Kingdom Miracles Pt1 - Power Over Natural Realm

At 630 on Saturday and this month is going to be followed by our breakfast. It's going to be prepared. Brother Gary and sister Cindy are going to be preparing breakfast for us. And we do have a plan that if we have enough men we may break into smaller groups.

Last month we had a smaller group and everyone got to speak and we we decided that the first month because there were so many and only a few got to speak we're gonna break that up and so we're looking forward to how that's going to work.

We're hoping we're hoping many of you men will plan to be here with us. I know 630 on a Saturday is tough but I like the fact that we get home right around the time our families are kinda getting you know going and we're we don't miss any time.

Yeah well I am NOT. Normally I'm a late I'm a night owl but I have I disciplined myself during this one month once a month ordeal. Well tonight we're going to continue our study of the Gospel of Mark and we're going to focus on the subject what I have entitled kingdom miracles.

Kingdom Miracles and the King’s Power

Kingdom miracles. Now the reason why I've entitled this kingdom miracles is because we just finished a section that we called kingdom parables and what we find is rather interesting. There were for parables in a row so call these the kingdom.

There were four parables. Now I'm not I'm not making a connection one-to-one so don't think I'm gonna try to chart it out that way but I do want us to think through just for a moment that we first had the parable of the soils.

After that we had the parable of the light not being hidden under a basket so the parable of light. And then we had the parable of the seed growing into the we said the seed goes to the ground and it grows in the farmer while the farmers asleep talking about the sovereignty of God and the kingdom.

And then we have parable of the mustard seed which of course similar to this one but a little different because it focused on the expansion in this in the in the size and scope of the kingdom in the birds coming in making their nests and its branches.

So when we when we consider all these together Christ is telling us something about the kingdom and all of these parables. Well now we're going to at the end of chapter 4 begin to see the king in action.

We've seen the kingdom explained and now Christ is going to show himself in four very specific ways that he is in fact the king of this kingdom. We're going to see him tonight we're gonna talk mostly about the first one which is the calming of the storm.

So this is showing his power over nature. Christ's power over nature. He is the king of the natural or the physical realm. Then beginning in chapter 5 we're going to see him interact with in one of the most explosive and interesting demon exorcisms in scripture.

We're going to see him interact with the demoniac of the garrison. So we're going to see that moment. So we're going to see him show with the demoniac. He will show his power over the spiritual realm.

So if we if we wanted to put this into categories we could say this is his power over the natural realm. And then we see his power over the spiritual realm. But then we come to two more miracles that come to us in chapter 5.

The first is his interaction with gyrus. Gyrus was the man whose daughter was sick and came to Jesus for him to heal her. And then through the narrative we find out that the daughter has actually died and Jesus goes and raises her from the dead.

So we see Jesus's power there. But in the midst of that there is another story that happens and that is the woman with the issue of blood. So we'll just call her. We'll just say the woman with blood. And what we see here is not only does Christ demonstrate his power.

Over the.

Natural realm not only does he demonstrate his power over the spiritual realm but he also demonstrates his power over disease and death. His power over disease and death. So again we have talked about the kingdom.

We've seen the kingdom described in four parables. Now we will see the king demonstrating his power in four different situations. So it was my original intention. I said you know what we just gonna read all of those but as I was looking at it right before service tonight I thought that's a lot of reading in one night.

But I want to encourage you if you would in the weeks ahead to be reading ahead in Mark and to read through all of these miracles understanding that that Mark is putting them in the order that he is putting them in for a reason.

And one might say well the reason is because this is the order in which they happen. Well yes but what we learn if we if we look at the different gospels is they're they're not always in the same order.

Matthew has a little different order with these miracles. There are two more that are included in between what's happening in Mark and in Luke. And so something that I do think is important for us to consider is that sometimes in the gospels the gospel writers are not as concerned with chronology as they are with theology.

They're not as concerned with giving us the exact this happened after this or this happened after that as much as they are showing us something in what they're teaching us. They're giving us a theology of who Christ is by telling us what he has done.

