This time we'll read part of Mark chapter 4. Part of Mark chapter 4. Begin reading at verse 14 of Mark chapter 4, and then we'll read to the end of the chapter, which includes the text for the sermon, which is verses 35 through 41, the last section of chapter 4. The scripture reading will begin at verse 14, where Jesus gives the interpretation of the parable of the sower. There we read this word of God at Mark 14, verse 14. Mark 4, verse 14. The sower soweth the word, and these are they by the wayside where the word is sown. But when they have heard, Satan cometh immediately and taketh away the word that was sown in their hearts. And these are they likewise which are sown on stony ground. But when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with gladness and have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time. Afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the word's sake, immediately they are offended. And these are they which are sown among thorns, such as hear the word, and the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful. And these are they which are sown on good ground, such as hear the word and receive it and bring forth fruit, some 30 fold, some 60 and some 100. And he said unto them, is a candle brought to be put under a bushel or under a bed and not to be set on a candlestick For there is nothing hid which shall not be manifested, neither was anything kept secret, but that it should come abroad. If any man have ears to hear, let him hear. And he said unto them, take heed what ye hear. With what measure ye meet, it shall be measured to you, and unto you that hear shall more be given. For he that hath, to him shall be given, And he that hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he hath. And he said, so is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed into the ground, and should sleep, and rise night and day, and the seed should spring and grow up, he knoweth not how. For the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself, first the blade, then the ear, and after that the full corn in the ear. But when the fruit is brought forth, immediately he putteth in the sickle, because the harvest is come. And he said, whereunto shall we liken the kingdom of God? Or with what comparison shall we compare it? It is like a grain of mustard seed, which when it is sown in the earth is less than all the seeds that be in the earth. But when it is sown, it groweth up and becometh greater than all herbs and shooteth out great branches so that the fowls of the air may lodge under the shadow of it. And with many such parables spake he the word unto them as they were able to hear it. But without a parable spake he not unto them. And when they were alone, he expounded all things to his disciples. Now the words of our text. And the same day when the even was come, he saith unto them, let us pass over unto the other side. When they had sent away the multitude, they took him even as he was in the ship, and there were also with him other little ships. And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full. And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow. And they awake him and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish? And he arose and rebuked the wind and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? How is it that ye have no faith? And they feared exceedingly and said one to another, what manner of man is this that even the wind and the sea obey him? May the Lord bless us in the reading of his word. Beloved in the Lord Jesus Christ, our text follows the instruction of the Lord concerning the kingdom of heaven and especially the word of that kingdom. As Jesus taught in the parable of the sower, the word is cast forth like a seed. The sower goes forth to sow. So also the word is sent forth upon the hearts of different hearers, some like the bad soil, also by the grace of God, those like the good soil, who when they receive the word, it takes root, and bears forth much fruit, as God has so ordained. Then Jesus taught the parable of the candle lamp to show that the word of God is not like the farmer's seed exactly, just laying on the soil dormant, waiting for the sun to warm it up and the moisture to do its thing. But the Word of God is a power that illuminates, that exposes and shows to us the truth of salvation. And thirdly, that Word of God is valuable, so valuable that in the third parable, Jesus admonishes us to be like the measure of the measuring measure, to measure much when we hear the Word of God. How does that word grow? In the fourth parable in Mark chapter 4, Jesus teaches us that that word grows in us miraculously. Just as we really cannot explain in the finest detail how a seed actually, when sown in the ground in the springtime, with the warmth of the sun and the moisture of the soil and the nutrients of that soil, actually germinates, and then grows, develops, bears fruit unto the harvest. As miraculously in God's providence that that occurs in the fields and gardens around us. So that's how the word takes root in us and grows and bears fruit by the wonder of God through the power of his spirit in you and in me. And finally, how does that word become manifest in our life? That the Lord answers in