many.
27:02
And begin to really
27:04
ask questions
27:05
of your heart.
27:06
What do I believe
27:08
about Jesus Christ?
27:09
There is no more
27:10
important question
27:11
in this world.
27:13
Do I believe
27:14
that he was
27:15
in fact
27:16
the Son of God?
27:18
And if what he said
27:19
was true
27:19
about himself
27:20
then this Bible
27:22
these scriptures
27:23
are of utmost importance
27:25
and the way we arrange
27:25
our lives by them
27:26
matter immensely.
27:29
The question
27:30
the answer to this question
27:32
has eternal consequence
27:33
and I can't
27:34
with you
27:34
I'm right there with you
27:35
I'm not more high minded
27:36
than you
27:37
I cannot wrap my mind
27:38
around eternity.
27:39
I do not know
27:40
what that looks like.
27:41
Every example I've seen
27:42
people have told me
27:42
oh I saw this great example
27:43
somebody was showing
27:44
about eternity
27:45
that is a poor example
27:47
of eternity.
27:48
A piece of string
27:49
stretched across a string
27:50
with a little flag on it
27:51
this is your life
27:52
this is eternity
27:53
no
27:54
you can measure that
27:56
right?
27:57
Eternity is much bigger
27:58
than that
27:59
it's forever
28:00
I don't even know
28:01
it's so
28:02
so difficult to see
28:03
but the answer
28:04
to this question
28:05
has eternal consequence
28:08
death
28:10
pain
28:11
punishment
28:12
I fully believe
28:14
in hell
28:15
Jesus spoke about it
28:16
more than he spoke
28:17
about heaven
28:18
there's retribution
28:20
coming
28:21
for those who are
28:21
enemies of God
28:23
who are not found
28:23
in his family
28:24
what that would be like
28:27
I just can't imagine
28:27
I can't imagine
28:28
what eternal joy
28:29
is like
28:30
and that's what's promised
28:31
to those of us
28:32
who do believe
28:33
that Jesus is the Christ
28:34
this matters not just
28:36
for eternity
28:37
but it matters now too
28:38
the way we arrange our lives
28:39
what we believe to be true
28:40
matters now
28:42
you want to have life
28:43
now
28:43
believe in Christ
28:45
you want to have death
28:46
you want to live a miserable life
28:48
you've come to the end
28:48
of everything
28:49
that you think might possibly
28:50
bring you some satisfaction
28:51
and some joy
28:52
continue on that path
28:53
right?
28:54
reject Jesus as the Christ
28:55
you want life
28:56
accept him
28:57
for who he is
28:59
who he said
29:00
he is
29:01
that's a very piercing
29:03
question
29:03
have you still
29:04
no
29:05
faith
29:07
that's the calm
29:09
after the storm
29:10
then there's a bit of a storm
29:12
after the calm
29:13
it says
29:14
and they were filled
29:15
with great fear
29:16
and said to one another
29:17
who then is this
29:19
that even the wind
29:20
and the sea
29:21
obey him
29:22
you see their response
29:23
of faithlessness
29:25
at this point
29:26
and they really
29:27
should have known
29:27
these men
29:28
while they were simple men
29:29
they would have known
29:30
their scriptures
29:31
as Jews
29:32
they would have been
29:33
saturated by this
29:35
and they should have
29:35
known who he was
29:37
Job 38
29:38
8-11
29:39
says
29:39
this is God speaking to Job
29:41
or who shut in the sea
29:42
with doors
29:43
when it burst out
29:44
from the womb
29:44
when I made clouds
29:46
its garment
29:47
and thick darkness
29:48
its swaddling band
29:49
and prescribed limits
29:50
for it
29:50
and set bars