I mean I think that's obvious when we look at the story of or the gospel of John. John is a completely different narrative track. It takes a whole different line same stories at times but in a much different way because the that what we have in the gospels is not just narrative history its theological history.

And that is important for us because again there are people who try to attack the Bible for not being accurate in regard to things like historical narratives and in time. But we have to understand what they're attempting to do by the way just just so you understand.

I will I will go ahead and mention this. The two that are mentioned in Matthew are between the stories that I just mentioned here have already come up in Mark because this Jesus forgiving the man's sins who was the paralytic that comes into Matthew story in chapter 9.

But in Mark's gospel that's in chapter 2 and the story of Jesus healing on the Sabbath and giving them their their rebuke over their traditions that happens in Matthew 9 but happens in Mark chapter 2 and Luke chapter 5.

So these stories are all the same stories but they're not in the same chronological order. Mark follows as I said the four kingdom parables with four kingdom miracles. I want to read a quote from the believers Bible commentary.

I'm sorry. No the Bible knowledge commentary this is one that I've recently began reading more night. I tend to like some what it says and says this Mark's selection of parables is followed by a series of miracles indicating that what Jesus did authenticated what he said both relate to the presence of God's sovereign rule in Jesus.

I just really like that phrase. He said it that Christ's works authenticate Christ's words and it's all showing his sovereignty. The kingdom is expressed in the parables and the king is expressed in his power.

He is power has power over the natural yes power over the spiritual. He has power even over our greatest enemies of disease and death. So with that as an introduction let's read the remainder of Mark chapter 4.

And this is only only a few verses here beginning at verse 35. On that day when evening had come he said to them let us go across to the other side and leaving the crowd they took him with them in the boat just as he was and the other boats were with him.

And a great windstorm arose and the waves were breaking into the boat so that the boat was already filling. But he 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.

And he awoke and rebuked the wind and the sea excuse me rebuked the wind and said to the sea peace be still. And the wind ceased. And there was a great calm. He said to them why are you so afraid. Have you still no faith.

And they were filled with great fear and said to one another who then is this. That even the wind and the sea obey him. Let's pray just another moment father as I seek to give an understanding of this text tonight to speak about such a wondrous truth as the sovereignty of Christ.

I pray Lord that you would keep me from error. I pray that you would anoint your word to be proclaimed heard and received. And that the spirit would ultimately be the teacher that I would decrease and Christ would increase is our prayer in Jesus name.

Amen. So again one of the things that often happens when we read these narrative stories about Jesus is we want to run right to the immediate application to ourselves. And I can't tell you how many times I've heard this story preached where the focus up the sermon was in life's storms Christ is in control now.

That's true. But if we run right to that application and we make that the point of the story we are really missing a lot of what is here because one other things we have to remember is that the Bible while it is written to us is not about us it's about Christ.

And while we can make application to ourselves we shouldn't make that our primary goal all the time is to run right to that. If you've ever taken our hermeneutics class you'll remember I talk about observation interpretation.

Then application and application is is done after you've observed and interpreted the passage for what it.

Means.

And then you begin to apply. And even in this as much as it is true that Christ is with us in the storms of life and Christ is sovereign over our storms even though those things are true those are not really the focus of the text.

The text is teaching us something about Jesus and about the Apostles themselves. So let's begin again at verse 35 and just address what the text says. Begins in 35 and it says. On that day when evening had come he said to them let us go across to the other side.

Now this is referring to the Sea of Galilee and which is really actually not really a sea. By definition it's a lake how we would define the term but it is a very large lake and so it was called the Sea of Galilee.

And this is likely the same situation if you remember if you go back to the.

Beginning.

Of chapter 4. You'll remember at the beginning of chapter 4 it says. And he began to teach beside the sea and a very large crowd gathered about him and he got into a boat and sat on the sea and the whole crowd was beside the sea on the land.

Remember we said Jesus got in the boat to sort of separate himself and the boat sort of became like a pulpit for him pushed away a little bit to give him the opportunity to speak without being huddled around by the crowd so that he is able to speak to the crowds.

And so this is the same scenario here same situation. He is on the Sea of Galilee. And he said to them let us go across to the other side. Now what we're gonna find.

Out.