the parable of the mustard seed. In this life it appears insignificant, lowly, but it shall be fully glorified by the Lord in life everlasting. It shall be. And it's that last statement, shall be, But the Lord adds the last section to chapter four. Because the question is, before the realities of this life, will it really be that word of the sower, which is powerful, so valuable to us, and able to do that miracle in us, to take root and grow? and influence our whole life? The disciples had to understand the extent of the power of the word of Jesus Christ, and so do we, that comes out when they speak to him, calling him Master or Teacher. Did the disciples fully understand, after all of these parables, the power of that word of Jesus Christ? They confessed Him as the Son of God. He is the Christ, the Son of the living God. Jesus demonstrated to them He was the Word of God, full of the wisdom and knowledge of God. He was the Christ, the prophet of Jehovah, speaking the Word of God, making known the works and the will of God, the Father. But did the disciples realize that? Did they understand that? Jesus reveals the extent of his own power, the power of his word, and the possibility that what he had taught earlier in the chapter indeed must come to pass, when with a few, a very few words, and by very deliberate actions, He shows the power of His Word and truth on the Sea of Galilee. Jesus demonstrated that His Word does save. The Word of the Lord Jesus Christ forgives our iniquity, delivers us from our sin, heals the spiritual diseases, works in us the blessings of salvation, softens that proud heart and makes us humble and thankful unto our Father in heaven. Yea, works all things that we must receive through faith in him. And it's also God's purpose, as Jesus showed in the parable of the sower, that the word of Jesus Christ hardens. As demonstrated in the life of Jesus, the Word of Christ irritates. It closed. It hardened. It left without excuse the enemies of Christ unto their destruction. And in that environment in which the Word goes forth, where the Word has many enemies, the enemy, Satan, the seed of the serpent, And the world who seek to destroy that word and to destroy the kingdom of Christ in you and me, will the word of the prophet of Jehovah, our Lord Jesus Christ, that he speaks unto you and to me, will that word succeed? Will it grow in us? Will it overcome? Or will it be overcome by Affliction? Our doubt? Our unbelief? Ungodliness? Sin? All the enemies that we face? Temptation? Can that word save you and me? Can it preserve us from all evil and keep our souls on the path of righteousness, the narrow way unto everlasting life? Or as Jesus teaches in the text, can that Word save us and sustain us through every storm in this life? Every storm through which we have passed, are passing, and shall surely pass through in the future? The Lord answers that when he stilled the stormy sea. Call your attention to the text under that theme, stilling the stormy seas. We'll notice Jesus' sovereign word displayed. Also notice our shameful unbelief exposed. But we'll also see the great call that we receive through this word of our Lord Jesus Christ. What happened to Jesus and his disciples on the Sea of Galilee? Children are familiar with this story. Jesus and his disciples had left Galilee. They had been on the western side of the Sea of Galilee, and now they were headed on a voyage over the Sea of Galilee to the eastern side. This voyage was after Jesus had spent the whole day in preaching and teaching. Jesus had to defend the anointing of his disciples by the Holy Spirit over against the enemies, the Pharisees, who challenged that anointing, accusing that not only Jesus, but his disciples were anointed with the Spirit, not of God, but of Beelzebub. He had to defend the Spirit from that blasphemous charge of his enemies. He had to explain to those of his family who wanted to see him that he must be about his father's business and the business of his family, and that the family that he came to serve was part of that supreme blood tie, the blood tie which brought them together by the Spirit and by his blood as brothers and sisters in the family of the father. And Jesus taught in parables about the kingdom of heaven. The ones we read here and some others in Matthew, which he also taught. So that when he came to the end of the day, as it was approaching six o'clock in the evening, Jesus said to his disciples, let us now pass over onto the other side. We can appreciate that after all of that work, Jesus was weary. In fact, the text in verse 36 implies that when it says they received Jesus as he was, as he was, exhausted in body and soul, exhausted from all the thinking and the work and the preaching and teaching he had to do that day, exhausted also in his soul. because even in his instruction and the miracles which he did, virtue went out of him unto his disciples and to those in whom he was working the work of faith. And so he enters into the ship as he was, exhausted, laid down on the pillow and went to sleep. He with the disciples went across the sea, not alone. According to verse 36, there were other boats that joined the disciples and Jesus to cross to the eastern side of the Sea of Galilee. Not long