The Year Of Storms, Part 2

Today on Fellowship in the Word pastor Bill Gebhart challenges you to become a fully functioning follower of Jesus Christ. What I need to do it how I need to control what the only way to control your life. Trust of one. The only way to control your own life is to trust the only one who can confirm something else is knowledge about Jesus is not the same as knowing joining us today on this additional Fellowship in the Word pastor Bill Gebhart Fellowship in the Words the radio ministry of Fellowship Bible church located in Metairie, Louisiana Pastor Bill Gebhart now again he shows us how God's word meets our work.

Got up when he said to the sea, hush literally the Greek is kind of savings in Greek. He says be muzzled just be muzzled and I don't know this kid is not in the Greek, but I know when he said it he probably shook his head be muzzled or maybe rolled his eyes. Come on guys storms are for a reason in your life you not getting it. See, you're not getting it all. The wind died down and it became perfectly calm, don't say what supernatural storm. This is if you had sees that scared a fisherman to death, and the wind stopped just to get smooth and I want to take a while. All those who not this one be stopped called when glassy sea. Now they have to realize maybe some gnosis quite often.

Here you see something else is happening here. He said to them, why are you afraid now. I love this because this is the case were knowing Greek helps. This is guy loss is not the normal word for being afraid. It's a very rare word. They translated that way because I think it gets the point across.

But here's what that word means die loss. Why are you cowards.

That's the word guy loss means cowards. Why are you cowards in other words, your faith should embolden you.

Your faith should strengthen you but you're a coward. He said why are you cowards do you still have no faith. Now he knows they have some faith right because of following Jesus, but he means in the context of the storm. You have no faith that sound like you and me.

It does seem an amazing and that amazing that we could have put our faith in Jesus Christ. Years ago, we could go to Bible studies and church.

We can sing praises to him and tell him how much we love them and trust them, and how good and sovereignty is and then we get in the storm and where to go. Where did all this go Jesus and you have no faith what happened that you have no faith means you have no faith in the storm.

They became very much afraid not.

The same word now.

They became very much afraid that word for fear means terrified they are now terrified and notice what their terrified about. They said to one another, who then is this, that even the wind and sea obey him.

He is exactly who he is said is that's who he is.

If you've seen may have seen the father. That's who we is theirs and who is this you see the whole perspective was that was the problem there, terrified. Only God could have done what he did was aghast.

So why are you asking who I am because they're struggling with what you and I struggle with when it comes to storms. How do I move from control to trust. How do I move from what I need to do and how I need to control it to just say trust the Lord with this, let the Lord do this. The only way to control your life is to trust the one who can control it.

You can't.

The only way to control your own life is the trust the only one who can control your life.

The something else here though about them knowledge about Jesus is not the same of really knowing Jesus. And that's the problem. If they really knew Jesus the trust them in the storm. If you really knew Jesus you trust them in the storms. If you really knew Jesus all things are gonna work together for your good. I see that you see nothing isn't filtered through my sovereign good love for you.

The storm should make you more and more reliant on me and Les and Leslie Knight on Ryan on you.

That's what is trying to teach them in a storm not see how it worked out.

Let's go to Mark six Mark six.

Just a couple pages in verse 30 now you if you read the book of Mark, and you understand the book of Mark chapter 6 in the book of Mark is a big demarcation point point up until chapter 6 everything Jesus did was for the crowd all everything he did his teaching was for the crowd's miracles were the crowd. It's for the crowd now from chapter 6 on everything he does is for his disciples. Now I'm going to deal with you now. I want you to see what you need to be when I'm gone. That's what happens in Mark six.

So there's a very famous miracle here it says in verse 30 the apostles gathered together with Jesus and they reported to him all that they had done and taught, and he said to them come away by yourselves to a secluded place and rest for a while. Furthermore, many people coming and going and they don't even have time to eat and they went away in the boat to a secluded place by themselves and the people saw them going and many recognize them and they ran there together on foot from all the cities and got there ahead of the disciples of them.

When Jesus went ashore, he saw a large crowd, he felt compassion for them, and because they were like sheep without a shepherd. He began to teach them many things.