Next week is when they go across to the other side they have a divine appointment waiting them. They're going to come to a demoniac. And as I said that story is so interesting all by itself. Look forward to studying that next time.

But that that is certainly the reason for this crossing even though one might say it wasn't the reason in the sense. Jesus didn't say hey let's go meet a demoniac. But Jesus knows what he's doing and the purpose for which he does.

Things like for instance in John chapter 4 when he says I must needs go through Samaria. Why. Because he knew that there was a woman there who needed to hear the gospel at the well and so Christ has a purpose for what he's doing.

He has a intention. And this act even though we could say that perhaps the disciples and no one else really understood what they were doing. But they Jesus said get in the boat let's go. They get in the boat and they go verse 36.

And leaving the crowd which is something a modern preacher would never do and leaving the crowd they took him with them in the boat just as he was and other boats were with him. Now that's an interesting parallel to the story because it tells us something here.

It says the other boats with him. I don't believe the other gospel writers mention that we may read those if time allows. You may read the parallel accounts but I don't think the other gospel writers if I can remember correctly actually mention these other boats and and and Mark doesn't say a lot about them either.

And so are these boats just the other disciples coming along. Or all the disciples with Jesus. And these are some of the other followers of Christ getting in their boats. Are these some of Jesus's close followers or these people who just want to stay with him and go with him.

It doesn't say. But one commentator did make a interesting point. He said that what we have here in this small remark is we have what sounds like someone retelling a story that happened to them. Because they're giving us little details of things that you only get from eyewitness accounts.

And if you remember when we began studying the gospel of.

Mark.

Mark is getting his information from whom Peter Mark and this is a well-documented historical fact that that Mark is is is drawing from Peter's memories and Peter certainly would have remembered this event firsthand.

And so some of these little details that we get are indicative of someone who's sharing a first-hand account. And so he says that they got in the boat and there were other boats as well. Verse 37. And a great windstorm arose.

Now that's the first time a very important word is used so I wanna stop for a minute and talk about this word. The word is mega or mega. Now it's not mega for all you excited red hat folks it's not that mega in the Greek is the same as it is in English.

And it it's the idea of large or big. When we say we want a megaphone that means something that's going to express our voice loudly. It's gonna make it bigger. If we say we want the mega sized drink when we go to the movie theater that means the one that won't fit in the cup holder you know.

So mega means big. And again we use that talk about our bombs. Are megaton bombs right. And all these things are it's a prefix that relates to the idea of something being large. Well the reason why I'm.

Making.

That a point is because what we actually see here is we actually see this word three times. The word mega in in different forms but the the root of this Greek form comes up three times. There is a mega windstorm which we will see in a few moments is followed by a mega calm which is then followed by a mega fear.

And that's the outline for tonight there is a great storm there is a great calm and it is followed by a great fear. Yes sir you have a question I'll answer. There is a megachurch. That huh. He is listening.

That's right. A megachurch is a church. That's too big. I mean it's big. Good point. JJ. That's right. That was good. So we see this term. And and the term here he says. It says there was a a great windstorm or a mega windstorm and the waves were breaking into the boat so that the boat was already filling.

Now I wanna talk about two things before we before we go further on top two illustrations here the first one is is simply to understand how this particular event occurs. This is actually something that is according to people who have studied this.

I've never been there. I've never been on the Sea of Galilee. I've never visited Israel. I've never been that far from the house. But for those who have been there and have studied the geographical and top topographical region they talk about how precarious the Sea of Galilee is because of the topography of the Sea of Galilee.

The Sea of Galilee is the lowest freshwater lake as far as sea level. It is the lowest freshwater lake in the whole world.

It from from from the.

The sea level it dropped 700 feet below sea level so it's like and it's it's that that that's an average. I think it's like it's actually like 698 or something but it but it's right around 700 feet of drop and then outside of that you have the mountains which protrude high so you have all this cold and heat when they meet and they move down through the mountain and down into this into this bowl essentially creating what we might refer to as something like a tempest in a teapot so you can be on the Sea of Galilee and everything be absolutely fine and the water be like glass and without any warning in a moment's notice these winds can come down and can like a hurricane come out of nowhere.

