WEBVTT 00:00:04.360 --> 00:00:06.559 You're listening to the Christ Our Cornerstone 00:00:06.559 --> 00:00:09.359 podcast, a ministry of Christ Our Cornerstone 00:00:09.359 --> 00:00:12.080 Church in O 'Neill, Nebraska. I'm Pastor Logan 00:00:12.080 --> 00:00:14.160 Merrick, and it's our prayer that this message 00:00:14.160 --> 00:00:16.519 strengthens your faith and draws you closer to 00:00:16.519 --> 00:00:20.420 Christ. Let's dive in. All right. Good morning. 00:00:22.140 --> 00:00:26.059 It's it's late. I apologize. We rolled in late. 00:00:26.219 --> 00:00:28.679 So we're going to just rock and roll. If this 00:00:28.679 --> 00:00:30.859 is your first time here. Welcome. My name is 00:00:30.859 --> 00:00:33.130 Pastor Logan. I get the great opportunity to 00:00:33.130 --> 00:00:35.630 pastor this congregation. And we have been walking 00:00:35.630 --> 00:00:39.130 through the Book of Mark. And now we get to a 00:00:39.130 --> 00:00:43.009 spot in Mark where we're pretty familiar with 00:00:43.009 --> 00:00:45.130 the story. If you want to turn to Mark, Chapter 00:00:45.130 --> 00:00:47.810 four and start in verse thirty five, we've got 00:00:47.810 --> 00:00:50.409 Bibles in the back. Would love for you to turn 00:00:50.409 --> 00:00:54.950 there. If you're unfamiliar with the scriptures, 00:00:54.969 --> 00:00:58.070 we have two testaments in the Old Testament and 00:00:58.070 --> 00:01:02.719 the New Testament. And Mark. is in the New Testament, 00:01:03.619 --> 00:01:04.959 and the New Testament is kind of towards the 00:01:04.959 --> 00:01:08.579 back. There's no shame in looking in the table 00:01:08.579 --> 00:01:12.140 of contents either. But if you're don't want 00:01:12.140 --> 00:01:15.219 to do that, we will have it right up here. But 00:01:15.219 --> 00:01:17.459 the title of my sermon this morning is Faith 00:01:17.459 --> 00:01:21.219 in the Storm, Trusting the Object of our Faith. 00:01:22.799 --> 00:01:24.640 And the big idea that I'm going to kind of drive 00:01:24.640 --> 00:01:28.060 home this morning is this. In the storms of life, 00:01:28.120 --> 00:01:31.260 it is not our faith's strength but the strength 00:01:31.260 --> 00:01:33.760 of Christ in whom we place our trust that sustains 00:01:33.760 --> 00:01:40.219 us. Now, this morning I have to just kind of 00:01:40.219 --> 00:01:43.739 put some stuff out there to you guys, okay? It's 00:01:43.739 --> 00:01:48.239 going to be a little bit of a gut punch to some 00:01:48.239 --> 00:01:54.019 of you and I understand. But I have a confession 00:01:54.019 --> 00:01:58.900 to make and that confession is this, I'm a sinner. 00:01:59.620 --> 00:02:03.420 and I'm unfortunately not perfect. I know that 00:02:03.420 --> 00:02:05.819 surprises many of you guys, especially my wife 00:02:05.819 --> 00:02:10.319 and my children. They're shocked to hear that 00:02:10.319 --> 00:02:16.080 confession come from my mouth. But there are 00:02:16.080 --> 00:02:18.680 many times when I will stand here in the pulpit 00:02:18.680 --> 00:02:23.520 and I will preach something and I will say to 00:02:23.520 --> 00:02:26.830 you, hey, this is what we need to do and this 00:02:26.830 --> 00:02:30.090 is who we are as believers and yada, yada, yada. 00:02:30.110 --> 00:02:33.129 Having faith in Christ and clinging to Christ 00:02:33.129 --> 00:02:36.610 and all those things are true. The problem is 00:02:36.610 --> 00:02:40.469 that life hits me too and by the time we pull 00:02:40.469 --> 00:02:44.969 in the driveway back at our house, I can't even 00:02:44.969 --> 00:02:47.530 live out the thing I just preached three hours 00:02:47.530 --> 00:02:51.620 ago. Can anybody else identify with that? Like 00:02:51.620 --> 00:02:53.340 you hit the driveway and you're like, man, I've 00:02:53.340 --> 00:02:56.879 already been reminded that I'm a center. But 00:02:56.879 --> 00:03:00.379 this past Thursday night was Tracy and I's anniversary. 00:03:00.520 --> 00:03:02.199 Now I'm going to paint this picture for you guys 00:03:02.199 --> 00:03:09.080 because I really did it up. OK. Micah had a baseball 00:03:09.080 --> 00:03:13.620 game, his first baseball game. So so it was late 00:03:13.620 --> 00:03:17.479 before we could go to dinner. And I was kind 00:03:17.479 --> 00:03:22.479 of in a grumpy mood and. I load my wife up for 00:03:22.479 --> 00:03:27.219 a posh date, okay, to the Wendy's, all right? 00:03:27.759 --> 00:03:30.699 We pull in, but we don't even go inside because 00:03:30.699 --> 00:03:35.039 I want to really set the mood as a husband that 00:03:35.039 --> 00:03:36.879 has been married for 21 years. So we go through 00:03:36.879 --> 00:03:38.800 the drive -through and then I pull into the Hy 00:03:38.800 --> 00:03:44.620 -Vee parking lot next door. And as that parking 00:03:44.620 --> 00:03:47.819 lot light glow just really illuminates my beautiful 00:03:47.819 --> 00:03:52.930 wife's face, And I dig into chicken nuggets and 00:03:52.930 --> 00:03:58.169 a burger. We're having this conversation. And 00:03:58.169 --> 00:04:01.430 my wife just has to like kind of give me a spiritual 00:04:01.430 --> 00:04:04.430 punch in the face because I'm like spinning out 00:04:04.430 --> 00:04:08.349 because I'm like worrying about life. And so 00:04:08.349 --> 00:04:09.710 I was asking things like, what are we going to 00:04:09.710 --> 00:04:11.189 do with Noah? Like, like, what's he going to 00:04:11.189 --> 00:04:15.490 do with his life? And then I'm like, will we 00:04:15.490 --> 00:04:17.529 have enough money for this or that by next year? 00:04:19.189 --> 00:04:21.230 But if my kid is my gonna be able to keep playing 00:04:21.230 --> 00:04:23.449 sports next year like that Yeah, you know thinking 00:04:23.449 --> 00:04:24.889 all these things why and this is another one. 00:04:24.990 --> 00:04:29.769 Why are boys interested in my daughter This this 00:04:29.769 --> 00:04:33.810 is making me angry Well, we have enough money 00:04:33.810 --> 00:04:36.730 for retirement and then I'm like I'm praying 00:04:36.730 --> 00:04:39.009 that Eli grows up and is a millionaire to take 00:04:39.009 --> 00:04:41.509 care of us and in our time like is that gonna 00:04:41.509 --> 00:04:44.430 happen, you know, and And I seriously would say 00:04:44.430 --> 00:04:46.110 these things but like I'm saying in tongue -in 00:04:46.110 --> 00:04:49.850 -cheek, of course But like when I say I was a 00:04:49.850 --> 00:04:52.470 total downer on our anniversary date, I was a 00:04:52.470 --> 00:04:57.009 total downer. And if you have ever had a conversation 00:04:57.009 --> 00:05:01.790 with my wife, she is very good at the way I put 00:05:01.790 --> 00:05:06.569 it is she she's really good at just being saying 00:05:06.569 --> 00:05:09.089 the thing, but saying it very gracious. And the 00:05:09.089 --> 00:05:10.769 way I always put it is she has a really good 00:05:10.769 --> 00:05:12.750 way of telling you that your that your baby's 00:05:12.750 --> 00:05:14.689 ugly and you thank her for it. You know what 00:05:14.689 --> 00:05:19.339 I mean? And so in her very loving and direct 00:05:19.339 --> 00:05:23.000 and gracious way, she says this, and I believe 00:05:23.000 --> 00:05:24.500 I have this up here, Micah, if you want to pull 00:05:24.500 --> 00:05:26.040 this up. So if you guys would, you can write 00:05:26.040 --> 00:05:31.339 this down. But it is easy to preach about faith. 00:05:32.120 --> 00:05:34.699 It is easy to talk about trusting God and resting 00:05:34.699 --> 00:05:38.079 in his will. It is much harder to actually live 00:05:38.079 --> 00:05:43.120 it out. Amen. And so it's easy when things are 00:05:43.120 --> 00:05:46.779 easy. When money is good, when the kids are healthy, 00:05:46.879 --> 00:05:48.860 when the house isn't falling apart, when work 00:05:48.860 --> 00:05:51.300 is going well, but when sickness comes, when 00:05:51.300 --> 00:05:53.620 jobs are lost, and when money gets tight, it 00:05:53.620 --> 00:05:56.259 becomes very easy to start asking a very different 00:05:56.259 --> 00:06:01.980 question. That question is this. Where are you? 00:06:05.319 --> 00:06:08.160 Where are you, God? Don't you care that I'm drowning? 00:06:08.279 --> 00:06:12.060 Has anybody asked that question before? Me too. 00:06:15.000 --> 00:06:17.779 Some of us have asked that question with tears 00:06:17.779 --> 00:06:20.740 running down our face, feeling completely alone. 00:06:20.879 --> 00:06:22.839 Others of us have asked it quietly, keeping it 00:06:22.839 --> 00:06:24.519 to ourselves and not wanting anyone to know that 00:06:24.519 --> 00:06:26.360 we're struggling, but either way, we've all been 00:06:26.360 --> 00:06:28.300 there. And this morning, we're actually gonna 00:06:28.300 --> 00:06:30.600 look at that passage where the disciples ask 00:06:30.600 --> 00:06:34.579 the same exact question. So let's go ahead and 00:06:34.579 --> 00:06:37.240 read that text now, if you will. So starting 00:06:37.240 --> 00:06:45.000 in verse 35. On that day, when evening had come, 00:06:45.399 --> 00:06:48.540 he said to them, let us go across to the other 00:06:48.540 --> 00:06:52.899 side. And leaving the crowd, they took him and 00:06:52.899 --> 00:06:56.720 with them in the boat, just as he was. And the 00:06:56.720 --> 00:06:59.560 other boats were with him. Now, I want you to 00:06:59.560 --> 00:07:03.120 kind of highlight that portion. And the other 00:07:03.120 --> 00:07:07.339 boats were with him. And a great windstorm arose 00:07:07.339 --> 00:07:10.339 and the waves were breaking into the boat. so 00:07:10.339 --> 00:07:13.519 that the boat was already filling. But he was 00:07:13.519 --> 00:07:16.420 in the stern, asleep on the cushion. And they 00:07:16.420 --> 00:07:18.959 woke him and said to him, Teacher, do you not 00:07:18.959 --> 00:07:23.259 care we are perishing? And he awoke and rebuked 00:07:23.259 --> 00:07:26.920 the wind. And he said to the sea, Peace, be still. 00:07:27.399 --> 00:07:30.379 And the wind ceased. And there was a great calm. 00:07:31.139 --> 00:07:34.279 And he said to them, Why are you so afraid? Have 00:07:34.279 --> 00:07:37.279 you still no faith? And they were filled with 00:07:37.279 --> 00:07:40.310 great fear and said to one another, Who then 00:07:40.310 --> 00:07:44.250 is this that even the wind and the sea obey him? 00:07:44.350 --> 00:07:46.290 Now, this isn't in my notes, so generic, you 00:07:46.290 --> 00:07:48.050 just have to follow along with me for a second. 00:07:48.930 --> 00:07:51.389 We walked through the book of Jonah, right? What 00:07:51.389 --> 00:07:55.509 did we say the sea represents in the scriptures? 00:07:58.930 --> 00:08:03.110 You guys remember? It's all right, it's been 00:08:03.110 --> 00:08:07.769 a while. But the sea represents chaos, right? 00:08:08.060 --> 00:08:10.980 And so if you can think about this, the Sea of 00:08:10.980 --> 00:08:14.199 Galilee, there is Mount Hermon is a very large 00:08:14.199 --> 00:08:17.939 mountain and the wind will come down off that 00:08:17.939 --> 00:08:20.220 mountain and onto the Sea of Galilee and it will 00:08:20.220 --> 00:08:23.720 create some pretty chaotic wind storms. Now, 00:08:24.040 --> 00:08:27.319 we know that many of the disciples were fishermen. 