after their departure from the western shore, a great storm arose on the sea. we would call a gale or close to a typhoon or hurricane, began to blow upon the Sea of Galilee and cause towering waves with deep troughs. This wind created a storm which the veteran fishermen on board with Jesus had never experienced before. The wind and the waves pummeled the ship, the spray of the water fell into the boat, And for all of the bailing that the disciples were doing to try to keep the boat afloat, verse 37 teaches, it came to the point where now the ship was filled with water. It was now full. And that was not only the problem with the ship in which Jesus was sleeping, but true of the other ships following along with Jesus and his disciples. The very next wave or two could sink their ship and the other ships with them. It's at that point when, for the disciples, all hope was lost. And at that point, they turned to Jesus, Master. That's very commendable by the disciples. Conclude, yes, they did not cry out to a false god, they did not do something terrible like that, but they turned to Christ in their crisis. That was an evidence of some faith. Nevertheless, what they say next was not good. After saying, master, having woken him up, then they said, carest thou not that we perish? Now putting the responsibility of their care upon Christ and the doom that they expected to receive, blamed him. Carest thou not? Didn't seem to care, did he? But immediately, Jesus does not respond to them. He awoke, calmly stood up in the ship, moving around, turns his face to the wind and says to the wind, peace, be still. Doesn't shout, doesn't yell, speaks with lordly confidence, peace, be still. And immediately, the wind was gone and the waves ceased. There was a great calm on the Sea of Galilee. And having spoken to the wind and the waves, Jesus turns to his disciples, also calmly, and rebuked them. Why are ye so fearful? How is it that ye have no faith? And then Jesus, that's all he said. And then we read in verse 41, and the disciples and all those in the ships around too, they feared exceedingly and said one to another, especially the disciples, what manner of man is this that even the wind and the sea obey him? That was a good question. It was a question of awe before Christ who demonstrated the power of his word as the Lord. And the answer to that question was not difficult. It was clear to them what manner of man this was. And they showed that they knew the answer to that question when they feared exceedingly. They knew. Yes, they were reminded this is not just master and teacher, but he is the Lord, our Lord. They reverenced him by the faith which Jesus worked in them by that miracle. When faced with the question, what manner of man is this? Faith knows what the answer is. Who is he? What manner of man is he? Well, this is Jesus Christ, the Son of God, whose word is sovereign over everything, over stormy seas, wind and wave. This is the Christ who stood up in the storm, unafraid of the waves, unafraid of the wind. His voice doesn't quake before the mighty wind and terror. He's not even surprised by the storm when he is awoken. Stands before the storm as he did before those possessed with devils, or before him who was possessed with devils, whom he would meet the next day on the eastern side of the Sea of Galilee. Stands before them as the Lord, in control. The one who controls the storm, and as God, even brought the storm. And so Jesus stands with them in the boat as the son of God in the flesh, whose word is sovereign over the wind and the waves. But secondly, he also, in answer to that question, what manner of man is this? This is the son of God at this point in history, the son of God in his humiliation. The glory of Jesus shines forth briefly when he stands before the wind and says, peace be still, and it immediately stops. Everyone in the flotilla there could see that's the Lord. They saw his glory. They saw his glory only for a moment. Because remember, Jesus needed to be awakened out of sleep. He needed to stand up. He needed to stand up to his ankles in water. He needed yet to be brought to the other side of the Sea of Galilee in the boat. He did not walk on the water as he would later. And that testified to the truth. This Jesus is the Mediator. in the state of humiliation, on the way to the full revelation of that almighty, powerful, saving word at the cross. Jesus wore a coat or a covering of humiliation. He wore that covering of the curse of our sin. And he teaches that his glory as the Son of God would be revealed in the carrying of that coat of all of our sin to the cross as that perfect atonement by which he as the Son of God can earn all our righteousness before God for our justification. And as the Son of God can redeem us out of death and bring us into everlasting life, This is the Christ who, in the storm, shows I am the one who will endure that storm of the infinite waves of the wrath of God against my church, against you and me, to redeem us from that sin. To that storm of the hell on the cross, Jesus was willing to go for the church so that the storms that we endure in life will never destroy us and can never compare to the storm that Jesus was headed into at the cross. What manner of man is