Jump Start # 3007

Mark 4:38 “And He Himself was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they awoke Him and said to Him, ‘Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?’”

Storms, it seems that life is full of them. Storms happen when we are with Jesus. Storms definitely happen when we are without Jesus. Storms can last a long, long time. And, storms can make us really scared.

Here in our passage today, the disciples and Jesus were crossing the Sea of Galilee. A storm hit. Not, just any storm, but a very intense storm. The verse before tells us that the waves were above the boat. That’s bad news. It also tells us that the boat was filling up with water, that’s worse. Things were bleak. Hope was quickly vanishing away. I expect, though the text doesn’t tell us this, but common sense does, that the disciples tried everything they could think of. I expect they tried to row, but to no avail. I see them bailing water, but that wasn’t working. Finally, they awaken Jesus. We are going to die, is what they thought, expected and saw coming. The Lord rebukes the wind and then He rebukes the disciples. Where is your faith? Why do you doubt? Seeing the wind obey Jesus caused the disciples to be even more frightened. “Who is this,” they wondered.

The disciples chose to wake Jesus up. That was the best choice they made. And, in any storm, you and I face many choices. Some, use the storm to drift from God. Some allow the storm to lead them to unhealthy, unwise and even ungodly choices.

The disciples chose to awaken Jesus. There are some lessons for us in the midst of our storms. The storms come in many forms. For Job, the storms ranged from the death of his family, the loss of his possessions and income, to the loss of his health. Financial storms. Health storms. Spiritual storms. Mental storms. Relational storms. All storms have the potential of crashing our homes. The only hope we have is to have a faith that rests securely upon The Rock, Jesus Christ.

When your storms come, you have choices. Remember:

First, to choose fellowship over isolation. Hiding in a cave, like Elijah did when Jezebel’s men were out looking for him is what we often do. We hide. We isolate. We find our caves and we stay there. But when we are alone, the storm always seems worse than what it really is. Dark skies and dark thoughts go together. We think the worst when we are alone. Get down to the church building. Get to worship. Get around God’s people. You may not feel like it, but you need it. The prayers. The encouragement. The sermons. The classes. The hymns. They all have a way of calming our nerves and helping us to see sunlight even in the darkest days.

Second, choose prayer over worry. Prayer invites God into your life and into your storms. The disciples did just that. They woke Jesus up. You need to go to Jesus when things are bad. Worry kills us. It steals our sleep, our appetite and it makes the troubles larger than what they really are. Cast your burdens upon the Lord is what the Bible teaches. Do not be anxious is what Jesus said. Take it to the Lord in prayer will help you.

Third, choose faith over doubt. That was lacking in that water filled boat in Mark four. There was plenty of doubt but very little faith. You know what the Bible says. It doesn’t change because the storm clouds have rolled in. You know that God has a history of victories. Stormy seas, fiery furnaces, lion’s dens, giants, prison doors these things are nothing to God. Seek the Lord. Continue, even in the storm, to do what the Lord expects you to do. Your faith will cause you to see God. Your doubts will cause you to see the storm.

Fourth, choose hope over despair. Storms are tough. Statistics show that more people are injured and killed after the storm than during the storm. People come out and look over the destruction after a storm and step on nails, live wires and are injured and even killed by unsafe conditions. The storm passes, and our faith can still take a hit. We must be strong. Hope is the answer. Some day there will no longer be any storms. Some day we will be with the Lord eternally. The storm lasts for just a short while.

The disciples chose to wake Jesus up. Maybe it’s time for us to do the same. He’s never been asleep for us, but we may have set him aside so deep in our minds that He seems that way.

Choose Jesus—always the best choice.

Roger

Jump Start # 2559

Mark 4:38 “And He Himself was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they awoke Him and said to Him, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?”

Our passage today is taken from the fascinating story of the storm upon the sea. It was a violent storm. The disciples, many of them who had made a living on that very sea were scared. Somehow, Jesus remained asleep through all of this. Mark tells us that there was a fierce gale of wind. The waves were above the boat. The boat was filling up with water. That alone tells me that just about everyone inside the boat is wet. They are in a desperate and near panic mode to keep the boat afloat. They are losing this battle. They begin to lose hope. And, when that happens, enters the worse thoughts. We are going to die!

