Faith To Sleep By 4/14/24

Mark 4:35-41   nkjv          35 On the same day, when evening had come, He said to them, “Let us cross over to the other side.” 36 Now when they had left the multitude, they took Him along in the boat as He was. And other little boats were also with Him. 37 And a great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that it was already filling. 38 But He was in the stern, asleep on a pillow. And they awoke Him and said to Him, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?”39 Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace, be still!” And the wind ceased and there was a great calm. 40 But He said to them, “Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?” 41 And they feared exceedingly, and said to one another, “Who can this be, that even the wind and the sea obey Him!”

❓ Do you remember a time when God unexpectedly delivered you from a crisis?❓❓How does your faith make you and your response different from those who aren’t saved❓

💥  Hebrews 4:15   Jesus had to be tempted in all points as we are.  Hebrews 4:15  For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.

⭐  To be able to pay the price for ALL our sins, He had to be tempted by all sin.

• Faith the same things >  Think the same things
• Struggle with doubts, fears and anger in the same way.

⭐   Jesus was in the same boat as the disciples.

• He faced the same storm  >  The same danger of sinking  > The same danger of dying

⭐   Yet His response and behavior was totally different from the disciples!

• Yeah… but that was Jesus!    So?   He was still totally human as we are, with the same limitations and the same human weaknesses and the same fears.

💥  So what made His response so different?  

He said it Himself!

• FAITH!  vs26) 26 But He said to them, “Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?” 

✔➢   Jesus didn’t just tell them the difference faith would make; He showed them     what they should be doing if they had more faith: 

• If you had more faith you would be sleeping.

💥  It was Not WHAT He did,  but WHY He did what He did. 💥What difference did faith make in Jesus?

➢     1.   Fear   ( Of death)  It’s the biggie! 

👉 ****) The fear of death is worse than dying!

• We all have a fear of death.  The flesh doesn’t want to die.
  • Peter, after denying for fear of retribution and death, now had to be shaken awake by the angel before his expected execution.  What was he doing?
  • He was asleep!!  Acts 12:6)  And when Herod was about to bring him out, that night Peter was sleeping, bound with two chains between two soldiers; and the guards before the door were keeping the prison.

💥If we have trouble sleeping, it’s not because we don’t have enough faith!  It’s a sign we have something going on that faith can help!!!    

👉 ****)  Our future depends on our dreams,,,,, we must sleep to have them!!

• Paul:  Acts 21:13 Then Paul answered, “What do you mean by weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.”
  • Do you want to die?    “Oh I don’t mind”.
  • Job 13:15  Even though He would kill me, yet would I trust Him.
  • Daniel 3:18:  We know God is able but, if He doesn’t, “But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up.”

💥  We all have a fear of something!!   We fear some things worse than death. 💥

• If we lose our money, we kill ourselves
• If we lose our marriage
• If we lose our loved ones etc.

➢       Faith is the power to keep our hearts and minds stable and able through 

➢     ANY AND ALL FEARS, TRIALS, PROBLEMS, UNBEARABLE HEARTACHE AND PAIN.

➢     2.        Know and trust God’s Word.v35)  

35 On the same day, when evening had come, He said to them, “Let us cross over to the other side.”Jesus didn’t do anything the Father didn’t tell Him to do.

• ⭐   He didn’t question Himself because of the storm.
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  • He wasn’t saying did I miss what He told me? ( He was tempted)
  • If I’m following My Father this shouldn’t be happening.
  • There is a reason?  (God used it mightily to teach) But didn’t make it happen. (Jesus rebuked it)

⭐Faith kept Him calm and focused on what He was supposed to be doing.

• Jesus knew where God was leading Him 
• He didn’t have to understand the obstacles that were thrown at Him.   He let God take care of the rest.
• It kept Him from doing crazy things He wanted to do,  (like if it’s possible) and FAITH kept Him from going crazy when He was doing what He was supposed to be doing.

➢     3.  He didn’t get angry.    

Faith kept His heart in align with God

• When His plans didn’t seem to be working  
• He didn’t try to control the storm
• He didn’t even have to stay up praying! (careful) Asleep in the boat.  Neither did Peter in Acts 12:6) ( The church was)

Where is YOUR Faith today?

I.   HAVE A PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS. V 35) 35 On the same day, when evening had come, He said to them, “Let us cross over to the other side.”  ➢   A real relationship …. like we do with our loved ones, family and friends.

• If we lived out the relationship we have with our loved ones like the one we have with Jesus…. no relationship would really exist or maybe a very shallow one.
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II.   LISTEN TO JESUS   Read the Word.  MOST of the time v35 ) He said to them, “Let us cross over to the other side.” 

• We argue with God.  We hear but don’t listen. Just like children do today with their parents.
• We don’t listen and constantly believe we can improve on His plans or alter them all together.
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  • We need to go back to the lessons we missed in learning to obey with our parents.

III.  WALK WITH JESUS V 35) 35 On the same day, when evening had come, He said to them, “Let us cross over to the other side.➢    Following Jesus is the only place we can be taught and shown what true faith is.  Listening to His Word and putting His word into practice will (sooner or later) train our senses to trust and follow God.2 Corinthians 5:7 For we walk by faith, not by sight. 👉 ****) "Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase."

• Walk daily with Jesus
• Be a disciple

Proverbs 3:5-6)  Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.