00:08:27.399 --> 00:08:29.699 They were used to being on the Sea of Galilee 00:08:29.699 --> 00:08:32.259 when there's crazy wind storms, right? So this 00:08:32.259 --> 00:08:35.500 had to be something that was completely and utterly 00:08:35.500 --> 00:08:40.769 crazy. for them to be freaking out. And so as 00:08:40.769 --> 00:08:42.909 we dive into this, we're going to look at point 00:08:42.909 --> 00:08:48.289 number one. If you're taking notes, setting sail 00:08:48.289 --> 00:08:51.850 into storms, notice that it's Jesus that says, 00:08:52.049 --> 00:08:55.029 let us go across to the other side. So I don't 00:08:55.029 --> 00:08:58.570 want you to miss that. This was not the disciples 00:08:58.570 --> 00:09:02.049 idea. This was not poor planning. This was not 00:09:02.049 --> 00:09:05.169 bad luck. This was Jesus who said, let's go. 00:09:05.750 --> 00:09:10.730 Get in the boat boys Which means Jesus knowingly 00:09:10.730 --> 00:09:13.909 led them into a storm Which can kind of mess 00:09:13.909 --> 00:09:15.750 with us just a little bit You can be like well 00:09:15.750 --> 00:09:17.889 hold on pastor Logan like wasn't Jesus fully 00:09:17.889 --> 00:09:23.049 man. Yes, and he was still fully God Okay Also, 00:09:23.049 --> 00:09:27.049 if you know where they're going next This is 00:09:27.049 --> 00:09:29.850 when we're gonna get into this next week, but 00:09:29.850 --> 00:09:33.769 they go and he goes to Legion the demoniac man 00:09:33.769 --> 00:09:40.419 who lives in in the cemetery. So Jesus knows 00:09:40.419 --> 00:09:43.379 what he's going to do, what's on the other side. 00:09:43.559 --> 00:09:45.480 And do you think that the enemy is like just 00:09:45.480 --> 00:09:49.820 gonna let that happen? No. And so this can kind 00:09:49.820 --> 00:09:51.960 of mess with us that Jesus is the one that leads 00:09:51.960 --> 00:09:56.820 them into the storm. And we think, though, in 00:09:56.820 --> 00:09:59.700 our minds, if we're following Jesus, if we're 00:09:59.700 --> 00:10:02.620 with Jesus in the boat, if we're walking along 00:10:02.620 --> 00:10:05.220 Jesus with Jesus, if we're in His will, then 00:10:05.220 --> 00:10:08.000 life should be smooth, right? It should be that 00:10:08.000 --> 00:10:13.000 way, right? Am I wrong? Yeah, well, I mean, we 00:10:13.000 --> 00:10:17.779 all, we, okay, theologically, we know the right 00:10:17.779 --> 00:10:21.600 answer, but let's be honest with ourselves. We 00:10:21.600 --> 00:10:25.940 want smooth. We don't want rough, right? And 00:10:25.940 --> 00:10:29.360 so we believe that obedience leads to comfort. 00:10:30.080 --> 00:10:33.399 But here, obedience leads straight into chaos. 00:10:34.720 --> 00:10:36.860 They get into the boat, they start crossing the 00:10:36.860 --> 00:10:39.580 sea, and out of nowhere, a great windstorm arises. 00:10:40.120 --> 00:10:42.419 The waves are crashing into the boat, into the 00:10:42.419 --> 00:10:45.940 point where it's filling with water. As I said, 00:10:45.940 --> 00:10:48.500 these are seasoned fishermen, so this is terrifying, 00:10:48.580 --> 00:10:51.120 obviously. Tracy and I, we went on our honeymoon 00:10:51.120 --> 00:10:54.570 and we took a cruise. Have any of you guys ever 00:10:54.570 --> 00:10:57.690 been on a cruise? Okay. Have any of you guys 00:10:57.690 --> 00:10:59.529 ever been on a cruise when a hurricane is coming 00:10:59.529 --> 00:11:05.809 through the waters? Tracy and I have. It's one 00:11:05.809 --> 00:11:08.669 thing to, as a Floridian, live out a hurricane 00:11:08.669 --> 00:11:12.049 on land. It's a whole other thing to be in a 00:11:12.049 --> 00:11:16.309 gigantic boat and you're literally walking to 00:11:16.309 --> 00:11:22.029 dinner like this. Weren't we, babe? And we couldn't 00:11:22.029 --> 00:11:26.230 even eat because we were so sick. And so I'm 00:11:26.230 --> 00:11:31.450 like, OK, I was on a huge ship and it's getting 00:11:31.450 --> 00:11:34.549 moved like that. These dudes were on a fishing 00:11:34.549 --> 00:11:41.149 boat. I can see why it's pretty terrifying. So 00:11:41.149 --> 00:11:43.250 here's where we need to pause and make a connection. 00:11:43.429 --> 00:11:45.590 Storms in this passage are not just about weather, 00:11:45.590 --> 00:11:49.610 they represent unexpected trials, fears and pressures 00:11:49.610 --> 00:11:52.669 that hit us in life. And notice when it happens, 00:11:52.929 --> 00:12:01.230 write this down. Storms hit us. It happens while 00:12:01.230 --> 00:12:05.350 they're with Jesus. It happens while we are obeying 00:12:05.350 --> 00:12:09.409 Jesus. And it happens while we are going exactly 00:12:09.409 --> 00:12:14.809 where Jesus tells us to go. My dear friend and 00:12:14.809 --> 00:12:18.210 mentor, his name is Robert Beckman. He said this 00:12:18.210 --> 00:12:22.279 to me when As soon as I answered the call to 00:12:22.279 --> 00:12:24.500 go into ministry, he said, Logan, don't be surprised 00:12:24.500 --> 00:12:28.460 that when you've heard God tell you where to 00:12:28.460 --> 00:12:34.139 go and what to do, don't be surprised once you've 00:12:34.139 --> 00:12:35.860 decided like you've heard God, you're moving 00:12:35.860 --> 00:12:39.299 in a direction and he's even confirmed it. Don't 00:12:39.299 --> 00:12:43.980 be surprised when a storm comes. Don't be surprised 00:12:43.980 --> 00:12:49.120 when doubt creeps in. It happens. And he's right. 00:12:50.340 --> 00:12:53.000 Every time we've ever trusted God for something 00:12:53.000 --> 00:12:55.679 and he knew he was, we knew he was calling us 00:12:55.679 --> 00:12:58.919 somewhere, a storm always kicked up and now always 00:12:58.919 --> 00:13:03.419 crept in. For example, I've told you guys a little 00:13:03.419 --> 00:13:11.860 bit about how we came here to Nebraska and we're 00:13:11.860 --> 00:13:15.399 driving down the road. Tracy and I both just 00:13:15.399 --> 00:13:17.440 randomly start talking about as we're going to 00:13:17.440 --> 00:13:20.139 Arkansas about. We feel like God's getting ready 00:13:20.139 --> 00:13:24.519 to move us from St. Joe. And we couldn't believe 00:13:24.519 --> 00:13:27.120 it. So then we grab each other's hands. We just 00:13:27.120 --> 00:13:28.600 start praying. And my wife prays a very simple 00:13:28.600 --> 00:13:30.919 prayer. Lord, we just say, yes, whatever it is, 00:13:31.080 --> 00:13:34.620 we say yes to it. We pray that it's it's to stay 00:13:34.620 --> 00:13:37.500 where we are. But we just will say we're saying 00:13:37.500 --> 00:13:40.279 yes to it. That night, we finally get to Arkansas, 00:13:40.759 --> 00:13:44.879 a pastor who I know don't know really well says, 00:13:45.019 --> 00:13:46.480 hey, after we're done with this, I want to talk 00:13:46.480 --> 00:13:52.139 to you. He says, hey, so check this out. Our 00:13:52.139 --> 00:13:54.539 