They awaken Jesus. They do not ask Him to save them. They do not ask Him to stop the storm. They do not ask if He has seen anything like this before. They ask a question, not about power, authority or ability, but heart. Do you not care? Caring, that’s a heart issue. We are about to die, Jesus. We are going to die and You are sleeping. We’ve done all that we can do and we can’t turn this around. We are unable to stop this storm. All hope seems to be gone.

We sing a hymn that is titled, “Does Jesus Care?” That’s what people want to know. Does God care? Some would conclude that if God cared then there ought to never be a storm. Yet, here we are, in a storm. Does Jesus care? Now, some thoughts:

First, It seems that the disciples did everything except include Jesus. Maybe they should have awaken Jesus much sooner. It’s easy to be a backseat driver and look at passages like this and declare, ‘This is what they should have done,’ and, when our boats are filling up with water, we scream like there is no tomorrow. Like the disciples, we think we got this. It’s tough, but we can handle this. Don’t need to call Jesus in on this one, because we know what to do. Really? Are you sure?

We wait until our marriage boat is sinking, and there are so many holes in the boat that it is nearly impossible to save. Why did we wait so long? Pride? Fear? Not wanting to admit that we need to change things? Not wanting to apologize or forgive? So, along we sail, deeper and deeper into the storm, until finally we realize that we are sinking. We are not going to make it.

We wait until our finances are such a mess that we may lose the house, the cars, and then we realize that we are sinking. We are not going to make it. Why not ask for help? Is it shameful to admit that we have a money problem? Is it embarrassing to reveal that we’ve overspent for years? So, along we sail, deeper and deeper into the storm, until finally we realize that we are sinking. We are not going to make it.

We wait until our child is arrested before realize that we need help. There’s been signs all along. Trouble in school. Trouble with neighborhood kids. Rebellion at home. But we’ve ignored it. We thought it was just a stage. We believed he’d grow out of it. So, along we sail, deeper and deeper into the storm, until we finally realize that we are sinking. We are not going to make it.

Second, Jesus was the one person who could make a difference. I expect all twelve of the apostles were doing all the could. Matthew, being a tax collector, was likely not much help with boats and water. He may have been the first one scared. They went to Jesus. They awoke Jesus. What a powerful lesson for us. When we are sinking in a storm, we need to turn to the Lord. It’s not the time to get advice from family and friends who do not know the Lord. It’s not time to find answers on web searches. Think about the situation with the disciples. What advice might someone give them? Jump overboard and swim the best you can? Do what the sailors did in the book of Jonah. Draw straws and start pitching people overboard. Say your prayers and go down with the ship? Without Jesus, there was no good answers. Only Jesus could stop the storm and save everyone. No lives were lost. No boats were lost. Jesus saved them all. How does Jesus help us? Turn to the Scriptures and search. See what God says about marriage. See what God says about finances. See what God says about parenting. Seek help from God’s leaders. It’s not enough that we find help, it’s imperative that we find the right help and the best help. Counselors are not better than God. Self help books are not better than the Bible. Advice never tops the principles of God.

Third, Jesus showed that He cared. He didn’t just say, “I’ll be thinking about you.” He did something. He stopped the storm. They were more afraid of the One who could control the weather than the storm itself. How do I know that you care? You show it. Words do not put food on the table. Words do not pay the bills. Words, after a while do not do much good, unless there are some actions attached to them.

Now, in this period of a worldwide flu epidemic, it’s important that we show that we care. How? See after the needs of each other, especially the older ones among us. Call them. Get supplies for them. Watch the close contact, but with safety, things can be left on porches. Emails and texts, checking up on each other is very important.

But stretch this even more. Our neighbors are going through this crisis, most of them without hope, faith and the Lord. Share with them things you find helpful. Pass along blogs, podcasts, video sermons and other things from your congregation. Like with our older members, find out if there are things you can do for them.