29:51
and doors
29:52
and said
29:53
thus far shall you come
29:54
and no farther
29:55
and here shall your proud waves
29:57
be stayed
29:58
they would have been
29:59
familiar with
30:00
these words of God
30:01
to Job
30:02
right
30:03
and the clear answer
30:03
to that is
30:04
me
30:04
God
30:05
the one who's speaking
30:06
I am the one
30:06
who set the limits
30:08
on the sea
30:09
we see in Psalm 65
30:11
a Psalm of David
30:12
verses 5-8
30:13
by awesome deeds
30:15
you answer us
30:15
with righteousness
30:16
O God of our salvation
30:17
the hope of all
30:19
the ends of the earth
30:20
and of the farthest seas
30:22
the one who by his strength
30:23
established the mountains
30:24
being girded with might
30:26
who stills the roaring
30:28
of the seas
30:29
the roaring of their waves
30:30
the tumult of the peoples
30:32
so that those who dwell
30:34
at the ends of the earth
30:34
are in awe at your signs
30:36
you make the going out
30:37
of the morning
30:38
and the evening
30:39
to shout for joy
30:40
David saw
30:42
that this Christ
30:44
was going to
30:45
still
30:46
the roaring
30:47
of the waves
30:49
and here they are
30:51
witnessing it
30:52
unique characters
30:53
in history
30:53
in the boat
30:54
with Christ
30:55
when there is a
30:57
great calm
30:58
brought about
30:59
by his simple words
31:00
peace
31:01
be still
31:03
and yet they didn't
31:06
believe
31:07
there is a storm
31:09
going on in their hearts
31:10
who is
31:11
this man
31:12
they feared him
31:13
it says
31:14
a man who speaks
31:15
to the waves
31:16
and they
31:18
obey
31:19
what we believe
31:22
about Jesus
31:23
has to have
31:25
some real effect
31:26
in our lives
31:28
in fact
31:28
the word believe
31:29
that we see so often
31:30
throughout our New Testament
31:32
scriptures
31:32
is the Greek word
31:33
pastuo
31:33
and it means
31:34
to be persuaded of
31:35
to place confidence in
31:38
it carries a weight
31:39
with it
31:39
that's not simply
31:40
understanding something
31:42
to be true
31:42
but understanding it
31:43
to be true
31:43
and having it affect
31:44
the way that you live
31:46
it's that kind
31:47
of a belief
31:48
John 14
31:50
12
31:50
Jesus says
31:51
truly truly
31:51
I say to you
31:52
whoever
31:53
believes in me
31:54
will also do
31:56
the works
31:56
that I do
31:57
and greater works
31:58
than these
31:59
will he do
31:59
because I am going
32:00
to the Father
32:01
whoever believes
32:03
in me
32:04
has this kind of
32:05
deep abiding
32:06
belief
32:07
this persuasion
32:08
this confidence
32:09
in who Jesus
32:10
is
32:11
will also
32:13
do the works
32:14
that I do
32:16
so the belief
32:18
in us
32:19
births
32:20
activity
32:20
it births
32:22
good works
32:23
it births
32:24
following the example
32:25
of Christ
32:26
and to make it so simple
32:27
and repetitive
32:28
for you
32:29
it makes us
32:29
disciple making disciples
32:30
those who pursue Christ
32:32
in all that he did
32:33
and Jesus was about
32:34
the work
32:35
of seeking
32:36
and saving
32:37
the lost
32:38
so the reality
32:41
that Jesus Christ
32:42
is the Son of God
32:43
has real implication
32:45
for today's living
32:45
we could just look at this
32:48
and say
32:49
man that was awesome
32:50
how cool
32:51
Jesus spoke
32:52
and the waves stopped
32:53
but it has
32:54
real implications
32:55
for today
32:56
this reality
32:57
that Jesus Christ
32:58
is the Son
33:00
of God
