Mark 6:45-51 Jesus: The Ultimate Source Of PeaceMark 6:45-51 JESUS: THE
ULTIMATE SOURCE OF PEACE
Intro: Ill. The context and the fear of the Disciples. This parallels our lives
at times. Though we may have never been in a ship during a storm on the Sea of
Galilee, we all get into storms from time to time. When we do, we can count on
Jesus to come to our rescue as He did for those 12 men in that boat. When Jesus
arrived at the boat, He addressed three areas of life that were of major concern
for the Disciples. As He did, He was able to replace their fear with His peace.
Let's take a few minutes to dissect these brief, but powerful words from the
lips of Jesus as recorded in verse 50. Because in this short statement we learn
the glorious truth that Jesus is the ultimate source of peace for the believer.
As we prepare to enter this New Year, there are plenty of unknowns ahead for
every one of us. It is good to know that the Lord Jesus already knows about them
all and is able to give us the peace we need and desire during the troublesome
times that are ahead for us all. Notice the three areas which were addressed by
the Lord Jesus that night.
I. HE ADDRESSED THEIR FEAR
( Ill. Afraid of death and the storm!) (When Jesus said, "Be of good cheer", it
was as if He were saying to everyone of us, "Do not fear the storms of life!"
That is a lot easier to say than it is to do, but there are several good reasons
why we should refuse to fear the storms life brings our way.)
A. V. 48; 51 Storms Are Under His Control (Ill. The context. The disciples are
terrified. They are struggling, and they are afraid that they are going to
die. Jesus, however, uses the very thing they fear as a means to come to them.
He demonstrated His control over their situation by walking on the water and
later by calming the storm.) (Ill. We serve a mighty big God! Job describes
His power like this, Job 9:5-13. There are times when life appears out of
control, but let me remind every child of God in this room today that Jesus is
still in control of your life, Ill. Psa. 37:23. He is still walking on the
waves of your stormy life and has the power to calm those waves at His will.
Therefore, He is absolutely worthy of our trust and of our faith. He is in
control!)
B. V. 45 Storms Are Part Of His Plan For Our Lives (Ill. The context. The
disciples were out there in that boat in the middle of that storm simply
because they were in the will of God. They were in the storm because Jesus
sent them there!) (Ill. Look out for these preachers who tell you that it is
never God's will for the child of God to suffer or go through tough times.
They are preaching a lie and are false prophets! The truth is, storms are to
be expected, but not feared. They have been sent to us to help us grow more
into the image of the Lord Jesus - 2 Cor. 4:17.)(There are 2 things to
remember during any stormy time of life: 1. God knows where we are and what we
are facing - Job 23:10 2. God allows what He does for our good and for His
glory - Rom. 8:28)
C. V. 51 Storms Are Always Of Limited Duration (Ill. I am sure the Disciples
thought that they were finished. It probably appeared to them that this storm
wasn't going to end before they themselves has perished in its fury. However,
when Jesus came on the scene, He was able to show them that there is always an
end to the storm.) (Ill. May I remind you that Jesus knows what you are facing
and He knows what you are able to take. He will not allow you to be tested
above your limits of endurance - 1 Cor. 10:13.)
(Ill. Never forget that this storm that you are in today, or the one you may
face tomorrow did not come to stay, but they all just came to pass .)
(Ill. We have addressed some pretty significant reasons for not fearing, it
may do us well to speak for a moment about some of the things we find
ourselves fearing. I suppose that fear takes a different shape for every
person in this room. Some fear old age, others fear disease, some fear dying,
others poverty. Whatever name we attach to it, the fact remains that we are
all afflicted from time to time by fear. In all honesty, we would have to
admit that most of the time our fears do not materialize. We worry over things
that never come to pass in our lives. Ill. Four ministers were driving to a
Bible conference. As they were traveling through central Ohio, their journey
was suddenly interrupted by a loud "bang!" The driver hit the brakes and
struggled to keep the car from swerving toward the shoulder of the road and
possibly down a hill. After he successfully brought the car to a stop, all
four men got out to see which tire had blown. Their concern turned to laughter
when the driver sheepishly pointed to the spare mounted on the rear of the
car. It was the blowout! Their fear resulted from a wrong conclusion. Often,
we draw the wrong conclusions in life and, as a result, we are responsible for
whipping up many of our own storms. Therefore, instead of worrying, we must
learn to trust in the Lord Jesus during the stormy times of our lives.)
II. HE ADDRESSED THEIR FAITH
(Ill. When Jesus came to the disciples walking upon the water, they thought He
was a spirit and cried out in fear. However, when He spoke to them, He addressed
their fears, then He gave them ample reason to believe that help had arrived.
When Jesus got there, He quickly identified Himself unto the disciples. He said,
"It is I" This is an Emphatic Personal Pronoun - A statement of identification.
