I Can Survive This Storm Pastor Eddie Turner Sunday, June 12, 2016 Mark 4:35-41(NLT) - 35 As evening came, Jesus said to his disciples, Let s cross to the other side of the lake. 36 So they took Jesus in the boat and started out, leaving the crowds behind (although other boats followed). 37 But soon a fierce storm came up. High waves were breaking into the boat, and it began to fill with water. 39 When Jesus woke up, he rebuked the wind and said to the waves, Silence! Be still! Suddenly the wind stopped, and there was a great calm. 40 Then he asked them, Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith? 41 The disciples were absolutely terrified. Who is this man? they asked each other. Even the wind and waves obey him! - Being Aware and Being Prepared for the Storms of Life - Brokenness, paralyzing disappointments, unexpected crisis, accidents, crippling medical diagnosis, traumatic difficulties, family hardships and unplanned financial emergencies attack each of us in life. - John 16:33(NKJV) - These things I have spoken to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world. - The word tribulation literally means distress. It comes from the word which means a pressing or pressure of anything that burdens our spirits. - Though it may appear the world around us is falling apart, we don t have to fall apart. The peace of God is available for the children of God-but we must learn to pursue and protect our peace in the midst of the storm. -
If you can hold on to your peace you can survive your storm!!! - 1). The Storms of Life Come to Christians because: We are Living in a Fallen World: We have a Life Long Enemy: Sometimes in Life We Make Poor Choices: 2). Storm preparation can only be effectively done in fair weather. If you wait till the storm comes to prepare you have waited too long. 3). My ability to survive a storm is directly related to the strength of my foundation. My foundation is the values, beliefs and disciplines my life is built upon. We are told that America is now a post-christian culture. It is a culture that no longer sees things through a biblical or Christian worldview. In fact most Christians today have a non-christian world view. A biblical worldview is based on the infallible Word of God. When you believe the Bible is entirely true, then you allow it to be the foundation of everything you say and do. When we allow the Word of God to be our standard and our compass-our lives are built on a solid foundation. Luke 6:47-48(NLT)- 47 I will show you what it s like when someone comes to me, listens to my teaching, and then follows it. 48 It is like a person building a house that digs deep and lays the foundation on solid rock. When the floodwaters rise and break against that house, it stands firm because it is well built. The storms will come. The storms come to the good and bad. It s imperative that we are prepared for the storms-storm preparation begins in good weather.
Storm preparation begins with a solid foundation which is a life built upon and directed by the Word of God. In every bad storm, fear will always try to overcome your faith. You will be tempted to bail out instead of bailing water! Mark 4:35-38(NLT) - 35 As evening came; Jesus said to his disciples, Let s cross to the other side of the lake. 36 So they took Jesus in the boat and started out, leaving the crowds behind (although other boats followed). 37 But soon a fierce storm came up. High waves were breaking into the boat, and it began to fill with water. The devil, difficulties, disappointments and delays will always show up when you are heading in the right direction. Satan doesn t want you arriving at your God given destination. Mark 4:37-38(NLT) 37 But soon a fierce storm came up. High waves were breaking into the boat, and it began to fill with water. When faith gives way to fear we become victims instead of Victors! Mark 4:39-40 (NLT) - 39 When Jesus woke up, he rebuked the wind and said to the waves, Silence! Be still! Suddenly the wind stopped, and there was a great calm. 40 Then he asked them, Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith? If you are going to get through it-you must speak to it! Acts 27:9-32(NLT) - We had lost a lot of time. The weather was becoming dangerous for sea travel because it was so late in the fall, and Paul spoke to the ship s officers about it. 10 Men, he said, I believe there is trouble ahead if we go on
shipwreck loss of cargo, and danger to our lives as well. 11 But the officer in charge of the prisoners listened more to the ship s captain and the owner than to Paul. 12 And since Fair Havens was an exposed harbor a poor place to spend the winter most of the crew wanted to go on to Phoenix, farther up the coast of Crete, and spend the winter there. Phoenix was a good harbor with only a southwest and northwest exposure. 13 When a light wind began blowing from the south, the sailors thought they could make it. So they pulled up anchor and sailed close to the shore of Crete. 14 But the weather changed abruptly, and a wind of typhoon strength (called a northeaster ) burst across the island and blew us out to sea. 15 The sailors couldn t turn the ship into the wind, so they gave up and let it run before the gale. 16 We sailed along the sheltered side of a small island named Cauda, where with great difficulty we hoisted aboard the lifeboat being towed behind us. 17 Then the sailors bound ropes around the hull of the ship to strengthen it. They were afraid of being driven across to the sandbars of Syrtis off the African coast, so they lowered the sea anchor to slow the ship and were driven before the wind. 18 The next day, as gale-force winds continued to batter the ship, the crew began throwing the cargo overboard. 19 The following day they even took some of the ship s gear and threw it overboard. 20 The terrible storm raged for many days, blotting out the sun and the stars, until at last all hope was gone. 21 No one had eaten for a long time. Finally, Paul called the crew together and said, Men, you should have listened to me in the first place and not left Crete. You would have avoided all this damage and loss. 22 But take courage! None of you will lose your lives, even though the ship will go down. 23 For last night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve stood beside me, 24 and he said, Don t be afraid, Paul, for you will surely stand trial before Caesar! What s more, God in his goodness has granted safety to everyone sailing with you. 25 So take courage! For I believe God. It will be just as he said. 26 But we will be shipwrecked on an island. - When you are in a storm-find people of faith - 27 About midnight on the fourteenth night of the storm, as we were being driven across the Sea of Adria, the sailors sensed land was near. 28 They dropped a weighted line and found that the water was 120 feet deep. But a little later they measured again and found it was
only 90 feet deep. 29 At this rate they were afraid we would soon be driven against the rocks along the shore, so they threw out four anchors from the back of the ship and prayed for daylight. 30 Then the sailors tried to abandon the ship; they lowered the lifeboat as though they were going to put out anchors from the front of the ship. 31 But Paul said to the commanding officer and the soldiers, You will all die unless the sailors stay aboard. 32 So the soldiers cut the ropes to the lifeboat and let it drift away. - Fear will always tempt you to escape instead of enduring: -- There have been times in my life-that the only road to my God destination was the path of enduring, not the shortcut of escaping! -- James 1:2-4(NLT) - Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. 3 For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. 4 So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.