this? That's the Christ who stands with the disciples. in the boat up to his ankles in the Sea of Galilee. And, beloved, that is the Jesus who stands with you in your storms in life, whatever they may be. We need to remember this is the one who is sovereign over all things, every detail of your life for your salvation. His Word is in control over every adversity, every calamity. His Word is powerful to open your heart and my heart, to soften that heart before Him in humility, to work faith in that heart, to believe in Him, to know Him. It's the Word that brings us to repentance. makes us look up at Him, to open our eyes, to see His glory. This is the Christ who is with me. By that faith, we know and we're assured we're justified in God's sight, sanctified with Him, and shall be preserved through the storms which He brings upon us in this life. That word is so powerful, even as sovereign over the enemies which seek to destroy you. The word of Christ will accomplish its purpose in us as God has determined, and even use the enemies which come against us with temptation, with attacks spiritually, use them for our good and for the working and the strengthening of our faith. His word will accomplish God's saving purpose. Even in us, when we stray from him, when we become wayward, the word of our Lord Jesus Christ, our great shepherd, lay down his life for his sheep, he will not lose one of his sheep whom he has purchased with his blood. He will return us in repentance unto him and true faith This is the Jesus, beloved, who stands with you. I am with you, saith the Lord, in all of the storms that I send upon you in life. And there are, beloved, many storms through which he sends us, doesn't he? Many storms of, for the church, of persecution, spiritual oppression, Storms of poverty, pestilence, the ravages of war in other countries. There are the diseases which we must face, the storms of dementia, cancer, heart disease, lung disease. Our joints wear out, we need those replaced too. Storms of a flu or a viral infection that puts us in the intensive care unit for a day, for weeks, maybe months. There's those storms of mental fatigue. There are the storms of the effects of sickness that continue on and on and on. We don't understand why those things come to pass. There are storms which may be intense and brief, storms which continue and must go for many months and months, maybe even years for the rest of our life. There are storms in the church of controversy, storms of temptation to walk in sin, to forsake Jesus Christ and to go our own way. Storms in life which can cut through congregations, through families, through friendships, even marriages. Many different storms the Lord sends upon us in this life. And in all of those storms, there are times when we come to the point where it appears that the next wave or two He's going to sink the ship of our souls. It appears we're doomed. And like the disciples, we're tempted to say the same thing. Master, at least we acknowledge him as the Lord of the church, but then we say in different ways, Master, carest thou not that we perish? To the disciples, it appeared that their accusation was true. They had every reason to say that we're pretty sure the Lord doesn't care because look, how could you possibly be sleeping in this storm? And there he is, asleep. He's the prophet of Jehovah. He should know what's going on. But Jesus did not care. We're going to drown and maybe he's going to be rescued by a miracle, but the rest of us are going to be destroyed. Proof that Jesus did not care for the disciples was in the next wave which was coming. We can be the same way in our unbelief. We might think we have every reason to make this cry unto the Lord. Carest thou not that we perish? The Lord is in heaven, in glory, peace, life everlasting, the beginning of that, we, and the valley of the shadow of death, a veil of tears. And there are days when the pain is intense, the wounds are deep, We think we have proof that the Lord doesn't care. His timing is wrong. The severity of this storm, it's all wrong. It shouldn't last this long. I shouldn't have this sickness for this long. But the Lord who doesn't forsake us in the storm looks at us who are prone to despair, to be gripped by anxiety, to focus on the waves and to forget who is with us. That Lord turns to us. looks you and me in the eye and says, why are you so fearful? Why? What's your reason? Do you have a good reason? How is it that you have no faith? How is it that you have no faith, no knowledge of who I am? no conviction of who I am, who is standing with you, really carrying you through this storm. Why don't you trust in me? Why don't you trust in my word, my all-powerful word, which shall accomplish the purpose to which I send it? That's a rebuke we certainly deserve, don't we? What's the reason? Why? Is it true? Yes, no faith. Jesus doesn't mean here no faith in the sense suddenly we're not regenerated anymore, suddenly we're not engrafted into the tree of life anymore, Suddenly that seed of faith, the principle of faith, is completely gone. The Spirit has left us. That's not what he meant. What he meant was, why are you not active? Why is there not that expression of that faith, that activity of knowing and believing? Why