association has been praying for the state of 00:13:54.539 --> 00:13:57.220 Nebraska. We've been praying for a church planter 00:13:57.220 --> 00:14:00.440 and every time we pray, God just shows your face 00:14:00.440 --> 00:14:03.620 to me. Would you consider going to Nebraska to 00:14:03.620 --> 00:14:07.779 plant a church? A week later, we find ourselves 00:14:07.779 --> 00:14:12.360 here in Nebraska. It is a terrible ice storm 00:14:12.360 --> 00:14:15.679 in Lincoln. Nobody is out but us. And they're 00:14:15.679 --> 00:14:17.759 doing a church planter's assessment. and you 00:14:17.759 --> 00:14:20.480 have to stand up and give a vision for a church 00:14:20.480 --> 00:14:23.960 plant and Micah at this time as a baby and I 00:14:23.960 --> 00:14:27.879 stand up to give this vision of a church plant 00:14:27.879 --> 00:14:32.759 and then all of a sudden Micah just pukes all 00:14:32.759 --> 00:14:35.019 over my wife and she's like holding it you know 00:14:35.019 --> 00:14:37.799 in her hands and she's like get me a paper towel 00:14:37.799 --> 00:14:42.059 now. I'm like I'm kind of busy. That's how it 00:14:42.059 --> 00:14:53.889 happened. And then you told me to give. That's 00:14:53.889 --> 00:14:57.490 not how I remember it, but that's not how I remember 00:14:57.490 --> 00:14:59.669 it. If you're watching online, just know my story. 00:15:00.330 --> 00:15:06.409 So anyway, I will never forget. It's it's an 00:15:06.409 --> 00:15:08.889 ice storm. Like everything is just going terribly. 00:15:10.129 --> 00:15:14.090 And we're driving home and I'm like white knuckling 00:15:14.090 --> 00:15:15.830 it because like there's nobody on the roads and 00:15:15.830 --> 00:15:17.759 you're not supposed to be on the roads. We're 00:15:17.759 --> 00:15:19.139 trying to drive the two and a half hours back 00:15:19.139 --> 00:15:21.480 to St. Joe, and I'm like, no way, God's not calling 00:15:21.480 --> 00:15:23.399 us here, there's no way. And I'll never forget 00:15:23.399 --> 00:15:29.379 my wife saying to me, why wouldn't he be? Like, 00:15:29.980 --> 00:15:33.659 pretty crazy things have gotten us here. Just 00:15:33.659 --> 00:15:36.320 because it's hard right now, you think that that's 00:15:36.320 --> 00:15:40.519 not God? It's not, you don't just sign up for 00:15:40.519 --> 00:15:45.509 easy things, right? And she was right. There's 00:15:45.509 --> 00:15:49.470 a quick little literal ice storm and I all of 00:15:49.470 --> 00:15:54.850 a sudden start doubting God. And so we need to 00:15:54.850 --> 00:15:57.490 kill the lie that says, if I follow Jesus, my 00:15:57.490 --> 00:16:00.210 life will be easy because this is not the gospel. 00:16:01.409 --> 00:16:03.590 The health and wealth message that says, if you 00:16:03.590 --> 00:16:05.470 have enough faith, you will always be healthy 00:16:05.470 --> 00:16:08.629 and always be rich is not just wrong. It is a 00:16:08.629 --> 00:16:11.570 complete twisting of scripture. And if that were 00:16:11.570 --> 00:16:15.139 true, then God owes an apology to all of the 00:16:15.139 --> 00:16:19.600 apostles and especially Paul. But following Jesus 00:16:19.600 --> 00:16:21.879 is not the end of difficulty, it is the beginning 00:16:21.879 --> 00:16:25.360 of a whole new journey. In fact, many times when 00:16:25.360 --> 00:16:29.500 you say yes to Jesus, you're stepping out into 00:16:29.500 --> 00:16:31.879 the wildest ride of your life. It's like the 00:16:31.879 --> 00:16:33.759 way I tell people, it's like a roller coaster. 00:16:34.259 --> 00:16:35.820 There's a lot of twists and turns, there's a 00:16:35.820 --> 00:16:38.059 lot of highs and lows. There are moments where 00:16:38.059 --> 00:16:39.960 you're shouting with joy and there are moments 00:16:39.960 --> 00:16:41.700 where you're just gripping tight wondering if 00:16:41.700 --> 00:16:44.399 you're gonna make it through. That was my wife 00:16:44.399 --> 00:16:47.480 when she rode this roller coaster with Eli a 00:16:47.480 --> 00:16:50.960 couple years ago. There are moments where you 00:16:50.960 --> 00:16:52.799 want to throw your hands up and enjoy the ride 00:16:52.799 --> 00:16:54.320 and there are moments where you're just screaming, 00:16:54.820 --> 00:16:59.700 stop and let me get off. Yeah? That happened 00:16:59.700 --> 00:17:03.120 to me actually when I was 10, we went to the 00:17:03.120 --> 00:17:05.839 county fair with my cousins. And there's this 00:17:05.839 --> 00:17:07.480 thing called the Gravitron. You guys ever seen 00:17:07.480 --> 00:17:11.819 that before? One person, great, fantastic. Well, 00:17:11.819 --> 00:17:13.660 let me explain the Gravitron to you real fast. 00:17:14.019 --> 00:17:18.400 You get into this container and it's got these 00:17:18.400 --> 00:17:21.920 mats against the wall like this. And can you 00:17:21.920 --> 00:17:25.759 guess what it does? It goes up in the air and 00:17:25.759 --> 00:17:27.900 then it turns sideways and it's going really, 00:17:27.900 --> 00:17:31.819 really fast like this all the way around. And 00:17:31.819 --> 00:17:33.839 my cousins and I looked at that and we were like, 00:17:33.859 --> 00:17:37.200 man, that looks like a lot of fun. Until you're 00:17:37.200 --> 00:17:40.539 literally upside down in this metal container 00:17:40.539 --> 00:17:45.099 and I remember screaming, let me get home, please. 00:17:47.380 --> 00:17:50.420 I mean, that ride literally broke me, like from 00:17:50.420 --> 00:17:54.880 running to rides ever again. But it looked fun, 00:17:54.940 --> 00:17:58.460 but was in fact, it was super terrifying. And 00:17:58.460 --> 00:18:01.049 that is what the calling of God is like. Love 00:18:01.049 --> 00:18:03.289 the stories of missionaries, preachers and big 00:18:03.289 --> 00:18:05.309 faith stories, but nobody focuses on the parts 00:18:05.309 --> 00:18:08.230 that can break you. We love the highlights, but 00:18:08.230 --> 00:18:11.390 don't want to sign up for the low lights. But 00:18:11.390 --> 00:18:14.329 here's what we cannot miss. The same Jesus who 00:18:14.329 --> 00:18:16.630 said, let's go to the other side is in the boat 00:18:16.630 --> 00:18:21.369 with them. They're not alone in the storm. And 00:18:21.369 --> 00:18:24.589 that changes everything because it's in the crossing. 