This crisis will soon pass. Will people remember that you were one who cared?

Roger

Jump Start # 1410

Mark 4:38 “Jesus Himself was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke Him and said to Him, ‘Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?”

  Our verse today is a question that was spoken under frightful conditions. The disciples and Jesus were in a boat crossing the sea. A storm caught them. Mark uses the words, “a fierce gale of wind.” He tells us that the waves were breaking over the boat. He also says that the boating was filling up with water. This speaks doom for all who were in the boat. I expect all of them were in panic mode, especially Matthew, the one who had a desk job. He’d probably never seen anything like this. None of them had. The words, “fierce gale of wind,” comes from a word that we get earthquake from. This was a violent, shaking, storm. Things were getting worse and not better. It got to a point that Jesus had to be awakened. They thought they were going to die. Maybe the next wave would flip the boat. Scared, dark and a long way from safety, they turned to Jesus. We do the same today. The passage tells us that jointly they awoke Jesus. “They” woke Him and (they) said to Him.” This wasn’t just one but it was a “they” event.

They asked a most disturbing question. It is a question that has nothing to do with ability, but everything to do with heart. They did not ask, ‘Jesus, have you ever seen anything like this?’ Nor was it, ‘Jesus, is this bigger than you?’ No, what they asked was, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” Do you not care? That’s a question about heart, not muscle.

Friendships end because one feels the other simply doesn’t care. Marriages crash when it is thought that one doesn’t care. The lack of care spells disaster and invites neglect. Some do not care about their yards. IT shows. Weeds, dead patches and a mess. Some do the same with the cars they drive. They don’t care.  Some do the same with their health. They don’t care. Some do the same with their relationships. They don’t care.

Not caring always shows. Sloppiness, laziness, procrastination, indifference, apathy and neglect are all fueled by a heart that does not care. When I work with young preachers, I teach them a lesson about looking for a church to preach for. This topic comes up. I advise those young preachers to look around the outside of the church building. Take a tour on the inside. Open up every door and stick your head in and sniff. Look around at the auditorium. If the place is junky, messy and has the signs of neglect, that may well indicate how those folks think about the Lord’s work. Folks do not realize that when a preacher is trying out, so is the congregation. He’s looking at them as much as they are looking at him. Clean the place up. Polish the place. Put some effort into acting like your care. Trim the hedges. Paint the walls. Toss all the papers that are just lying around. Then once that is done, turn your energies into what really matters, the Lord’s work.

Jesus cared. He always cared. The following verses illustrate that. He wasn’t going to let them die. He didn’t come from Heaven to drown in a boating accident.

However, unlike Jesus, some today, just do not seem to care about the Lord’s work. They put off and put off things that ought to be talked about and actions taken. They don’t seem to care that the church has no one who is qualified to serve as elders. And nothing is being done to change that situation. They don’t seem to care that folks are leaving. Nothing seems to be done to find out why nor to change the situation. They don’t seem to care that no one is coming to the Lord. The baptism boots are cracked from lack of use. The water is stale. Nothing changes. They just keep doing what they have always done, even though it doesn’t seem to be working anymore.

This evening the Republican party is holding a huge debate with more than a dozen candidates. They all have one thing in common. They have a core belief that what has been done these past eight years isn’t working. A new direction, plan and face is needed. Football teams understand this. If a team keeps running the same play, over and over, with zero results, the coach will send in a new play.

Why is it that some congregations just can’t seem to get this idea? Same stale ideas as three decades ago. Same classes. Same sermons. Same approaches. Same lack of leadership. Same visionless expectations. The church slowly dies off, first spiritually, but few see that. By the time folks start talking about it, the numbers have dropped way off. The solution that some come up with is to drop services. No more mid-week. No Sunday night. The reason is because no one comes. That is the solution. It seems that no one cares.

I drove by a church building today. The words have been taken off the sign. The grass hasn’t been cut in a long time. The building is for sale. It’s no longer housing a church. I don’t know what happened? Where did the people go? Did they just quit? Did anyone care? Some things just don’t seem right. A church selling it’s building because it’s going out of business is one of those things. Had they outgrown the place and they needed more room, that’s one thing. But to close the doors because they can’t afford to keep it open due to such a small crowd is something very sad.

