When Things Get Tough

Their hearts were hardened. When they had crossed over, they landed at Genesisa and anchored there. As soon as they got out of the boat, people recognized Jesus. People ran throughout the whole region and carried the sick en masse to wherever they heard he was. And wherever he went, into villages, town, towns, or countryside, they placed the sick in the marketplaces. They begged him to let them touch even the edge of his cloak. And all who touched it were healed. Amen. Thank you very much, Pastor Kyle. So I encourage you to keep your Bibles open or your devices open to mark chapter six, verses 45 to 56. And we're going to begin today with a bit of a test. The test of how well you know some simple, common English proverbs, English language proverbs. So what we're going to do here is I'm going to start the proverb and you're going to finish it out. And don't be shy. The other services, I had to get them going to get them to speak a little louder. You'll know the answers. I believe so. So here we go. Let's just try the first one. Many hands make A little louder. Many hands make strike. While the don't judge. A book, an apple a day. My apologies to the doctors who are part of the congregation right now on that one. Out of sight where there's a will. When the going gets tough. When the going gets tough, the tough get going. Interesting proverb. Do you know what it means? It means that when life's difficulties confront you, you are tempted to become very determined and to decide that you are going to meet that difficulty and that challenge in your strength and you are going to conquer it no matter what it takes. Takes. That's how many of us live our lives in the face of challenges and difficulties. But the question is, is that the best way? And I think that Jesus would answer that question, is it the best way With a resounding no. It is not the best way. When the life is difficult, you do not buck up, pull up, pull your bootstraps up and go after it in your own strength, but rather you turn to him and you trust in him. Now, the reason I think that Jesus would answer that way, the reason I believe that Jesus would say no, is because of the story that Pastor Kyle just Read in Mark 6, 45, 56. Like last week's story, which was the feeding of the 5,000, this week's story is just as well loved and just as well known. It's the story of Jesus walking on water and it's an incredible story. It's a story about Jesus miraculous power. It's a story about Jesus miraculous love, his miraculous care. And it's a story that we need to dig a little deeper into so that we can fully understand what it means for us today. So the story opens, verse 45, as the feeding of the five thousand concludes. And you might remember from last week that the feeding of the five thousand concluded as the disciples, the twelve disciples, picked up all the leftovers, twelve basketfuls of bread and fish. And then the word of God says this verse 45. Immediately, Jesus made his disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to Bethsaida. And while he dismissed the crowd. Now this is an interesting opening verse. And what is most interesting about this opening verse is the verb that is used in this verse. Did you notice it immediately? Jesus made. Made. In the Greek language, it is the word compel. So what you have here is the story opens with Jesus saying to his disciples, you, you guys get in the boat. Get in the boat. Now. You have to get in the boat. I am compelling you and insisting, get in the boat. You've got to leave. And that's pretty strong. And you have to ask the question, wow, why was Jesus so intent on sending the disciples away? Well, I want to take you back to mark chapter one, I think it's verse 12, where Jesus had just come up out of the waters of baptism. And the word of God says that the Holy Spirit drove him, compelled him, made him go out into the wilderness. Now you remember that the reason the Holy Spirit made him go out in the wilderness in Mark chapter one was so that his resolve as the Son of God would be tested and the testing would come at the hands of the devil. Three different temptations that the devil threw at Jesus. Three conquering words of scripture that came from the mouth of Jesus, and he indeed was victorious over the devil's temptations. That was a test of Jesus resolve as the Son of God. Many scholars believe that what's happening here is that Jesus is now testing his 12 disciples. That just as he was made to go out into the wilderness, so these disciples are being made to go out onto the sea to test their resolve. Do they really want to follow Jesus? And in following him, do they fully understand who he is? So let's pick up the story if you would look down at the scriptures to verse 47. In verse 46, Jesus goes up to a mountainside and he begins to pray. In verse 47, when evening came the the boat was in the middle of the lake and he was alone on land. He saw the disciples straining at the oars because the wind was against them. About the fourth watch of the night, Jesus went out to them walking on the lake. He was about to pass by them when they saw him walking on the lake and they thought he was a ghost. They cried out because they all saw him and they were terrified. Now again, if you've been with us any length of time, you know that a number of weeks ago, Preaching From Mark, Chapter 4, we encountered another storm story. And in that particular storm story, Jesus and the disciples were in a boat. Jesus was sound asleep in the midst of what the Word of God says