00:18:24.789 --> 00:18:26.390 It's in the middle of the storm that we have 00:18:26.390 --> 00:18:28.849 to remember that we have a savior in the boat 00:18:28.849 --> 00:18:31.519 with us. And that leads me to the next point. 00:18:32.200 --> 00:18:35.619 Write this down. We have a sleeping Savior's 00:18:35.619 --> 00:18:41.220 assurance. So in verse 38, it says that the storm 00:18:41.220 --> 00:18:44.059 is raging and the boat is filling with water 00:18:44.059 --> 00:18:46.619 and the disciples are panicking. And where is 00:18:46.619 --> 00:18:54.359 Jesus? Asleep. Where is he asleep? Come on, you 00:18:54.359 --> 00:18:58.769 guys. Where is he asleep? In the stern of the 00:18:58.769 --> 00:19:02.910 boat, right? He's asleep on a cushion. Does that 00:19:02.910 --> 00:19:09.309 sound familiar? Go ahead, say it louder. Jonah, 00:19:09.710 --> 00:19:14.730 right? But what do we say that Jesus was? What 00:19:14.730 --> 00:19:16.549 does Jesus declare himself? We walked through 00:19:16.549 --> 00:19:17.890 the book of Jonah. You guys know this answer. 00:19:18.950 --> 00:19:22.710 He is the better Jonah, right? So the wind is 00:19:22.710 --> 00:19:25.980 howling. The waves are crashing and water is 00:19:25.980 --> 00:19:28.440 coming into the boat and the disciples are thinking 00:19:28.440 --> 00:19:30.700 to themselves that they're about to die and Jesus 00:19:30.700 --> 00:19:34.680 is asleep. And at first glance, it almost feels 00:19:34.680 --> 00:19:37.259 a little confusing, maybe even frustrating because 00:19:37.259 --> 00:19:39.240 if we're honest, that's exactly how we feel in 00:19:39.240 --> 00:19:41.500 our own lives. The storm is loud, the pressure 00:19:41.500 --> 00:19:45.380 gets real and the fear in us begin to rise and 00:19:45.380 --> 00:19:49.880 it feels like Jesus is silent. It feels like 00:19:49.880 --> 00:19:52.319 he's not doing anything and it feels like he's 00:19:52.319 --> 00:19:56.359 just asleep at the wheel. But what looks like 00:19:56.359 --> 00:19:58.720 indifference is actually something very different. 00:19:58.819 --> 00:20:03.039 It's the perfect peace of God. You see, Jesus 00:20:03.039 --> 00:20:05.559 is not asleep because he doesn't care. He's asleep 00:20:05.559 --> 00:20:09.640 because he knows. He knows the end from the beginning. 00:20:09.720 --> 00:20:12.140 He knows the storm does not have a final say. 00:20:12.400 --> 00:20:14.640 He knows that they are going to the other side 00:20:14.640 --> 00:20:17.440 because he has something that's got to be done. 00:20:19.769 --> 00:20:22.009 So this is not a perfect picture, or this is 00:20:22.009 --> 00:20:24.150 not a picture of weakness. This is a picture 00:20:24.150 --> 00:20:28.609 of complete trust in the Father's will. And this 00:20:28.609 --> 00:20:31.789 is where we connect what we saw in the book of 00:20:31.789 --> 00:20:34.650 Jonah, because this should automatically, if 00:20:34.650 --> 00:20:37.809 you're like, okay, yeah, but Jonah came into 00:20:37.809 --> 00:20:39.849 a storm because he was not in God's will. How 00:20:39.849 --> 00:20:41.950 in the world could he have a storm? Can Jesus 00:20:41.950 --> 00:20:43.750 and the disciples be in a storm if they are in 00:20:43.750 --> 00:20:48.109 God's will? Pastor Logan, help me out here. And 00:20:48.109 --> 00:20:52.109 so we have, Jonah is asleep for the reason, but 00:20:52.109 --> 00:20:54.230 the reason Jonah is asleep and the reason Jesus 00:20:54.230 --> 00:20:56.829 is asleep could not be more different. Write 00:20:56.829 --> 00:21:01.490 this down. Jonah is running from the will of 00:21:01.490 --> 00:21:04.170 God. Jesus is perfectly walking in the will of 00:21:04.170 --> 00:21:08.789 God. Jonah is asleep in disobedience. Jesus is 00:21:08.789 --> 00:21:13.210 asleep in obedience. Jonah is hiding from God 00:21:13.210 --> 00:21:17.799 and Jesus is resting in God. And remember Jesus 00:21:17.799 --> 00:21:20.640 himself said that he is the greater Jonah. So 00:21:20.640 --> 00:21:23.279 when we see him asleep in the storm, this is 00:21:23.279 --> 00:21:25.900 not avoidance. This is not indifference. This 00:21:25.900 --> 00:21:28.279 is confidence in the father. And it all shows 00:21:28.279 --> 00:21:31.680 us his humanity. Why does it show us his humanity? 00:21:31.720 --> 00:21:35.160 Because he's asleep, he's tired. He's been ministering, 00:21:35.160 --> 00:21:36.579 he's been teaching, he's been pouring himself 00:21:36.579 --> 00:21:39.720 out and he's resting. And it's funny because 00:21:39.720 --> 00:21:43.119 he is not caught unaware of a storm and he's 00:21:43.119 --> 00:21:44.900 like, I'm still resting in the father's will 00:21:44.900 --> 00:21:51.440 though the storm would rage. And we talked a 00:21:51.440 --> 00:21:56.539 few weeks ago about rest is not a lack of faith, 00:21:56.640 --> 00:21:59.200 right? We talked about the importance of rest. 00:21:59.980 --> 00:22:04.119 Rest is often an expression of faith. Jesus is 00:22:04.119 --> 00:22:06.079 resting in the sovereignty of the Father while 00:22:06.079 --> 00:22:09.279 chaos is happening all around him. Meanwhile, 00:22:09.359 --> 00:22:11.599 the disciples are doing the exact opposite. They 00:22:11.599 --> 00:22:14.599 are consumed by what they see. They are focused 00:22:14.599 --> 00:22:16.779 on the wind, they are focused on the waves, and 00:22:16.779 --> 00:22:19.369 they focused on the water that is filling the 00:22:19.369 --> 00:22:21.890 boat. And the more they focus on the storm, the 00:22:21.890 --> 00:22:27.690 more their fear grows. Isn't that exactly what 00:22:27.690 --> 00:22:34.869 we do? My wife told me this one time because 00:22:34.869 --> 00:22:41.250 when I'm anxious and I'm fearful, I will rant 00:22:41.250 --> 00:22:44.470 a lot. Does anybody else rant when you get mad? 00:22:45.430 --> 00:22:49.009 For women, psychologically and emotionally, that's 00:22:49.009 --> 00:22:51.329 actually therapeutic for them. To get that out 00:22:51.329 --> 00:22:53.230 for men, it actually does the exact opposite. 