33:01
1 John 5
33:02
12 says
33:02
God has given us
33:03
eternal life
33:04
and this life
33:05
is in his Son
33:06
he who has the Son
33:07
has life
33:08
who has not
33:09
the Son of God
33:10
has not
33:11
life
33:12
and the opposite
33:13
of that being
33:13
death
33:14
I mentioned that
33:15
previously
33:16
right
33:17
he is
33:17
the surety
33:19
of our salvation
33:20
placing our faith
33:21
in him
33:21
and that means
33:22
something today
33:23
your confidence
33:24
in who Jesus is
33:26
means something
33:27
for your position
33:28
today
33:29
his accomplished
33:30
work
33:30
is what's granted
33:32
you access
33:33
into the family
33:34
of God
33:35
it's what's given
33:36
you adoption
33:37
you are a
33:38
daughter
33:38
or a son
33:40
of the most
33:40
high
33:40
because of
33:41
the accomplished
33:41
work of Christ
33:42
we don't believe
33:43
he was the
33:43
the Son of God
33:45
then his work
33:45
was nothing
33:46
he was just
33:47
a man
33:47
who was crazy
33:48
and died
33:49
for his insanity
33:50
Galatians 2 20
33:52
says that we
33:52
live by faith
33:54
in the Son of God
33:55
who loved us
33:56
and gave himself
33:57
for us
33:58
so it carries out
33:59
a process in our
34:00
life
34:00
the continual
34:01
believing
34:01
in the good news
34:03
of Jesus Christ
34:03
carries out a process
34:05
of faith for us
34:06
it builds our faith
34:07
the opposite
34:08
puts faith to death
34:09
in our lives
34:10
as Chris so
34:10
poignantly said
34:11
this morning
34:11
in our Sunday
34:12
school class
34:13
right
34:13
believing
34:14
that Jesus
34:15
is who he says
34:16
he is
34:16
believing in the
34:17
work that he did
34:17
that it has been
34:18
accomplished
34:18
births faith in us
34:20
and so we live
34:21
by that
34:22
faith
34:23
God creates
34:26
life in us
34:27
in Jesus Christ
34:28
and God sustains
34:30
life in us
34:30
in Jesus Christ
34:31
remember who God is
34:32
the creator
34:33
and sustainer
34:34
of everyone
34:35
and everything
34:35
this happens
34:36
by the person
34:37
and work
34:38
of Jesus Christ
34:39
it means something
34:40
for you and I
34:41
today
34:41
today
34:42
it means something
34:43
right now
34:44
sitting in your chair
34:44
this moment
34:45
this great reality
34:47
this means something
34:48
for one of our elders
34:49
this morning
34:50
Stan Luttrell
34:51
and his family
34:51
aren't here
34:52
you may note
34:53
they're in Tennessee
34:55
where his father
34:56
is potentially dying
34:57
he's had a heart condition
34:58
had a stint
34:59
put in yesterday
35:00
we're going to reach
35:01
the 24 hour mark
35:03
at about noon
35:03
of the success
35:05
of such an operation
35:07
it means something
35:09
for them
35:10
as they sit
35:11
at his bedside
35:12
wondering what
35:13
will happen to him
35:14
it means that God
35:15
is able to heal
35:16
his father
35:16
that it's possible
35:18
that that might happen
35:19
that he can pray that
35:21
that if it's God's will
35:22
God can heal his father
35:23
if we see
35:24
his father
35:25
come back
35:26
to some
35:27
level of rejuvenation
35:29
this will be a great work
35:30
of God
35:30
maybe by the hands
35:32
of able doctors
35:33
but it will certainly
35:34
be a work of God
35:35
and Stan's father
35:36
as far as he knows
35:38
is not a believer
35:39
he may be at the very
35:41
end of his life
35:42
right now
35:43
and his eternal
35:44
surety
35:45
is not secure