was a furious squall. It was a storm of the century kind of storm. It was an amazing storm. The winds were high and intense and the waves were literally threatening to bring that boat down to the bottom of the sea. And the disciples were frantic for their lives. And they're looking around for Jesus and where is he? He's in the stern of the boat, sleeping soundly with his head on a pillow. And they wake him up and say, don't you care that we're about to drown? And the Word of God says that Jesus got up and immediately spoke to the wind and the waves be still. And everything became calm. The same disciples who find themselves on the Sea of Galilee in Mark chapter six are the disciples who were in that first storm in Mark chapter four. Now, granted, the storm in Mark chapter six is nothing close to the storm in Mark chapter four. It was a big storm in Mark chapter six, and it was filled with heavy winds and high waves. There's no doubt about it. In fact, the Word of God says that these disciples were straining at the oars as they were rowing this boat. As we compare the Scriptures to the story in Mark and the story in John, what we know is that the disciples had gotten into the boat somewhere probably around 10 or 11 o' clock at night. And by 3 in the morning they had only been able to row about three or four or three and a half miles. According to the Apostle John, they were straining at the oars. They were trying their best to make it across the Sea of Galilee. But the winds were high and the waves were higher still. And it's interesting to think about this fact that among the disciples in the boat that day who were straining at the oars were a couple professional fishermen. They knew what storms were like on the Sea of Galilee, but they were still struggling against the wind and the waves. It was then According to the Bible, the fourth watch of the night that would be between 3 and 6am that Jesus from his perch of praying on the mountainside sees exactly what is happening on the Sea of Galilee. That in itself is a miracle. No one else would be able to see what Jesus sees. Jesus is able to see far beyond and far more than any one of us. He sees through the storm. He sees through the wind and the waves. He sees the disciples. And so what does he do in seeing them? He goes down the mountain and he walks across the Sea of Galilee to their boat. He walks on top of the water, but not just the water. He walks on top of the waves. Whipped up by the high winds. He strolls through the wind and on top of the waves. He is not like the weathermen on the weather channel who tried to report to us in 90° or 90 mile per hour winds holding onto a street sign and being blown back and forth. He. He's just leisurely walking across this incredible storm on the Sea of Galilee. Now there is no indication that the storm was a source of fear for the disciples. Let me tell you what scared them. It wasn't the storm. It was Jesus. Because when they saw him coming, they said, that's a ghost. They didn't recognize him. That's a ghost. And the Word of God says they were terrified by what they saw. Let's pick up the story and let's see what happens. When evening came, the boat was in the middle of the lake. He was alone on land. He saw the disciples straining at the oar because the wind was against them. About the fourth watch of the night, he went to them walking in the lake. See this? And he was about to pass by them when they saw him walking on the lake. And he was about to pass by them. He was about to pass by them when they saw him walking on the lake. Stop right there. This is one of those phrases in the scripture where you can read it so quickly that you miss the import of it. The critical truth that is contained in those simple words. Why would Jesus be about to pass by his disciples in a boat that is tossed by a storm? Didn't he see them? Now you know that's not true. In fact, the Word of God says they saw him. So you know that he saw them. Is it that he didn't care about them? That he was sick and tired of watching them try to get to the other side by rowing? So he just thought he'd take a walk and get there ahead of them? Now you know that's not true. That's not who he is. He would never do that. So what in the world is happening where Jesus is about to pass by them? It's interesting that in the Scriptures this particular verb is used in two other places in its Hebrew form, and in each of Those places, Exodus 34 and 1st Kings 17:18, the verb to pass by is used of God passing by and revealing himself to his people. In Exodus chapter 34, you might remember the story that Moses wants to see the glory of God. And God says, I'll put you in the cleft of the rock, and when I pass by you, you will experience my glory. That was called an epiphany, a revelation of God to a man of God named Moses. In the book of First Kings, God did the very same thing for the prophet Elijah. He passed by Elijah as an epiphany, a revelation of his Godness, his Godhead, so that Elijah would know that he is not alone, but that God is with them. And here in Mark, chapter six, Jesus is about to pass by the disciples. It is no coincidence that as he does, his intention is go back, if you would, to the testing, to test them, to see if they would see the revelation, the epiphany of who he is. That here is Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Lord of all God in the flesh. Jesus is God. Who else can walk on the water? Who else can command the waves? No one else, save the Creator of the wind and the waves. Colossians chapter one