00:22:54.250 --> 00:22:59.869 I didn't know that. So when a man, when I, I 00:22:59.869 --> 00:23:02.230 tend to focus on all the things that are going 00:23:02.230 --> 00:23:04.670 on around me instead of focusing on the Father, 00:23:05.049 --> 00:23:07.250 and so the more I focus on the things around 00:23:07.250 --> 00:23:10.910 me, the more God diminishes in my sight and in 00:23:10.910 --> 00:23:13.910 my spirit, and the more the things around me 00:23:13.910 --> 00:23:16.029 and my fear begin to grow. Does that make sense? 00:23:17.059 --> 00:23:21.559 And so that's what the disciples are doing. When 00:23:21.559 --> 00:23:24.059 the storm hits, our attention locks onto the 00:23:24.059 --> 00:23:28.079 problem. We lock into the diagnosis. We lock 00:23:28.079 --> 00:23:30.079 into our bank account not having enough money. 00:23:30.140 --> 00:23:33.160 We lock into the situation at work or the tensions 00:23:33.160 --> 00:23:36.059 in our home. And the more we lock into them, 00:23:36.099 --> 00:23:38.200 the bigger the storm looks and the smaller our 00:23:38.200 --> 00:23:42.619 faith feels. So what do they do? What do the 00:23:42.619 --> 00:23:45.059 disciples do? But they run to Jesus. They wake 00:23:45.059 --> 00:23:47.710 him up. with a question that reveals everything 00:23:47.710 --> 00:23:49.630 that's going on in their hearts. Teacher, do 00:23:49.630 --> 00:23:52.769 you not care that we are perishing? And that's 00:23:52.769 --> 00:23:54.829 not just a question, that's actually an accusation. 00:23:54.869 --> 00:23:59.430 Do you not care? And if we're honest, we've asked 00:23:59.430 --> 00:24:02.549 that same question, maybe not out loud, maybe 00:24:02.549 --> 00:24:04.630 not in those exact words, but in our hearts, 00:24:04.730 --> 00:24:08.769 we've thought it. God, do you see this? Do you 00:24:08.769 --> 00:24:11.470 care what I'm going through? Are you going to 00:24:11.470 --> 00:24:15.430 do anything about it? And here's what's so important 00:24:15.430 --> 00:24:19.130 for us to see. Their problem was not that they 00:24:19.130 --> 00:24:21.329 went to Jesus. Their problem was that what they 00:24:21.329 --> 00:24:24.730 believed about Him when they got there. Did you 00:24:24.730 --> 00:24:27.349 hear me? The problem was not that they went to 00:24:27.349 --> 00:24:29.529 Jesus. That's the good part. The problem is is 00:24:29.529 --> 00:24:31.589 what they were thinking about Him when they went. 00:24:33.390 --> 00:24:36.250 So they were in the boat with the Son of God 00:24:36.250 --> 00:24:38.369 and still thought that they were going to die. 00:24:38.430 --> 00:24:41.640 Why? because they were measuring their situation 00:24:41.640 --> 00:24:44.380 by the storm instead of measuring the storm by 00:24:44.380 --> 00:24:47.400 their Savior. I want you to write that down. 00:24:47.660 --> 00:24:50.900 I don't have it up here, but that's important 00:24:50.900 --> 00:24:54.279 that you hear that. They were measuring their 00:24:54.279 --> 00:24:59.680 situation by the storm instead of measuring the 00:24:59.680 --> 00:25:06.180 storm by their Savior. And that's the shift that 00:25:06.180 --> 00:25:10.119 this passage is calling us to make. not to pretend 00:25:10.119 --> 00:25:13.319 that storms aren't real, not to act like things 00:25:13.319 --> 00:25:16.559 don't hurt, but to fix our eyes on Christ in 00:25:16.559 --> 00:25:19.319 the middle of it. Because the same Jesus who 00:25:19.319 --> 00:25:21.839 is resting in the boat is the one who has authority 00:25:21.839 --> 00:25:24.579 over everything that is happening around you. 00:25:26.500 --> 00:25:32.000 If he is at peace, you should be too. Not because 00:25:32.000 --> 00:25:34.839 the storm is small, but because our Savior is 00:25:34.839 --> 00:25:38.500 great. That brings us to the next point. And 00:25:38.500 --> 00:25:50.779 the last point, silencing the storm. So it says, 00:25:50.980 --> 00:25:54.099 Jesus gets up and he rebukes the wind and he 00:25:54.099 --> 00:25:58.019 says to the wind, peace, be still. Now I don't 00:25:58.019 --> 00:25:59.980 want you to rush past that part because here's 00:25:59.980 --> 00:26:03.019 what you need to hear. Because this is what, 00:26:03.380 --> 00:26:06.019 Jesus is not just like calming weather, okay? 00:26:07.379 --> 00:26:09.759 If you can focus in for just one second, I want 00:26:09.759 --> 00:26:12.640 you to hear this because this is important. Jesus 00:26:12.640 --> 00:26:15.359 is actually flexing his muscle. He's exercising 00:26:15.359 --> 00:26:19.339 authority. And Mark is doing something very intentional 00:26:19.339 --> 00:26:22.440 in the scriptures right here. Because who is 00:26:22.440 --> 00:26:24.480 Mark writing to? I want to, who is Mark writing 00:26:24.480 --> 00:26:33.079 to? Huh? The Gentiles in the church of? Rome. 00:26:34.759 --> 00:26:37.400 And in the Roman world, In the Gentile culture, 00:26:37.839 --> 00:26:42.180 they were surrounded by what? A pantheon of gods, 00:26:43.279 --> 00:26:45.640 right? They worshiped a pantheon of gods. Maybe 00:26:45.640 --> 00:26:50.019 you've heard of some, Zeus, Hercules, Diana. 00:26:50.500 --> 00:26:53.960 There's literal hundreds of them. And what are 00:26:53.960 --> 00:26:59.059 these gods supposed to rule over? Nature, storms, 00:26:59.680 --> 00:27:05.710 war, fertility, chaos. In other words, the very 00:27:05.710 --> 00:27:08.650 thing that this storm represents. So when Mark 00:27:08.650 --> 00:27:10.950 tells us that Jesus stands up in the middle of 00:27:10.950 --> 00:27:13.509 the storm and speaks to it, he's making a bold 00:27:13.509 --> 00:27:19.130 claim. Jesus is not one God among many. He is 00:27:19.130 --> 00:27:23.750 not competing with nature, he commands it. And 00:27:23.750 --> 00:27:26.529 here he is and what he says, he says, peace be 00:27:26.529 --> 00:27:31.250 still. And here's what's funny, the actual translation. 