35:47
his dad may be
35:50
facing an eternity
35:51
of torment
35:52
and separation
35:53
from God
35:54
knowing that Jesus
35:57
is the Christ
35:58
knowing that he is
36:00
in fact
36:01
God himself
36:02
that he can say
36:03
to the waves
36:04
and the wind
36:04
peace be still
36:05
and they obey him
36:07
certainly means
36:08
that Jesus is able
36:09
to save his father
36:09
you can pray
36:10
confident prayers
36:12
that God would
36:14
save his father
36:15
it means things
36:16
for us
36:17
day by day
36:18
that we remember
36:19
who Jesus
36:20
is
36:21
the vision statement
36:24
of Christ Family Church
36:25
that Christ Family Church
36:26
exists
36:26
to glorify God
36:28
by experiencing
36:29
proclaiming
36:30
and displaying
36:31
the supremacy
36:32
of Jesus Christ
36:34
in all things
36:35
to all peoples
36:37
is Jesus Christ
36:38
supreme
36:39
is Jesus Christ
36:40
the son of God
36:41
made manifest
36:42
the one who is being
36:43
exalted
36:44
at God's right hand
36:46
even now
36:47
as we speak
36:48
if he is this
36:49
then he is certainly
36:50
supreme
36:50
to everything else
36:52
in this world
36:53
the father himself
36:55
has exalted
36:56
the son
36:56
the spirit
36:58
exists
36:59
to exalt
37:00
the son
37:01
he is supreme
37:02
to all
37:04
things
37:05
so is Christ
37:07
supreme
37:07
in your
37:08
experience
37:09
in all things
37:11
do you experience
37:13
Christ to be supreme
37:13
in all things
37:14
has this truth
37:16
worked down into you
37:17
in such a way
37:17
that you can say
37:18
in every moment
37:19
of every day
37:19
Christ is supreme
37:21
Christ is better
37:22
than
37:23
anything else
37:24
that I might
37:25
experience
37:25
in this world
37:26
the clear answer
37:28
to that is no
37:29
and the clear answer
37:30
to that should be
37:31
yes
37:32
is Christ supreme
37:34
in your proclamation
37:35
in all things
37:37
what do you talk
37:38
about
37:38
what do you spend
37:40
your days
37:40
gabbing on about
37:42
right
37:43
what occupies
37:45
your words
37:46
so I'll tell you
37:47
this
37:47
you talk about
37:48
the things you love
37:49
think over this
37:51
past week
37:52
the things you
37:53
spent your time
37:53
talking about
37:54
what did you
37:55
talk about
37:55
this week
37:56
not that we
37:58
don't ever
37:58
talk about
37:59
anything else
38:00
in this world
38:00
right
38:01
but is the
38:03
personal work
38:03
of Jesus Christ
38:04
the predominant
38:05
thing that you
38:05
talked about
38:06
this past week
38:07
I'm afraid
38:09
that the
38:09
resounding
38:10
answer to that
38:11
would be no
38:12
for most of us
38:13
but the clear
38:15
answer should be
38:16
yes
38:17
Jesus Christ
38:18
is supreme
38:19
and therefore
38:20
I talk about
38:22
him
38:22
is Christ
38:24
supreme
38:24
in your
38:25
display
38:25
in all things
38:26
do you live
38:27
like you have
38:29
a hope
38:29
beyond this
38:30
world
38:30
right
38:31
do you live
38:32
in such a way
38:33
that people see
38:34
you and think
38:34
you're odd
38:35
this person is
38:36
different
38:36
even in this
38:37
Christian culture
38:38
that we live in
38:39
we should be
38:40
set apart
38:41
not that we
38:42
want to be
38:42
set apart
38:43
for the sake
38:43
of being
38:43
set apart
38:44
right
38:44
sometimes you
38:45
can run away
38:46
from things
38:46
and not ever
38:46
know what
38:47
you're running
38:47
to
38:47
right
38:48
but a lot