And when it was already quite late, the disciples came to him and said this place is desolate and it's already quite late, send them away so that they will may be able to go into the surrounding countryside in the villages, and buy for themselves. Something need not watch what happens. Verse 37 Jesus said you give them something what what you can Sunday. Note you you the guy that us Americans when you tell me, for you give them something to eat and they said so we go ahead, so we don't spend 200 and Mary some bread and give them something to eat and not getting it. Jesus says how many loaves do you have go look and they when they find that they said five and two fish, he commanded them. He said all to sit down in groups on the green grass and a set dominant groups, hundreds and 50s. He took the five most of two fish, looking up to heaven, he bless the food he broke the lows and Giving them to the disciples that to set before them, and he divided up the two fish among them all and they all ate and were satisfied and they picked up 12 baskets of the broken pieces and also of the fish and there were about 5000 men who ate the lows, the feeding of 5000 now. What's different about this is important who did it. Jesus through them. They did. You know what that's called ministry. That's what ministry and that's exactly what they did. This is extremely important great definition of ministry.

I read this week is this you must do what you cannot do with what you do not have for the rest of your life. You want to be a servant of Christ. You must do what you cannot do with what you do not have for the rest of your life. That's Christian ministry. See, we want to control that, controlling because Jesus is telling us look our work through you, but you have to understand that it's either do the work through you. The way this happens. So here's what happens immediately. Now that you tell you something immediately means immediately. He said when I try to teach you this again. Jesus made his disciples get into a boat and go ahead of him.

The other side of the Seder and while he himself was sending the crowd away after bidding them farewell. He left for the mountains to pray and while it was evening the boat was in the middle of the sea and he alone was on the land and seeing them straining at the oars for the wind was against them.

It was about the fourth watch of the night. That's 3 to 6 in the morning he came to them walking on the sea and he intended to pass them by. But when they saw him walking on the sea they suppose that he was a ghost and they cried out for they all saw him and were terrified same word and it says, and immediately he spoke of them said, take courage he said is it is I do not be afraid there's something different about Mark's notice is missing in this account Peter member.

We know from another. We know from the other people got out of the boat. Remember to walk for a while. Peter is the one who really dictates this to John Mark Peterson at this is not to mention me. It is one himself in the story is and I just want let you see what's happening here, they were astonished that he came and they were terrified and he said go take courage aside. Don't be afraid what's the problem. When they learned nothing. So guess what their another storm if you will learn why the words I speak to you through education. You're going to learn through experience, he says, and then he got into the boat with them and the wind stopped. Wow, that's a coincidence and they were utterly astonished. How could the one stop I don't know how but two chapters ago you don't remember this, you know what happens when God takes us out of the storm when the next one comes we forget the guard took us out of the one before that is who we are, for they had not gained any insight from the incident of the lows look your my chosen guys, you're going to do great ministry didn't get any insight.

I don't know why use thus can be passed that on himself know I'm using you now watch but the heart was hardened. That's the problem they have a hard heart, that's when were going through a storm God's kindness off another heart just like he is trying to soften of hours your heart heart come to care.

God was happening to us. Why do you have a hard hardness she why don't you getting this you should have courage. I'm right here she have courage, don't if I'm right here. How bad can all the storms get how bad can the pandemic it exactly to the same degree as God allows with ago. How long will it last to the exact second when God says that's and is a good God loves you, so why is your heart heart about this. Why are we afraid. Why do we have so much conflict about this he said you shouldn't be that way should be that way at all. In fact, just turned another two pages I want to show you something Michael Mark eight verse 11. Want to see something Jesus still talking to them, but he want you want to make his point. Verse 11 says the Pharisees came out and began to argue with him, seeking from him. Assignment him having the test, sighing deeply within us. He said why does this generation seek a sign, truly I say to you, no sign will be given to this generation and leaving them, he embarked and went to the other side and they had forgotten to take bread and they had him he said and did not have more than one loaf in the boat with a boat this funny when you start put them together and it says and he was saying to them, watch out beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of the of Herod and they began to discuss with one another fact that they had no bread Holly doing Jesus, look what you think you sung about 11 that's got me but we don't have Brad when we going to do.