00:27:32.240 --> 00:27:34.240 It's not really peace be still you want to know 00:27:34.240 --> 00:27:42.279 what it is shut up and be muzzled Keith Probably 00:27:42.279 --> 00:27:48.880 shouldn't say that to Vicky man He gave me a 00:27:48.880 --> 00:27:52.039 thumbs up right that's pretty that's pretty hardcore 00:27:52.039 --> 00:27:57.950 right peace and or shut up and be muzzled It 00:27:57.950 --> 00:28:01.069 carries this sort of force. It's showing who 00:28:01.069 --> 00:28:04.890 Jesus is. And immediately the wind stops. Immediately 00:28:04.890 --> 00:28:08.589 the storm stops. Not gradually, not over time, 00:28:08.690 --> 00:28:12.329 but it immediately stops. And Mark says there 00:28:12.329 --> 00:28:16.609 was a great storm. The water was so calm that 00:28:16.609 --> 00:28:18.549 the stillness was like glass. If you've ever 00:28:18.549 --> 00:28:20.549 been on a lake when it's completely still and 00:28:20.549 --> 00:28:22.190 you look over and you can see your reflection, 00:28:22.269 --> 00:28:26.549 that's what it's like. Creation itself just froze 00:28:26.549 --> 00:28:29.710 in submission to Jesus. And so I want you to 00:28:29.710 --> 00:28:31.450 think about that. If you have ever been on a 00:28:31.450 --> 00:28:35.630 lake or an ocean and there's been a storm, it 00:28:35.630 --> 00:28:38.690 takes a while for those waves, even when the 00:28:38.690 --> 00:28:40.410 storm has stopped, it takes a while for those 00:28:40.410 --> 00:28:42.450 waves to stop really crashing in pretty hard. 00:28:43.910 --> 00:28:46.869 But here it says it just goes completely still. 00:28:49.369 --> 00:28:53.640 So write this down. Here creation obeys instantly 00:28:53.640 --> 00:28:58.359 because creation recognizes its creator. And 00:28:58.359 --> 00:29:00.980 this is the point Mark is driving home. Jesus 00:29:00.980 --> 00:29:03.720 is not merely powerful in word or teaching. He 00:29:03.720 --> 00:29:07.339 is Lord over reality itself, which is why Jesus 00:29:07.339 --> 00:29:09.920 turns to his disciples and says, why are you 00:29:09.920 --> 00:29:16.559 so afraid? Have you still no faith? Here's something 00:29:16.559 --> 00:29:21.960 about that. This is probably the most important 00:29:21.960 --> 00:29:24.000 part of the entire thing that I'm preaching this 00:29:24.000 --> 00:29:26.480 morning. So just give me give me two seconds 00:29:26.480 --> 00:29:32.039 here Jesus isn't saying to them because how many 00:29:32.039 --> 00:29:34.960 of you have ever heard someone say if you just 00:29:34.960 --> 00:29:39.759 had enough faith Okay, if you just had enough 00:29:39.759 --> 00:29:41.900 faith if you had more faith that person would 00:29:41.900 --> 00:29:46.220 be healed or they wouldn't have died Brothers 00:29:46.220 --> 00:29:48.869 sisters, I want to I'm gonna tell you this That's 00:29:48.869 --> 00:29:53.349 not the gospel. That's putting faith on you. 00:29:54.569 --> 00:29:56.849 Pastor Logan, what are you talking about? Aren't 00:29:56.849 --> 00:30:00.029 I supposed to have faith? Yes, but focus in right 00:30:00.029 --> 00:30:05.630 here. This isn't about the faith that the disciples 00:30:05.630 --> 00:30:09.910 have in themselves, okay? The question is not 00:30:09.910 --> 00:30:13.430 simply, do you have faith in general? The question 00:30:13.430 --> 00:30:17.769 is this, focus in. Where is your faith placed? 00:30:18.759 --> 00:30:22.279 Is your faith in something else or is it in me? 00:30:23.160 --> 00:30:25.680 And that is the real issue in the storm because 00:30:25.680 --> 00:30:28.799 Jesus is exposing that their fear is not just 00:30:28.799 --> 00:30:31.460 about the waves, it's about misplaced trust. 00:30:33.880 --> 00:30:36.640 Let me put it to you like this. If you're falling 00:30:36.640 --> 00:30:40.480 off of a cliff and there's a branch coming out 00:30:40.480 --> 00:30:44.599 of that cliff, you grab onto that branch. Is 00:30:44.599 --> 00:30:46.859 your faith in yourself and your ability to hang 00:30:46.859 --> 00:30:49.000 on or is your faith being placed in the thing 00:30:49.000 --> 00:30:51.099 that is connected to the mountain and you're 00:30:51.099 --> 00:30:55.339 going, I just hope this thing hangs on. It's 00:30:55.339 --> 00:30:57.599 in the branch, right? You're putting as much 00:30:57.599 --> 00:31:00.680 faith as you can in that branch to hang on and 00:31:00.680 --> 00:31:05.720 to keep you from falling. And so your safety 00:31:05.720 --> 00:31:08.079 doesn't depend on how strongly and what you believe. 00:31:08.099 --> 00:31:10.160 It depends on the strength of what you're holding 00:31:10.160 --> 00:31:15.759 onto. Write this down. So your faith is only 00:31:15.759 --> 00:31:19.880 as secure as its object. And that is exactly 00:31:19.880 --> 00:31:22.900 what Jesus is teaching them. The branch is not 00:31:22.900 --> 00:31:25.539 your feelings, the branch is not your circumstances, 00:31:25.619 --> 00:31:27.900 and the branch is not your ability to fix things. 00:31:28.819 --> 00:31:32.660 The branch is Christ himself. He is the one who 00:31:32.660 --> 00:31:36.779 holds all things together. So when he says to 00:31:36.779 --> 00:31:40.339 the disciples, where is your faith? He's saying, 00:31:41.019 --> 00:31:44.859 Is it in your ability to control the storm? Is 00:31:44.859 --> 00:31:46.579 it in your ability to solve the problem? Is it 00:31:46.579 --> 00:31:48.259 in your ability to make sense of what's happening 00:31:48.259 --> 00:31:50.819 or is it in the one who stands in the middle 00:31:50.819 --> 00:31:53.279 of chaos and says to it, shut up and be still? 