It is as if Jesus were saying, "Fellows, do not be afraid of what you are
facing, after all, the I AM is here!" Jesus was simply reminding those men of
who He is.)
As I AM He is:
A. All Powerful - Luke 1:37; Job 42:2; Eph. 3:20 (Ill. He has proven His power
time and again since the dawn of time. Just remember His power as it was
revealed in the Creation of the world, Gen. 1-2. Remember His preservation of
Noah, Gen. 6-7. Remember the miracles surrounding the deliverance of Israel
from Egypt, Ex. 3-15. Over and over, God has proven that He has the power to
exceed our wildest imaginations. He hasn't changed! He is still God and He is
still the Almighty! If you have a mountain that needs moving, He is the only
One who is qualified to get the job done. (Ill. The kind of power we are
talking about is illustrated in Isaiah 40:12. This verse reminds us that God
is able to spread His fingers and cover all the stars of Heaven. It could also
mean that He placed them in their orbits with a simple flick of the finger. If
He has that kind of power over the inanimate objects around us, imagine what
kind of power He would unleash on the behalf of His children - Luke 12:32;
Matt. 7:7-11.)(Ill. You can trust Him, He has the power to help!)
B. All Present - His very Name, "I AM" declares Him to be One who is ever
present. Being the "I AM", He is always God, all the time! There has never
been a time when He did not exist, and there will never be a time when He will
not exist. Basically, all times that ever were, or ever will be, are right now
to God. I know we cannot grasp something that profound, but there is a special
promise to all of God's children. While God is existent at all times, past,
present, and future, He is able to be present at all places as well. He has
promised every child of God that He will be with them at all times, in all
places, through all the difficulties of their lives - Matt. 28:20; Heb. 13:5.
When the Lord says that He will not forsake us, the term literally means that
He won't run out on us when the chips are down. God is not a fair weather
friend, He is an all-weather friend. (Ill. You can trust Him, He is present to
help -)
Psa. 46:1, "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble."
Psa. 145:18, "The LORD is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that
call upon him in truth.")
C. All Perceiving - By virtue of the fact that Jesus is God, He is One who
knows all things. Nothing escapes His gaze as He ponders the ways of men -
Pro. 15:3, "The eyes of the LORD are in every place, beholding the evil and
the good."; Heb. 4:13, "Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in
his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom
we have to do." When Job considered the knowledge of God he said, "He knoweth
the way that I take and when I am tried, I shall come forth as gold." Job
23:10. What this means for the child of God is simply this: God is worthy of
our trust because he knows exactly what we are facing second by second as we
journey through life. He hasn't missed a thing that has happened to you. He
knows and He understands, and He is able to help you in your time of need. You
can trust Him, He sees your steps.)
(Ill. Ralph Abuhl had the thrilling experience of going on a short cruise on
the aircraft carrier U.S.S. Kennedy. He saw jet fighters take off, land, and
demonstrate bombing maneuvers. He was told about a practice that is followed
on all U.S. aircraft carriers. Whenenver the planes are taking off or
landing--a dangerous operation on a carrier--the captain watches from the
bridge. Even if the planes are flying around the clock, he stays on the
bridge, catnapping between runs if necessary. Therefore, each time a pilot
takes off in his highspeed aircraft or lands on the deck of that "floating
airfield," he knows that his captain is watching.
Herein is a parallel to God's watch-care over us. Wherever we are, whatever
bold endeavor we are involved in for Him, or whatever battle we may be
fighting with our spiritual enemy, we have the confidence that the Lord of
hosts is with us.)
(Ill. He is the great "I AM" His Name(s) declare His character! List some and
their various meanings to the children of God.
He is:
1. Jehovah-Jireh - The Lord Is There
2. Jehovah-Rohi - The Lord Our Shepherd
3. Jehovah-Shalom - The Lord Our Peace
4. Jehovah-Rophi - The Lord Our Healer
5. Jehovah-Tsidkenu - The Lord Our Righteousness
6. Jehovah-Shammah - The Lord Is There
7. Jehovah-Nissi - The Lord Our Banner
8. Jehovah-M'kaddesh - The Lord Our Sanctifier
9. Jehovah-Heleyon - The Lord Most High
10. Elshaddai; Adonai; Alpha and Omega; He is what He needs to be all the
time! The list could go on, but suffice it to say that God is all you will
ever need Him to be regardless of where you find yourself, or what may come
your way. Simply rest in the fact that He is "I AM!"



(Ill. The "I AM" statements of Jesus:
1. I Am the Bread of Life - John 6:35
2. I Am the Light of the World - John 8:12
3. I Am the Door - John 10:9
4. I Am the Good Shepherd - John 10:11
5. I Am the Resurrection and the Life - John 11:25
6. I Am the Way, the Truth and the Life - John 14:6
7. I Am the True Vine - John 15:1
Suffice it to say, that He is!)