I don't know the son of God's in the boat with us should not be enough know you. We don't have any bread I watch Jesus said to aware what they said. He said why do you discuss the fact that you have no bread, do you not yet see and understand you have a hardened heart when a question she why don't they understand remove the hard heart they made the hard heart. He said having eyes, you don't see having you as you don't hear and you do not remember when I broke five loaves of the 5000.

Many baskets full and broken pieces picked up and they said only up 12 baskets and when I broke that you sell and when I broke the seven for the 4000, how many large baskets full and pieces did you pick up and they said seven and he said to them, and you still don't understand.

How do you not understand my heart toward my heart.

You see, even the storm of having just a little bit of bread. This was not a storm of the sea.

They said all we have is a loaf if Jesus Christ is in the boat with you or he's in your life you never only have a loaf, you have the son of God. When we start trusting him as a son of God.

You see we can control these kind of circumstances is not something we can do.

We can end up with a hard heart when last passage go with me to Matthew chapter 7.

So what we learned so far one. We try to control our lives in a storm to in a storm. We often think that Christ is in God doesn't care.

Three. We know a lot about Jesus but we don't know Jesus. We know a lot about him but we don't know, and for the only control you and I have an storm is to trust the only one who controls the storm there's a four things we should learn from every storm. Now in Matthew seven sermon on the Mount verse 24 therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and acts on them may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock. Now here comes the storm and the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house, and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock, hear my words don't miss it and act on them hearing the words of Jesus won't help you. You have to act on member I said, Tony Evans said the definition of faith is acting on the basis of what God said is true.

Whenever I act on the basis of what God has said that's faith I have to activate faith is active. It's not intellectual.

I cannot believe it him from the storm. I don't believe anything would happen to me.

Norman, act on it. He said, and notice what happens here. If we act on the words he said we have wisdom while storms prove your wisdom and improves where your house is built, are you on this rock we act on the words of Jesus Christ or the words of the word of God. If you do you endure the storm.

That's what he promises, he said, everyone who hears these words of mine and does not act on them is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. Rain fell, the floods came the winds blew slammed against the house, and it fell in great was its fall when it comes the storms of life here. The storms of 2020 given to come out one way or the other. The wiser your full user act on the word of God or you don't act on the word of God, our lives survive and endure the storm because of our trust and faith in Jesus Christ.

The storm has nothing to do with our faith. The stewardess gives us an opportunity to put our faith into action to give it to the Lord in the in the storms I talked about earlier ones were all experiencing, but on an individual basis, we often experience physical storms, all kinds of issues terrible diagnosis. Fatal diseases that's us June storm. We all experience emotional storms where lives are emotional turmoil through relationships or insecure always do a lot of people right now are experiencing financial storms where my going to do worming to get the next money. The money I need to survive and almost always experience spiritual storms because my point of view. Almost all the storms of the spiritual meaning, not just the big ones, but even the small ones, and so the question is how we respond will tell us whether were wise or foolish. How we respond will tell us whether we trust Christ or we hardened our heart against him.

If your hard is tender to Christ.

You will be fined 2020. If your heart is hard. The storms can consume you, after all, that's why God sent them to to reveal your heart to you spray father. This is one of those things that we find yourself on one level, intellectually, signally, I agreed with everything Jesus said experientially father when we find ourselves in the storm. We seem to relate much closer to the disciples than we do to the Lord. We panic when we lose control. And then we often blame you for not caring about us enough. How could you let this happen to us before you make it clear you send it to us because you love us and you want to move us from our heart heart to a tender one for you and that's what storms do the storms of life help us to grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ to become more like him. Not just for our own sake but we can encourage other. My brothers and sisters in Christ by how well we do in the storm and we can also be light and salt. In a culture that's falling to pieces because of how well we do in the storm so often we act just like everyone eyes the storms father have us open our hearts to pastoral gift card on the radio ministry of fellowship Lord, if you ever miss one of our broadcast or maybe you dislike of the sum of the method one more time.

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