00:31:55.019 --> 00:31:57.160 Because I promise you this, the same God who 00:31:57.160 --> 00:31:59.579 commands the wind and the waves is not distant 00:31:59.579 --> 00:32:02.680 from you in your storm. He is actually in it 00:32:02.680 --> 00:32:05.740 and he's ever present with you in it. And the 00:32:05.740 --> 00:32:07.579 question is not whether he is powerful enough 00:32:07.579 --> 00:32:09.660 to save, the question is whether your faith is 00:32:09.660 --> 00:32:13.599 actually resting in him. Not the strength of 00:32:13.599 --> 00:32:16.519 your faith, hear that, but the strength of the 00:32:16.519 --> 00:32:20.279 one you are trusting. And that is the real place, 00:32:20.640 --> 00:32:23.079 and that is where real peace is found. And I'm 00:32:23.079 --> 00:32:27.099 closing here. I wanna close with a true story 00:32:27.099 --> 00:32:31.880 here. In 1947, a young man named John Payton, 00:32:33.039 --> 00:32:36.809 actually it's his son, I'm gonna bring this forward. 00:32:37.190 --> 00:32:40.089 There was a missionary named John Payton, John 00:32:40.089 --> 00:32:43.210 G. Payton, who served in the South Pacific among 00:32:43.210 --> 00:32:46.170 people who were known for violence and constant 00:32:46.170 --> 00:32:51.470 warfare between tribes. One night while translating 00:32:51.470 --> 00:32:54.490 scripture and trying to reach a village that 00:32:54.490 --> 00:32:56.109 had never heard the gospel, he and his family 00:32:56.109 --> 00:32:59.109 were forced to flee to a small hut for safety 00:32:59.109 --> 00:33:01.690 as a group of hostile villagers surrounded them. 00:33:02.829 --> 00:33:05.720 Outside the hut, they could hear shouting, footsteps, 00:33:06.019 --> 00:33:08.660 and what sounded like preparations for an attack. 00:33:09.700 --> 00:33:13.099 His wife, being terrified, says to him, we're 00:33:13.099 --> 00:33:15.680 going to be killed tonight. They're going to 00:33:15.680 --> 00:33:19.839 burn this whole place to the ground. She begins 00:33:19.839 --> 00:33:24.539 to hold her children close, and John Payton said 00:33:24.539 --> 00:33:26.799 something that she didn't expect. He told her 00:33:26.799 --> 00:33:31.720 to sit down, and he said, we are safe in this 00:33:31.720 --> 00:33:34.710 hut tonight. because we are doing the work of 00:33:34.710 --> 00:33:37.890 the Lord. And if God allows them to break through, 00:33:38.650 --> 00:33:40.750 then we will be with Jesus sooner than we expected. 00:33:42.490 --> 00:33:44.589 And then he did something even more striking. 00:33:45.430 --> 00:33:48.710 He went to the door of the hut and he knelt down 00:33:48.710 --> 00:33:53.509 and he began to pray. Not panic, not run, not 00:33:53.509 --> 00:33:58.250 strategize, he prayed. And as he prayed, his 00:33:58.250 --> 00:34:01.450 wife said something. happened inside that hut 00:34:01.450 --> 00:34:03.690 that she could never explain. She said the fear 00:34:03.690 --> 00:34:07.230 that she had had just completely gone away. And 00:34:07.230 --> 00:34:09.190 it was not just that it went away, but it was 00:34:09.190 --> 00:34:13.050 replaced by the strange sense of peace. And after 00:34:13.050 --> 00:34:16.809 some time, the noises outside faded. The attack 00:34:16.809 --> 00:34:19.849 never came. The next morning, they found out 00:34:19.849 --> 00:34:22.570 something remarkable. The villagers had left 00:34:22.570 --> 00:34:25.690 during the night without explanation. Years later, 00:34:25.809 --> 00:34:27.630 when Peyton reflected on that moment, he said 00:34:27.630 --> 00:34:30.960 this. in his writings, he said, we were never 00:34:30.960 --> 00:34:33.639 in greater safety than we were in the danger, 00:34:33.739 --> 00:34:35.679 than we were in danger because we were in the 00:34:35.679 --> 00:34:39.000 center of God's will. And here's why I share 00:34:39.000 --> 00:34:40.719 this with you, because the safety of the moment 00:34:40.719 --> 00:34:43.599 was not in the hut. The hut wasn't the thing 00:34:43.599 --> 00:34:47.000 that they were placing their faith in. It was 00:34:47.000 --> 00:34:49.599 not in the silence outside. It was not in their 00:34:49.599 --> 00:34:52.699 ability to defend themselves. It was in the presence 00:34:52.699 --> 00:34:56.340 of God. And that is exactly what we see in the 00:34:56.340 --> 00:34:59.739 Gospel of Mark chapter four. The disciples thought 00:34:59.739 --> 00:35:02.920 safety meant calm water, and Jesus showed them 00:35:02.920 --> 00:35:06.179 that safety is not the absence of storms, it's 00:35:06.179 --> 00:35:08.699 His presence in the storm. And so the question 00:35:08.699 --> 00:35:11.840 for us today is, will storms, is not will storms 00:35:11.840 --> 00:35:14.500 come? But the question is, when they come, where 00:35:14.500 --> 00:35:17.820 is my faith? Because if your faith is anything 00:35:17.820 --> 00:35:20.320 other than Christ, the storm will always feel 00:35:20.320 --> 00:35:24.389 overwhelming. But if your faith is in Him, then 00:35:24.389 --> 00:35:26.869 even in the middle of chaos, you are not alone 00:35:26.869 --> 00:35:29.389 and you're not sinking, you are being held. So 00:35:29.389 --> 00:35:31.849 again, it's not about if you had enough faith. 00:35:32.230 --> 00:35:35.010 The whole thing comes down to if your faith is 00:35:35.010 --> 00:35:38.730 secure and the thing that holds and puts together 00:35:38.730 --> 00:35:42.210 and calms storms and holds all of creation together, 00:35:42.469 --> 00:35:44.630 I assure you, you'll be okay. Well, Pastor Logan, 00:35:44.690 --> 00:35:47.469 what if I die? Then guess what? That's the best 00:35:47.469 --> 00:35:51.190 news for you. That sounds very dark. No, it's 00:35:51.190 --> 00:35:53.880 not. This is merely just a blip on the radar 00:35:53.880 --> 00:35:55.780 screen. Pastor Logan, aren't you afraid to die? 00:35:55.920 --> 00:35:59.179 Yes, I am. I'm afraid of the pain of it, but 00:35:59.179 --> 00:36:00.840 I'm not afraid of what's on the other side waiting 00:36:00.840 --> 00:36:04.619 for me. And if I don't die, guess what? Jesus 00:36:04.619 --> 00:36:08.340 is in the stern of the ship with me and He's 00:36:08.340 --> 00:36:10.539 moving things and He's taking care of things 00:36:10.539 --> 00:36:12.900 and we will forever be okay. Let's pray.