In fact that is what is being described here by this idea of a great or a mega windstorm that that would be what we would describe as like a hurricane force wind and that leads me to my second illustration.

I've never been to the Sea of Galilee when one of these things happened but I have been on Heckscher Drive during a hurricane with my father driving his truck and his head dropped as soon as I said it because he knew what I was going to talk about.

A few years ago there was a major hurricane that was right off the coast of Florida this happens to us often so I don't remember what the name of it was but it was maybe with Matthew or one of those and it was creating terrible wind out by the beach and my father said you want to go see it?

You want to go see it?

So I said like you know sure so we get into his truck and as we are driving from we go out to Amelia we catch Heckscher Drive and we're gonna come back Heckscher Drive up here to right where it meets 295 and go back home.

Well right around Little Talbot Island if you're familiar Little Talbot Island there's places where the water comes up with only a few hundred feet from the road it's not that far off the road. Well right as we're going down that section of Heckscher Drive the water and the road are not perceptible anymore as to which is which.

So we're driving his big Dodge pickup and we see essentially a lake. The water has come up over the road and you could just barely make out the outline of the road for the water coming over it and I thought I was about to die.

I thought and here's what I've always been very confident in my father especially as a kid my dad was a wonderful driver and he was able to do things that I was never afraid when he was driving I wasn't afraid.

That day though he said and I don't know if I'm quoting you correctly but I think you said something like this was a bad idea and when the man you have confidence in says this was a bad idea then your stomach falls into your loafers because at this point I'm like yeah we're about to die.

Well by God's grace we're still here but that's as close as I can get to what I think these men may have been feeling as they were on a very slick water glassy water and the wind comes out of nowhere begins to kick up waves many feet high they begin to go over the bow of the little boat that they're on and this when I say little is probably more than 20 foot but still a small boat in comparison to a giant wave and they are afraid for their life so I get that verse 38 says but he speaking of Jesus was in the stern asleep on the cushion now this just boggles the mind because I can't imagine sleeping through a hurricane that's going on in my face but Jesus is asleep and in the stern forgive me sailor but I'll ask you the stern is the back right okay.

Andy.

Andy is the stern the back. Okay. Yeah. The bow is the front the stern is the back. But you're a sailor. You're an eye doctor. For for the Navy. Yeah. But he's in the back of the boat. Essentially he's got his head on a pillow.

Interesting the word pillow here the Greek has the has the root word of kephalé which is the word for head. So literally it's the head cushion. He's got his head on the head cushion he's out. Jesus is resting while the rest are afraid for their lives.

And they woke him and said to him. And I keep going slow because it's just profound to me this one the most profound questions. They said teacher do you not care that we are perishing now for a moment just think about the implications of that question.

They're asking Jesus. They didn't say get up and help us row Jesus get up and help us re-rig the sail or whatever they said Jesus do you not care now. As I said earlier I do. I do think we have to be careful driving right into application territory.

But we can all relate to this. I think in one sense when we are going through times of struggle where we wonder at times does the Almighty really care about our distress. And maybe maybe you don't. Maybe you are more sanctified than I am.

But there are times when we are in great distress and you know we see this even in the psalmist Lord how long will you hold judgment or withhold righteousness or whatever you're the psalmist is asking this question how long.

And so we see here a natural question but a very but a very in one sense a very accusatory question. Don't you care that we are perishing now before we get to verse 39 I want us to consider something in Mark's gospel there are a total of 22 miracles.

If you go through and and and look at the miracles. In fact I have them right here. There are 11 healings six wondrous miracles. Which this is one of these four exorcisms and one raising from the dead.

So in Mark's gospel there's 22 miracles. In Mark's gospel they have not yet seen Jesus do anything like he's about to do now. They've seen him do some miraculous stuff. They've seen him cast out demons.

They've seen him heal the sick. They've seen him rebuke the Pharisees which that's a miracle in and of itself. But they have not seen him take the power of nature in his hand the way he's about to. And that's why I wanna point this out before we even read it.

When they're saying don't you care. I don't think in their minds. They think this is what he's gonna.