tells us that Jesus Christ is the Creator of all that there is. And as he walked across that lake that day, as he walked across the waves of that sea, as he encountered the winds, and as he was about to pass by, he was revealing himself to his followers, to his disciples. I am Jesus, the Son of God, the Lord of all. I am God in the flesh. But they didn't see that. They didn't see that. They saw a ghost and they were terrified. Read on, if you would. Look, if you would, at verses 49 through 52. Immediately he spoke to them and he said, take courage, it is I. Don't be afraid. And then he climbed into the boat with them and the wind died down. And they were completely amazed, for they had not understood about the loaves. Their hearts were hardened. I want you to notice three things in this simple passage of Scripture. First of all, Jesus spoke to them, terrified, as they were unsure at first that this is nothing but a ghost. He climbs into the boat with them and he speaks to them. Take courage, it is I don't be afraid. You know, it's interesting to read those words because in saying it is I, he's hearkening back to a word, a phrase, a name that God gave to himself. In Exodus, chapter 3, verse 14, when God called Moses to lead the Israelites out of Egypt, Moses was anxious. He was worried. How am I going to do this? God. And what did they say? Who told you to do this? Who made you our leader? And I don't even know what your name is. God. What is your name? And God says, my name is I am. That I am. And it's interesting that many New Testament scholars see in these words of Jesus a declaration that underscores the miracle that Jesus has just performed. I am. I am here. Take courage. Don't fear. I am here. It is Jesus, is God. He speaks to them. And not only does he speak to them, but the storm stops. Fascinating. He steps into the boat, and immediately the wind dies down. You know, in Mark, chapter four, he had to actually talk to the wind. But by now the wind knows what to do still. And now not a word. And the wind dies down. But here's what I want you to see. Here's where we need to hang out for just a couple moments. Jesus speaks. The storm stops. The disciples are utterly confused. They're confused. Look at the Word of God. The Word of God says they were completely amazed, for they had not understood about the loaves. Now, basically, what you have here is a bunch of 12 men who have been walking with Jesus, I grant you, for a short period of time. They have watched him perform many miracles. He has cast out demons. He has healed sick people. They have just come from the feeding of the 5,000 where they were all given pieces of the five loaves and two fish that they themselves found in the crowd working man's lunch, broke it up, put it into baskets. They, the disciples took those 12 baskets. They went around. They literally fed tens of thousands of people from bottomless baskets. They watched the bread never run out. Then they are made to get into a boat, and they get into the boat, and they find themselves on the Sea of Galilee. And here comes Jesus. None of them have ever seen anybody walk on water. How do we know that? Because nobody ever walked on water, on the waves, in the wind. And here is what the Word of God says about their reaction. They were amazed because they had not yet understood about the loaves. What does that mean? It means that they all looked at each other and said, who in the world is this? Who in the world is this? Did you just see what he did? He walked out here in the water. He walked in the wind and waves. And you know about the bread. And we still don't understand that. And now we don't understand this. And who in the world is Jesus? This is one of the most amazing stories of scripture in my mind. Because Jesus doesn't rebuke them. He doesn't correct them. He doesn't say to them, how dumb can you be? That's a Pennsylvania Dutch way of declaring frustration. You don't get any of that here. None of it. What you get is unspoken grace, undeserved favor. They still don't get it. Why? Well, here's what Mark tells us. Because their hearts were hardened. That's what the word of God says. Look, verse 52. Their hearts were hardened. Sometimes we throw that phrase around freely as we talk about people who frustrate us. What does it mean to have a hard heart? In the original language, it means to be doll. Not any reference to the Doll family seated here on the fourth row, a different doll. We'll talk later, Lynn. Doll. It means to be obstinate. It means to be spiritual. It means that you are not the sharpest tool in the spiritual tool shed. And you don't get it. Their hearts were hardened. They didn't get it. They didn't realize that yet that this is Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Lord of all, the creator of the universe, whose power is unending, who has mastery over creation. There is nothing he cannot do because he is perfect in all of his ways. And they were just beginning to learn that truth. Why did they get it? I would have gotten it. I don't think so, because I'm in the same tool shed. I'm not the sharpest tool in the tool shed either. And as much as I want to criticize these men, I have to understand that they had a lot of the world in them. And they were just starting to get rid of that so that they could come to know the Word made flesh in the person of Jesus Christ. And that's how the story ends. That's how it ends. It ends on a note of grace. The second time Jesus delivers the disciples out of a storm, you would think that they would be veterans