III. HE ADDRESSED THEIR FUTURE (When Jesus came to the disciples that night,
they were certain that their lives were over. They were preparing to die. Yet,
when Jesus came, He let them know that He had a plan for their future. You see,
in verse 45, he had told them to get on the ship and go to the other side. He
knew where they were, was responsible for where they were and had a plane for
them when they reached the other side! Compel - To force or push into!) (When HE
spoke to them, His words were words of comfort and of hope. He spoke peace to
their present and in doing so, let them know that they had a future ahead of
them. Ill. "Be not afraid" - Present Active Imperative Literally - "Stop fearing
now and never fear anything else ever again!")
(Ill. From a human perspective, the future looks bleak and there may not seem
like there is a lot of hope. I mean, our President has been impeached, and we
don't know how that is going to play out. In 12 months, we will enter a new
millennium and there is considerable uncertainty as to what will happen then.
Our society is, to a large degree, controlled by computers. When the year 2,000
rolls around, we are going to have to face the reality of the Y2K problem. Some
predict it will be a minor annoyance, others say that it will spell the end of
civilization as we know it. In our personal lives, there are many unknowns. Will
we escape disease? Will families survive the pressures of life? Will those we
love be all right? Will we have enough resources for the future? These are
questions that only God can answer. However, we must leave the future in His
capable hands and give ourselves over into the arms of absolute faith. As we
face our futures, there are three truths that give us hope.)
A. He Is Ever Trustworthy - Regardless of where the road of life leads us, we
can be absolutely certain that God will never cause us to face anything that
is bad for us. He knows how to take care of His children and how to see them
through - Rom. 8:28; 2 Cor. 4:17. Therefore, no matter what you may be called
upon to face as a Christian, remember that He has plotted your course, planned
your future and promised to get you home. He can be trusted.
B. He Is Ever Available - The disciples learned a valuable lesson that night
in the sea of Galilee. That lesson is this: Never count God out! You may think
He isn't around and that He doesn't care. In truth, He will never leave you
and He will ever be at your side. He is always available for you. No matter
what you face in life, no matter where you journey, God is always there and He
is always seeking you best interests. He is always available when you call on
His Name. Isa. 58:9, "Then shalt thou call, and the LORD shall answer; thou
shalt cry, and he shall say, Here I am. If thou take away from the midst of
thee the yoke, the putting forth of the finger, and speaking vanity;" There
may be few things you can truly count on in life, but Jesus is One you can
always depend on. He is always available to His children.
C. He Is Ever Enough - As has already been said, there may be situation arise
that we have no control over. There may be rough times ahead for the church
and for God's people. There may be economic crisis and political upheaval, but
through it all know that God is enough! He is all we will ever need to meet
the needs of life that may arise. Notice Isa. 45:22, "Look unto me, and be ye
saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else." God
and God alone is our hope and our help as we journey through life. He is
all-powerful, all-present and all-perceiving. If He isn't enough, then we have
no hope at all. But, I challenge you this morning to put Him to the test and
see for yourself that Jesus is enough!
He is Enough:
1. Spiritually - Heb. 7:25; Acts 4:12
2. Financially - Mal. 3:8-10; Phil. 4:19
3. Physically - Matt. 6:33
4. Emotionally - Isa. 26:3; 2 Tim. 1:7
5. Eternally - Rev. 21:1-7 (Ill. When we arrive in Heaven, the first One we
will se is the One on the throne. When we see Him, we will know that He is
Jesus and that He is enough forever!)
Conc: Before Jesus came into the world, the Prophet Isaiah said that His Name
would be called, "Wonderful, Counselor, the Mighty God, the Prince of Peace."
Isa. 9:6. When the storms of life are raging, always remember that Jesus is
there for you. He longs to comfort your heart and replace your fears with His
perfect peace - Phil. 4:6-7; John 14:27. To do this, you must first be willing
to cast you cares onto Him and to come to Him by faith, 1 Pet. 5:7; Matt. 11:28.
As your life unfolds, do not make Jesus your last resort, rather make Him your
first resort. Turn to Him quickly and fully and He will bless you abundantly.
Now, it may be that there are those present who have never trusted Jesus for
salvation and all that I have said to you today sounds good, but you are aware
that these are promises made to others and not to you. Well, dear lost friend,
Jesus has a promise for you as well. His promise is this, Acts 16:31, "Believe
on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house." His promise
is that you can be forever saved by His grace if you will come to Him and
receive Him as your Lord and Savior. It is a simple thing to do, but you must be
willing to some. If you will, He will save you today.
What is your need? Bring it to Jesus and discover first hand that He truly is
Enough!