Life can be unrelenting, and when the circumstances conspire to overwhelm us with sorrow, grief or frustration, it can seem as though God has fallen asleep on us. But it is in that helplessness that God wants us to trust that He will always see us through the gale.
Dr. Tony Evans is the founder and senior pastor of Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship in Dallas, founder, and president of The Urban Alternative and author of over 100 books, booklets, and Bible studies. The first African American to earn a doctorate of theology from Dallas Theological Seminary, he has been named one of the 12 Most Effective Preachers in the English-Speaking World by Baylor University. Dr. Evans holds the honor of writing and publishing the first full-Bible commentary and study Bible by an African American. His radio broadcast, The Alternative with Dr. Tony Evans, can be heard on over 1,400 radio outlets daily and in more than 130 countries. Dr. Evans’ sermons are also streamed and downloaded over 20,000,000 times annually.
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let me tell you something God doesn’t do
miracles just to show off he does the
supernatural so that his name will be
and they say see because too many of us
still got him in a manger somewhere 72
million of us don’t don’t know who we
dealing with here who then is this that
even the wind and the sea obey Him it
doesn’t work this religious thing this
Christian thing it doesn’t work that’s
what the disciples are saying it’s not
working I’m not getting victory I’m not
being delivered I’m not I’m not I’m not
it’s not working and they want to know
why he doesn’t just bless you for you he
blesses you for his name his glory your
impact your testimony your ministry God
just doesn’t want to do miracles that
excludes you he wants to do miracles
that include you you are part of the
miracle
[Music]
Jesus has been teaching all day he’s
been teaching the crowds preaching the
big sermon and then he takes his
disciples aside and he gives them a
private word he says in verse 33 of Mark
for with many such parables he was
speaking the word to them so far as they
were able to hear it and he did not
speak to them without a parable but he
was explaining everything privately to
his own disciples so he calls his
disciples aside after teaching the big
crowd and says let me speak to you and
let me give you some stories that will
give you spiritual truth for you to
apply to your life and he gave them some
inside information beginning in verse 35
he tells his disciples I want you to get
on the boat and let us go verse 35 says
to the other side leaving the crowd they
took him along with them in the boat
just as he was and the other boats were
with him so let’s get something straight
as we start our journey the disciples
are smack dab in the will of God Jesus
said get in the boat they got in the
boat after the sermon they listen to the
word as they get in the boat they got in
the boat and they are doing exactly what
they were told to do they are perfectly
situated not only are they in the will
of God Jesus is in there with them
because it says Jesus got in the boat –
so life can’t be better than having
Church here in the word and Jesus joins
you in the boat so Jesus is in the boat
they’re going their way over to the
other side but while in the will of God
and on the boat with the Lord there’s a
problem the problem is described in
verse 37
there arose a fierce Gale of wind and
the waves were breaking over the boat so
that the boat was already filling up now
many of these are professional fishermen
so they know how to handle water boats
and storms
so with professional fishermen get
scared you know is a big deal this is a
major lilac and so they are caught in
the storm while being in the will of God
so the first thing that you need to know
is that in the will of God it does rain
what tells you whether you’re in a God
out of God’s will is did you do what he
tells you to do but whether you did it
or you didn’t do it you can still be in
a lilac that is a to mulch with
situation the other thing you need to
know about this lilac is its merciless
that is it comes down on you and it
seeks to consume you
the boat was filling up the wind was
blowing at such speed that it threatened
to take them under anybody ever been in
a situation that looked like it was
gonna take you under that it was gonna
drown you that it was going to overwhelm
you a storm this kind of trial is an
unexpected circumstance that invades
your life that threatens your very
existence we’re not talking about a
headache or a toothache here we’re
talking about a situation where your
life is on the line where you don’t know
if you’re going to make it or not and
then I tell you something else about a
storm a storm is always designed to
increase your faith and give you a
deeper experience with your God storms
aren’t pleasant they aren’t comfortable
and sometimes they can be