Do.

Now I'm not saying that they don't think he can but I don't know that. It's even entered into their mind that this was what was about to happen. But they still know that Christ is well we could say the Son of God we could say divine.

We're not certain at this point exactly how they understood him to be but they knew enough to go to him in their time of distress. And master. Do you not know that we are perishing. We're about to die.

What can be done. So verse 39. And he awoke and rebuked the wind. You would think that the next word would be them. Now he does rebuke them in verse 40 but he doesn't rebuke them first. First he rebukes the wind and he said to the sea peace be still.

And the wind ceased. And there was a second time the word is used great calm. So we have a great windstorm. And now we have a great calm. And just for a moment again imagine you're in the middle of a storm which seems to have arisen out of nowhere.

The sea itself is boiling like a tempest and you feel like you're about to be drug down into the death of drowning. And it stops. Jesus stands up rebukes it and says peace be still. And everything goes to glass.

The sea is flat. Now many people have tried to give human answers to the miracles of Jesus and some have said well Jesus just happened to say it and it just happened to stop at that time. But that is not what is being.

They're not seeing a storm die down. They're seeing a storm stop. They're seeing the storm immediately become a great calm faster than it became a great windstorm it became a great calm. And then he focuses his attention on them and he says why are you so afraid.

Have you still no faith now. That's something that Jesus often addresses with them. He has shown himself to them. He has he has made himself known to them. He has spoken to them in ways that he has not spoken anyone else.

He has made his power known to them in private and in public. And yet they still have a weak faith. And in verse 41 it says. And they were filled with great fear. And that's the third time we see this word.

So it went from a great windstorm to a great calm and now a great fear. And they said to one another who then is this that even the wind and the sea obey him again as I said earlier what they understand about Jesus is still in its infancy.

They are still coming to terms with who he is. And they're asking themselves the question who is this man. As I said earlier Mark's gospel has 22 miracles and this is the first miracle that is of this form a miracle where he takes nature itself and calls it to his sovereign command.

But I want to show you very quickly one other place where this also happens. And I want us to compare the situation that happens there. Turn over to Luke chapter 5 and go to verse 1. In Luke chapter 5 it says.

On one occasion while the crowd was pressing in on him to hear the Word of God he was standing by the lake of Gennesaret and he saw two boats by the lake but the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets getting into one of the boats while which was Simon's he asked him to put out a little from the land and he sat down and taught the people from the boat.

Similar situation to Mark 4 though this is a different event. The similar situation he asked him to. He sits in the boat and teaches where people can hear him. Verse 4. And when he had finished speaking he said to Simon put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.

And Simon answered master we toiled all night and took nothing but at your word I will let down the nets. Now just for a minute. Keep in mind. Simon was a professional fisherman. Jesus was raised by a carpenter.

But Jesus is telling Simon how to fish. So his answer is a little bit. He's like we did this all night. There's no fish but you're the master. I'm the student. I'll do what you say. And when they had done this verse 6 they enclosed a large number of fish in their nets were breaking.

They signal to their partners in the other boat to come and help them and they came and filled both of the boats so that they began to sink. But when Simon Peter saw it he fell down at Jesus's knees saying depart from me for I am a sinful man oh Lord for he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch a fish that they had taken.

Now we've read that story. Different situation. This is actually early or in the ministry this is when Jesus has is calling Peter to ministry. What is the parallel between the two stories. I'm not trying to be confusing so I hope I'm making sense.

What do we think. The parallel is between the two stories. Power over nature. That's one. But I'm thinking of something else. But that is.

True.

And that does go together with what I'm going to say. But so Christ's power over the natural realm is shown in the first story we read by his power over the wind and in this story by his power over the fish.

I mean he summoned the fish he brought the fish into the nets. He did this powerful thing. What's what's. The other realized who he is. And what was their response. Fear that's the word I'm looking for.

The response in both cases to Jesus demonstrating his power over the natural realm was absolute fear. When Peter goes out with Jesus and Jesus says cast your nets over the side he cast his nets over the side pulls in more fish than he's ever seen.