Do you not care? They asked that to Jesus. He did care. He did something. I wonder if Jesus could ask that question back to us? Do you not care? Do you not care that there are those in your family who do not know the Lord? Do you not care that there are those who are wanting more lessons, more depth, more Jesus? Do you not care that some have walked away and are not coming back? Do you not care?

Jesus cared and did something. We often do not care and do nothing. There are storms brewing all around us and we may not recognize them. It’s time to start caring. Jesus did.

Roger

Jump Start # 1231

Mark 4:38 Jesus Himself was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke Him and said to Him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?”

  Our verse reveals an extreme emotional and fearful time for the disciples. They were crossing the sea. A violent storm caught them. The expression, “a fierce gale,” from the verse before, comes from the Greek word “seimos” where we get our words, earthquake or seismograph. This wasn’t just any ole’ storm. This was huge. The experienced fisherman, Peter and James were frightened. Jesus was with them. Jesus was asleep in the boat. They woke Him and asked a question. That question said a lot about the disciples.

It is interesting that they did not ask, “Have you ever seen anything like this?” No, that wasn’t the question. They didn’t ask, “Is this storm greater than you?” Not the question. They didn’t ask, “Can you handle this?” What they asked, wasn’t about ability or power. They asked a question about the heart. They asked, “Do you not care…” That question struck at the heart of Jesus. Are you indifferent to what is happening to us? Are you insensitive to us? Are you heartless? Do you not care?

Jesus was asked this at another occasion. It was another storm. Instead of being on the sea, He was in a house. He was with friends. Martha was cooking and serving and Mary was sitting. Martha burned her attitude as she was stirring the pot. Unable to get Mary to move, she interrupted Jesus and said, “Do you not care that my sister has left me to do all the serving along?” Don’t you care?

Sometimes another person is unable to do anything, but knowing they care helps. Knowing that they will sit with you, pray for you, send you a card, means everything. Being in a situation in which you feel that no one cares, just worsens things deep within us. An uncaring Jesus cripples our faith. It leads us to thinking and then believing, that we are not good enough. Jesus cares for the “perfect” people and I’m not one of them. Or, Jesus cares for the preachers and not the rest of us. Or, Jesus cares for those with happy families, not those who are dysfunctional or have prodigals running through their lives. Thinking that Jesus doesn’t care leads us to feeling abandoned and alone. Our prayers drop off when we feel that Jesus doesn’t care. Worship doesn’t happen. Why worship, when God doesn’t care? Isolated and alone, we don’t know how we will get through our storms. Sometimes we don’t.

It seems that this question isn’t asked in the sunny days of our lives. It’s asked, as with the disciples, when we are going through a fierce gale. It’s asked, as with Martha, when other people seem to have let us down and we are really bothered by their lack of care. Those storms are real. They are frightening. They are greater than we are. Many perish in those storms. The disciples knew that. Overturned boats and drownings were common in that sea. They knew they could be the next ones.

It is interesting what Jesus did. He didn’t answer the question with words, but with action. He didn’t say, “Certainly I care.” Nor did He respond, “How could you ask that question?” Instead, He calmed the sea. Immediately, the threat, the fear, the storm was gone. Next, He calmed the storm within them. It was greater than the storm upon the sea.

We have a song that we sing, “Does Jesus care?” We never ask that when things are going well. We know. There are too many verses that show that God loves us, blesses us and wants us with Him. However, it’s when things are dark and stormy that we forget this. We wonder. We fear. We doubt. We question.

I’d think this must disappoint God. We do well when things are well. But when things are upside down in our lives, we panic. God must think, “I’ve not left you. I’m still here.” Is it that we want every day to be sunny? Is it that we only have faith when things are right and going smoothly? Faith is often tested. Faith is tried. Those trials, demonstrating just how much we believe and just how real our faith is, are the storms. The storms serve a purpose. The storms remind us that we are not in control of things. The storms remind us that we need God. The storms are necessary. I drove home in a storm last night. It was rainy. The traffic was heavy. There was road construction. The temperature was dropping and starting to turn to snow. Some thought it was a sunny August day the way they were flying through traffic. That only made things worse. Life can be like that. It has moments when it is intense. It’s time to slow down. Say some prayers. Pay attention. Put both hands on the wheel. Be careful. Those things not only help in traffic, they help in the storms of life.