life-threatening but they always come
with a purpose so here they are in a
crisis they’re in this crisis and the
Isis was threefold they actually three
storms are carrying here let me walk you
through the three storms first of all
there is a circumstantial storm the
lilac I say one more thing about this
circumstantial storm and that is it was
a storm over which they could exercise
no control you can’t control the wind
you can’t control the sea you can’t
control the rain you can’t control the
the spinning of the turmoil you can’t
control waves billowing up and going you
can’t control that that is out of your
control so you can be in the will of God
and in a storm and absolutely be able to
do nothing about it because you can’t
control a lot like its circumstances
that produces a helpless and sometimes
the feeling of a hopeless scenario so
let’s storm number one that leads to
storm number two storm number two is
that they were terrified we know that
they were terrified because Jesus is
going to say to them why are you afraid
in verse 40 so they weren’t scared they
were scared we’re talking terrified so
now we not only have a storm of
circumstance we have a storm of emotion
because their emotions have riveted up
and they are scared about the doctors
reports scared about the financial
struggle scared about the relationship
direction scared whatever it is that you
can’t control that’s causing your
emotions to be uprooted is your lack
because it’s something so big so deep
and so devastating you can’t control it
so the first storm our circumstances out
of they control the second storm is
their emotional instability because of
the uncontrollable circumstance but
there’s a third storm here we’ll call it
a theological storm because not only was
there circumstance out of control and
now their emotions responding to their
circumstance
they now have a spiritual storm a
theological storm because the scripture
goes on to say that they woke up Jesus
and said in verse 38 teacher do you not
care that we are perishing see that’s
the spiritual storm because their
circumstances were out of control and
their emotions have gone crazy
now they question whether what they have
been believing is true if the truth be
told and you would tell the truth and
shame the devil there aren’t many of us
who haven’t questioned God who haven’t
said I’m not sure I should be believing
this anymore I’m not sure I could should
be continuing this because what I’m
hearing on Sunday and what I’m
experiencing on Monday don’t match I
heard the preacher say that you can I
don’t see you caring for me so what I
heard about you and what I’m
experiencing don’t match and I’m not
sure this is real because verse 38 says
Jesus himself was in the stern asleep on
the cushion they made they shook him and
they said don’t you care because if you
can’t we wouldn’t even know even if you
were thai we wouldn’t have to wake you
up you got you getting wet like we
getting wet the boat’s flipping and
flopping you like it’s flipping and
flopping us and so they’re in this storm
they’re struggling Jesus asleep and they
had a question where were you you care
about me you care about me I wasn’t
gonna be going through this like this
don’t you care how bad was it that we
are perishing
so this is major we think we’re gonna
drown out here and
I’m gonna die Jesus has just taught the
disciples they just come from church so
to speak
and now they’re under pressure and it’s
tough does Jesus care about my pain my
finances my loneliness my hurt my
depression because I’m in his will and I
feel all this and so they wake Jesus up
verse 39 Jesus gets up and he rebukes
the wind and says to the sea hush efis
hush be still
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what I got from my father was Oswald
example he was a tremendous example
because he was living with he preached
and taught so that example I also got
the powerful value of the Word of God
how powerfully valuable and how in first
place over everything I mean everything
was to be judged you do everything was
to be managed by everything is to be
viewed through the Word of God not so I
think my view of Scripture and my view
of the word the inerrancy of the word
the power of the word the accuracy of
the word the supremacy of the word all
of that came from from My Father and he
just learned it as a layperson so I just
guessed the word is the dominant thing
don’t forget Peter was layperson too but
he did 3005 right right we can’t put him
on a Saints equipped with Paul in the
policy we’re very educated but the Peter
Peter was officially right and they’ll
all use them in the Lord you know that’s
you in your hands you do and how you get
where you are today only the Lord knows
you walked on the waterfront
yeah that’s what I made my living and
whatnot and so some days we didn’t work
very much but I did other things you to
try to raise my family I don’t eat fish
but there’s a reason I eat fish and what