Had to get somebody another boat to come. Help. What does he do to Jesus. I like R .C. Sproul. He said. Did he.

Say to Jesus.

I'm a good businessman. We can go into business together and we could start a fishing company. You only have to come down once a month and do this and we'll we'll corner the market on fishing. No. What is Peter's response.

Depart from me for I'm a sinful man now. Would you brother. Mike were you saying Isaiah 6. That's right that's right. It's this moment of realization. No mere man could do what you just did. And no prophet of God has ever done anything like what you just did.

You commanded the fish to get in the net and you only had to do it by the power of your word. And instead of being excited to be in the presence of God he was afraid to be in the presence of God. This is why I always always always have a little hesitation when when I hear people say well I was in the presence of Jesus and they don't say and I was terrified.

They always say I'm in the presence of Jesus and I was happy or I was joyful. Like the guy here in Jacksonville one pastor many years ago came out on Easter and he said I spent time with Jesus. Jesus came and sat on my porch and we.

Talked.

And my my answer was did you fall onto your face prostrate before the Lord. Did you say like Isaiah said woe is me. For I'm a man of unclean lips. And I live among the people of unclean lips. No then you probably weren't in the presence of Jesus.

When these men were faced with the power of Christ in the divinity of Christ in the sovereignty of Christ. They were terrified. Now we go back to mark. That was the story in Luke. Go back to mark. They are greatly afraid if you've never read the holiness of God.

I wanna commend it to all of your reading. The holiness of God by R .C. Sproul is his greatest work by I think by a mile because it expressed the true desire of his heart as a teacher. Because that was the thing that drove.

If you ask R .C. what's the one thing that drives you the holiness of God. Even more so than sovereignty or or election or predestination all those things that we believe. No it's God's holiness. But what does holiness mean.

Holiness refers to that which makes God unique that there is none like him. To be holy means to be set apart to be different. Or as as Dr. Sproul says in the book to be other there is none other like him.

And there's a there's a phobia that is very common to man. He talks about this in the book. There's a phobia that's common to man. Like we know like arachnophobia is a fear of spiders. You know I'm I'm acrophobic.

I'm very afraid of heights. I do not like to be high up. But the fear that many people have is called xenophobia. Xenophobia is the fear of strangers the fear of outsiders the fear of people who are different.

And when the apostles are confronted with who Christ is they are overwhelmed with this sense of the other. They're overwhelmed with the sense who am I on this boat with. They were more afraid of the one in the boat.

Then they were the waves outside the boat because they looked at him and said who is this man. That even the wind and the sea obey him. And that's why I think this needs to be understood in its context.

Is there an application to be made about Christ being with us in our trials. Absolutely. But the the first and foremost thing that we see here is the disciples. When they recognize who Christ is they are overcome with fear that they are in the presence of God.

Do we have that same reverence for the presence of God. One of the things that Charles Spurgeon said he said when he used when he would when he would ascend the pulpit at the Metropolitan Tabernacle. When he would ascend to go preach he said with every step he would pray.

I need the Holy Spirit. I need the Holy Spirit. I need the Holy Spirit as he would ascend the steps to preach. Because he said it was a fearful thing to stand in God's pulpit and to preach God's word to God's people.

Because think of think of what the man of God is doing. The man of God who preaches the word of God to the people of God is standing there in a place where James 3 .1 says you will be judged with greater strictness that not everyone should do this.

Spurgeon understood this is a fearful thing. I genuinely think that we enter into the presence of Christ way too nonchalantly in our modern day. I think that oftentimes when we come to worship we forget the weight of what we're doing and whose presence we are entering into.

This is God. The God of the universe is in the boat with these men. And they recognize it. Do we recognize that the God of the universe lives in us when we come to worship. That we are experiencing his presence in a a way that is uniquely set aside on the Lord's Day to be together with his people.

Do we come with that same reverence. The great thing is we don't have to live in the type of fear that causes us to run away. We don't have to live with the type of fear that causes us. These guys didn't jump out the boat and start swimming away.

They were able to stay in his presence. But they kept that reverence. So that's what I think we should draw from this text before we draw anything else. And that is how we understand the presence Christ.