Does Jesus care? Yes. He always has. The Cross is the proof. The troubles in our lives are not an indication of the lack of care by Jesus. They may be trials and testing. They may be the result of my choices. These storms may last longer than I want them to. These storms often bring pain and come with consequences. These storms will destroy the weak in heart. It’s by faith that we get through these. Jesus is there, in the storms. Trust. Seek Him. Obey Him. Talk to Him.

I expect fewer things hurt Jesus more than His own people asking, “Don’t you care?”

He does. He always has. He always will.

He cares for you.

Roger

Jump start # 453 

Mark 4:38 “Jesus Himself was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they; woke Him and said to Him, ‘Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?”

  Does Jesus care? That’s the title of a hymn we sing, often at funerals. It’s more than a song, it’s a thought and a concern that many folks have. Does He care? Martha asked Jesus that as she was busy preparing food. She said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to do all the serving alone?”  (Lk 10:40). Do you not care?

  Our passage comes from the time when the disciples were crossing the Sea of Galilee. A storm came up. Things got bad, fast. Many of those in that boat lived on that sea. They were experienced. They were scared. They thought they were going to die.

  Jesus was asleep during the storm. How, I’m not sure. I understand He was at peace. I understand He had great faith. But still, it was a storm, a huge storm. The boat was up and down. They were soaked with rain and sea. It was dark. Jesus slept.

  Their question is not theological. It is not one that they had been tossing around among themselves for some time. This was probably the first they ever thought of it. They were all nearly the age of Jesus, in their 30’s. The thought of dying wasn’t on their radar, not until they intersected with the storm.

  They thought they were going to die. That thought does something to a person. All of a sudden the everyday stuff doesn’t matter. Who wins the ballgame, how the stock market did, what color to paint the bedroom, the car needs oil change, the things that seem to occupy a normal day, do not matter when the day is no longer normal. They thought they were going to die. They were doing everything they could to keep that from happening. They were bailing water out of the boat. They were trying to steer their way out of the storm. Finally, someone woke Jesus. Do you not care? He’s not doing anything. He’s not bailing. He’s not holding the sails. He’s sleeping. Doesn’t He care?

  Of course He does. The big picture makes all of this silly. Do you think Jesus would come from Heaven to drown in storm? Do you think He chose 12 apostles only to have them all wiped out in a boating accident? Doesn’t He have more knowledge, control and power than that?

  We don’t fault the disciples. We’ve been there. Racing a child to the hospital, the storm of debt, the fear of job loss, the dreaded word, cancer—all of these can make us cry out in fear, “do you not care?”

  The answer is YES, yes, He does care. Does that mean every storm will be stopped. No. Some storm we must travel through. To get to the green pastures the shepherds had to take the sheep through the valleys, even the valley of the shadow of death. Do you not care? Sure, He does.

  Do you know what He cares about the most? Not the storms. Not water in the boat. Not pressure, stress, worry. He cares that we are perishing without Him. He cares that we journey through life on our own and then when a storm hits us, we wonder where He is. How many perish each day without Him? That’s what concerns Jesus.  Storms come and go. Some are bad and some and ok.

  God’s wish for you is not comfort. That’s our wish. It’s not luxury. That’s our wish. It’s to journey with Him. It’s to go the direction He’s going. It’s to trust Him. It’s to believe Him. It’s to know that someday I will perish, but He’ll be there and He’ll take me home, where He is.

  Do you not care? What a question. We wonder—does the government care? You wonder. Does the company I work for care? You wonder. Does my church care? You wonder. Even, does my family care? You wonder. Does God care? YES. Yes, He does.

  For the disciples, the storm ended. Someday your storms will end. Jesus cares.

Roger