I ate them because I had to well that’s
all and they got all these little bones
in them hairy hands sometimes the only
work one or two to two days he went on
to the unemployment office for my family
to survive and whatnot so we’ve come a
long ways how you met my mother
your wife was now gone home but it’s
gonna be with the Lord
yes he was sitting on the steps and I
was playing football and whatnot and so
what I want you know talk about there
and why not
as where they was in I was that it’s all
in love and whatnot and so that was it
you know just thank you Lord for her
almost every week you appreciate almost
a local church soul and teaching and
doing the best again how long you been
doing that for me it gets saved
19:59 then i bobl study teachings and so
forth over the years three years i can’t
name them all seem everything
thank the Lord you see what did you
think about what’s happening in the
world like the world is a horrible
predicament and like my daughter said
that I seem to know the Lord has
forgotten all about our country America
I’m talking about all countries right
all countries in the German state you
see they can’t see Christ and they don’t
want the Lord they say they say but yet
they’re you don’t know Christ it’s
pitiful so I just prayed the Lord
telling me to pray that’s what I do
we’ve got to continue to preach the
gospel and continue to instruct our
children as best we can
that the Word of God is right when the
Lord said if I would have to go up from
the earth I will draw all men unto me
what’s your favorite Bible passage
if I be lifted up from the earth I will
draw the magnetic force of God or girl
man unto me that’s an interesting when
I’m I had to write that title back
the magnetic force of God I haven’t
heard that one no that’s a good way to
put it I would draw them in under me
okay
thou shalt confess with thy mouth the
Lord Jesus believe in her heart the God
has raised from the dead thou shalt be
saved it was about did you ever want to
give up did you ever like it was too
much because I had Christ on my side he
didn’t give up
okay people want to have their own way
through the own thing well I know they
do is just continue to pray and preach
so I know till he comes
no I want to live for thee everyday you
know that spirit what do you want to
leave us with what do you want to leave
behind what is some of the thoughts you
would have if if all the family was
gathered here and you were just talking
to us kids grandkids great-grandkids
what would you say
I tell them instead of the word and I
love the Spirit of God to lead you
because with our God spirit the person
is not saying remember if the end the
church to wear it do not have God’s
Spirit in them and they’re not born
again their names and I written in the
language of light and they’re not going
to spend eternity with Christ
my greatest joy is is to know that I
have but with 23 great-grandchildren
great-great-grandchildren and one one
great-great-great-great too – yeah – is
it okay so you got you got plenty of
family you can’t even keep up with them
all is now generation yeah
so as you think of your own our own
families we want to think of the
generation impact of this kind of
gathering that we could have this
gathering because of him and and so I’m
honored to be your son
[Music]
that’s of course a little bit war a
little bit more I want to tell girls all
about it one of these days I’m going to
tell her all about it one of these days
just shortly that’s all we need unless I
get my hamburger getting him over the
weekend saying him so Jesus is asleep
they wake him up when they wake him up
he speaks to the circumstance that was
causing the crisis so don’t let it be
said your crisis continues because you
never took the time to wake the Savior
up and so Jesus now turns to his
disciples why are you afraid
verse 40 how is it that you have no
faith why are you afraid and why do you
have no faith oh I don’t know Jesus
maybe it’s cuz we’re getting ready to
die because in verse 35 Jesus said let
us go to the other side not let me go to
the other side we’re gonna make it to
the other side you left shouting you
were excited to get in the boat with me
but when the circumstances showed up
they overrode what I said in other words
your problem overrode my promise so you
are now living in light of the problem
no longer living in light of the promise
and when you live in light of the
problem and no longer in light of the
promise the problem will dominate you
and it will totally erase the fact I
ever made one God never wants your
circumstances he what I want you to deny
him a storm is a song you don’t call it
a sunshine
today a storm is reality but he never
wants your circumstance to trump his
word not only does he not want your
circumstance to trump his word he
doesn’t want your circumstance to trump
his presence because he’s on the boat
too and so Jesus speaks to the problem
and when he speaks to the problem there