38:50
of Christians
38:50
don't look
38:50
any different
38:51
from this
38:51
world
38:51
they give
38:52
no really
38:53
clear evidence
38:54
that they
38:54
have any
38:54
hope at all
38:55
beyond the
38:56
normal things
38:57
of this
38:57
world
38:58
right
38:59
how do we
38:59
arrange our
39:00
lives
39:00
this means
39:01
things about
39:02
the way we
39:02
dress
39:03
this means
39:03
things about
39:04
what we
39:04
drive
39:05
what kind
39:05
of professions
39:06
we pursue
39:07
this means
39:08
things about
39:08
the quality
39:09
of our
39:10
study
39:10
this means
39:11
things about
39:12
the quality
39:12
of our
39:13
work
39:13
this means
39:14
things about
39:14
how we
39:15
take care of
39:15
our homes
39:16
and what we
39:16
use our
39:17
homes for
39:18
right
39:18
it means
39:19
things for
39:20
every aspect
39:21
of our
39:21
living
39:22
and I know
39:22
this is a
39:22
high and
39:23
lofty concept
39:24
and it's so
39:25
difficult to
39:26
take this and
39:26
play it out
39:27
into every
39:27
situation in
39:28
your life
39:28
but you've
39:28
got to start
39:29
taking this
39:30
reality
39:30
and begin
39:31
filtering who
39:32
you are
39:32
through it
39:33
is Christ
39:34
supreme
39:35
in everything
39:37
in your life
39:38
right
39:39
if he's not
39:40
when you're not
39:41
experiencing them
39:42
to be that
39:42
then you
39:43
have failed
39:44
to believe
39:45
in that
39:45
moment
39:46
the reality
39:46
of the
39:46
gospel
39:47
and don't
39:48
hear me
39:48
saying that
39:49
you can
39:49
you can
39:49
wax and
39:50
wane
39:50
that you
39:50
can
39:51
unbelieve
39:51
the gospel
39:52
right
39:52
if you
39:52
are gods
39:53
you are
39:53
gods
39:54
you are
39:54
secure
39:54
in his
39:55
hand
39:55
and I
39:56
have
39:56
confidence
39:56
that you
39:57
will
39:57
progress
39:57
until the
39:58
end
39:58
in your
39:58
faith
39:59
full
39:59
confidence
40:00
in that
40:00
praise
40:01
god
40:01
for our
40:02
soteriology
40:02
the doctrines
40:04
around
40:04
salvation
40:04
that we
40:05
believe
40:05
around
40:06
here
40:06
the bible
40:07
clearly
40:07
teaches
40:08
!
40:08
this
40:08
to
40:08
us
40:08
you're
40:09
secure
40:09
in that
40:10
way
40:10
but in
40:10
those
40:11
moments
40:11
you
40:11
forget
40:12
the
40:13
riches
40:13
of that
40:13
truth
40:14
for your
40:15
life
40:15
in those
40:16
moments
40:16
right
40:17
you fail
40:17
to believe
40:17
it
40:18
at that
40:19
time
40:19
right
40:20
because
40:21
belief
40:22
really
40:22
believing
40:23
that Jesus
40:23
is who
40:23
he said
40:24
he is
40:24
will have
40:25
effect
40:26
it will
40:26
change
40:27
the way
40:28
we live
40:28
it will
40:29
give us
40:29
power
40:30
to deny
40:31
sin
40:31
it will
40:32
give us
40:32
power
40:33
to live
40:34
righteous
40:34
lives
40:35
right
40:36
these
40:36
realities
40:37
of the
40:37
gospel
40:38
we must
40:39
filter
40:39
everything
40:40
through it
40:41
so this
40:42
is the
40:43
storm
40:43
after the
40:44
calm
40:44
and I
40:46
hope
40:46
for everyone
40:47
in here
40:47
I maybe
40:51
shook you
40:51
up a bit
40:52
but I
40:52
hope that
40:52
you find
40:53
a calmness
40:56
in your
40:57
confidence
40:58
in your
40:59
faith in
40:59
Christ
41:00
this morning
41:01
if you
41:02
don't
41:03
it's time
41:04
to wake
41:06
Jesus up
41:07
that he
41:09
might
41:09
calm
41:09
that
41:09
storm
41:10
for you
41:10
let's
41:11
pray
41:11
together