have you stopped doing that? Why don't you know who I am? Why are you not convinced my word is sufficient and all-powerful in your life? Don't you remember who I am? Don't you remember where I am? Don't you remember my word is powerful over every wave that beats against your soul, every one? No, we don't. We must say to the Lord, no, Lord, I have forgotten. I've been impatient or impetuous, unreliable, changed, prone to strain, prone to look away from thee to the waves, and then at myself, and then the waves, and then myself, and begin to sink in doubt and despair. Yes, Lord. And thus, beloved, we deserve that rebuke of the Lord. We certainly do. Nevertheless, it is through this very saving rebuke that exposes our unbelief that the Lord is pleased to work in you and me faith. work in you and me that great calm that we need in the storms of life. This is the calm of peace with God. A peace where you know, though we deserve to be condemned for our sin and for doubting Him who is our Lord and Savior, yet God, for the sake of Christ, who went through that storm of the wrath of God for us on the cross, God has justified you. You're innocent. You're right before Him. You have His favor, His blessing upon you. You have the inheritance of everlasting glory with Him. And although you and I know we should be left to perish in our darkness and doubt and sin and unbelief, But God doesn't give that to us. He gives us the calm. He is at peace with us. We are His friends. He is our friend sovereign. And He will pour out His blessings upon us. He will go with us by His grace and spirit. And that's the calm which He works in us by His grace. Perhaps when you were a child or still today, when you think of this miracle, being on the Sea of Galilee, being with the disciples in the boat, if you've ever been in a storm, you're impressed by the size of the waves they faced and yeah, the threat to their life that they experienced. And then immediately Jesus standing up and saying with just a few words, peace, be still, and instant calm on the Sea of Galilee, that truly is awesome. To make the sea do that instantly, that's the awesome power of our God displayed through Jesus Christ. But beloved, what's even more awesome than that is what Jesus is able to do from the right hand of God to you and to me when this heart is troubled like the waves of the sea and he brings us his word. And that word doesn't always take us out of the storm. The sickness continues. The calamity is still there. Recovery may be a long, long road. But what changes is this heart. Before, like the Sea of Galilee, tossed to and fro, but that when Christ speaks by his word and spirit into your soul, there's calm. There's the knowledge. Jesus knows the intensity of the storm. He knows the course we must take. He is with us in the boat. He's in the ship, by His Spirit, guiding this soul, guiding the ship, standing at the helm, sending us forward by His Spirit, by His wind of grace, as our protection, giving us grace sufficient for every challenge upon the way. And like the disciples, then we lose all confidence in self, all of it, and we put all of our confidence and trust in Him. That calm, beloved, in Jesus Christ our Lord, our merciful high priest, we receive through faith in Him. God gives that calm. to his sheep by faith. He doesn't give that to the world. He doesn't give this calm to the wicked. He gives to them trouble, continuing misery, bitter consequences for their sin. To those who forsake him, to turn against him, refuse to repent, knowing the word of the Lord, do not trust in him but in themselves. there is not this great calm, but turmoil. For the world that's unto their destruction, if we become wayward, the Lord does that to our chastisement, to bring us back here, to faith in him, by which we receive that great calm. of peace with God in the storm, and being justified before Him, we're in that position, in the calamities of this life, we're in that position of His favor. In the dark storm, the light of God's face always shines upon us in Jesus Christ. Rejoice then, beloved, by that faith in Jesus Christ, that He is with you. by his word and spirit in the storm. He who has bought you with his precious blood lives in you. He lives in you by his truth, which has taken root in you. He works to bear this fruit of knowing him as the captain of your soul and the anchor of your soul. so that through the storms of life, believe, beloved, you're not left alone to be tossed to and fro by the storms. No, with the Lord, with you and me, Lord is directing us to the day when we shall arrive at the haven of rest. Amen. Let us pray. A most gracious God and Heavenly Father, grant to us the grace to trust in Thee, with a childlike trust, so that all, through all the storms in this life, both great and small, we may not trust in our own strength and wisdom, but trust in Thee. Thou wilt guide us through, preserve us, Now we'll work all these things for our advantage. Hold us, Heavenly Father, near to Thee, to those in great calamity in this day, especially be near to them, expressing to them Thy nearness through Thy Word and Spirit, to calm their troubled hearts, to give to them this great calm and peace in our Lord Jesus Christ. In His name we pray, amen.