is a circumstantial change verse 41 says
they became very much afraid when they
were in the lilac they were afraid when
they saw who they were dealing with they
became very much afraid in other words
we afraid of the wrong thing
see we let our circumstances scare us he
says when you know who you dealing with
you’ll be less afraid of that and more
scare to me coz shucks if I could tell
them if I could tell the storm to calm
down what can I do with you if I’m
ticked off at you you know if you’re
gonna be scared then what you need to be
is skip more your fear on the beach one
who I am not what the circumstance is
because once I get up all I gotta do is
talk to it I want is anybody here ever
seen God talk to a situation you know it
was out of your control nobody you knew
you could help you didn’t have money to
buy your way out of it and when God said
something heaven spoke to it and room
suddenly immediately I don’t know where
that thing changed so it’s more
important to buy faith get Jesus dealing
with the circumstance than you living in
fear don’t be scared of the wrong thing
when Jesus is humanity his sleep his
deity stays awake who then is this they
were on a journey of discovery
trials as inconvenient and as painful as
they are on a journey of discovery of
who you’re dealing with
seekers to me if I still got him in a
manger somewhere too many of us simply
too many of us don’t know who we dealing
with here
I mean he’s tired so he got to go to
sleep because he’s human he gets up and
he puts the lilac to sleep because he’s
God because he’s human we we call this
in theology the hypostatic Union the
hypostatic Union means two natures in
one person unmixed forever two natures
in one person unmixed forever so he’s
both human and divine see so god
fertilized the egg of a woman he
fertilized the egg of Mary without a
male sperm so that the Holy Spirit would
provide the divine and Mary would
provide the human so that the human and
divine would be mixed in one person
without sin forever
that’s the hypostatic Union so so one
minute he’s thirsty the Bible says he
said I first but the next minute he
walking on water and and and and
stopping storms and stuff one minute he
says I hunger the next minute he’s
taking sardines and crackers and making
a folk moby-dick sandwich to feed 5,000
men not counting women and children over
20,000 people one moment he died on a
cross another moment he raised in folk
from the dead come on who are you what
manner of man is this Hebrews 4 says and
we have a high priest who is able to
sympathize with our pain
how can you sympathize with my pain cuz
I’m human so I can feel what you feel
the way you felt it but I’m divine see
when I go to you or you go to me that’s
human a human
I may be able to sympathize but not be
able to fix it but when you deal with
the god/man you’re dealing with someone
who can feel it and fix it see if your
if your obstetrician is a man who’s
delivering your baby he can fix it but
he can’t understand it because you’re
male obstetrician has never known what
it’s like to be pregnant know what it’s
like to be in labor and no one is like
to give birth now he can he can fix it
but he can’t feel it but if your
obstetrician is a female who also has
children they can feel it and fix it
because they know what it feels like to
be pregnant
they knows what it feels like to be in
labor they knows what it feels like to
deliver but because of their training
they know how to help you and know what
it feels like
while they help you all the man can do
is lie and say I know how you feel in
fact the next pregnant woman that has a
baby and the doc says I know how you
feel say stop lying doctor I here for
your lies you don’t know I feel but a
woman with a baby knows how you feel but
that training is enabling her to fix it
God says come on my man I know how you
feel but because I’m God I can do
something with it what manner of man is
this that even the circumstances nature
obeys him that nature has to sir come
down so if you have a lilac and if you
don’t have one keep living you will God
wants to take you to a place of
understanding in him that you’ve never
been before
so let me tell you something God doesn’t
do miracles just to show off he doesn’t
do the supernatural to flex his muscles
he does the supernatural so that his
name will be done some issues are too
big for you to handle by yourself
that’s why you need community that’s why
you need people around you to help you
move stones you can do this
that’s what church is supposed to be he
doesn’t just bless you for you he
blesses you for his name his glory your
impact your testimony your ministry let
the redeemed of the Lord say so when you
get your supernatural you better open up
your mouth then you better declare the
greatness of your God because only your
God can go into your grave and raise you
up and give you life you better give him
the glory to his name
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you
amen <3