of his power, but they're not. They are still confused as to who he is. But Jesus doesn't rebuke them. He gives them grace, undeserved favor and love. They may not see Jesus and as the Son of God, but Jesus, the Son of God, sees them. And he cares about them, and not just them, but us too. What truth should we take away from this story? Let me simply put them into three phrases for you. When the going gets tough in life, Jesus sees us. Hear me when I say that Jesus sees us even when we do not see him. He sees us and he is with us. There are times when the difficulties of life are like the waves of the Sea of Galilee. They literally lap over the edges of our lifeboat and they fill our lives with fear and anxiety. And we wonder, where are you? What has happened to you? God? Jesus, I'm looking for you. Where are you? Hear me when I say this. Jesus sees us. He is with us. He. And if we ask him, he will give us eyes to see him too. Last week when you were here, you witnessed the anointing of Pastor Kevin Kummer, our missions pastor, whom we love so dearly as he is entering into chemotherapy treatments for colon cancer. And you witnessed and heard the story about when he was in the hospital and he was being wheeled down by for another test. And he said to the Lord, lord, show me that you're with me. Show me that you're with me. I need to see that you're with me. And he encountered not one, not two, but three different individuals from his own GCC family who cared for him in the Penn State hospital. They were the person of Jesus. For Kevin, in that moment, say, well, they weren't Jesus, they were people. Yes, but you know what we are as the church, we're called the Body of Christ, and we reveal and show to others who Jesus is. 32 years ago, when Jenny's mother died of a stroke suddenly. And I love my mother in law, I had a wonderful, absolutely wonderful mother in law. We had a great relationship. And it was devastating to me. We were up in New Jersey and Jenny asked me if I'd run back to Baltimore for a couple days, gather some things, take care of what I needed to at the chur, and then come back for the funeral. And as I was driving down 95, I was weeping because I love mom so much. And I said to the Lord, I need to see you. I need to know that you are with me. I need you right now. And over the course of the next two days, God orchestrated in such a way that there were people who came into my life that I had never met before, that I had never met before. And they were believers and they brought the love of Jesus Christ to me. I saw Jesus in them. It began with, with the parking lot attendant at Sinai Hospital. And I Pulled up and she said, honey, you don't look so good. I said, thank you very much. It's good to see you, too. How much do I owe you? And she said, can I pray for you? And mustering my best Baltimore ease, I said, hon, you can pray for me. She did. I didn't know her. That's Jesus seeing us. Ask him. When the going gets tough, Jesus sees us. Number two. Jesus is patient with us. He doesn't give up on us. Dull as we might be, obstinate as we can be. Oh, my goodness. I am a Dutchman through and through. Born and bred Pennsylvania Dutchman. You know what that means? I'm stubborn. And even in my stubbornness, when I cannot see Jesus, and when I do not first run to Jesus, he bears with me. He is long suffering. He is patient. And here's the third truth. He cares for us. He cares for us. There's a hymn we sang at the end of the eight o' clock service. No one ever cared for me like Jesus. There is no friend as kind and true as He. You know, as I wrote this sermon, I sat back in my chair and I thought to myself, these 12 disciples who thought he was a ghost, who didn't see him, who didn't know who he was, who were not able to say at that moment, this is Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Lord of all. They were eventually able to say that. And not only could they say that, hear me when I say this, but they knew it. They knew that he cared for them. How do we know that? Because one of them, the most verbose of them all, Peter, who was in the storm in Mark 4 and is in the storm in Mark 6, put pen to parchment. Years later, decades later, and in First Peter, chapter five, he would write these words. I want you to read them with me. Humble yourselves therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. Peter said, you know what? I learned it. I learned it. Oh, man, I learned it. Let me tell you how I learned it. The waves were coming up over the boat. The wind was strong. We had been able to row about three miles in five hours. And I learned it. I didn't know it at the time. I learned it. Jesus cares for us and he cares for you. Joni Eareckson Tada's life was changed forever in 1967 in a diving accident that left her a quadriplegic. But when she came to know and follow Jesus, her life was Changed. She founded a ministry called Joni and Friends that has been a blessing to tens of thousands of people, including our dear Caitlin, who is worshiped here on the third row in front of the Dolls today. Caitlin, you love Joni, I know. Yes, you do, Absolutely. Because she's been a blessing to you in your life. And Joni Eareckson, taught in one of her many books and addressing suffering, simply wrote this. God is never closer than when your heart is aching. It is grounded in the Word of God. Psalm 34, verse 18. The Lord is close to the brokenhearted, and he saves those who are crushed in spirit. When the going gets tough in life, Friends, you have a choice. You can buck it up. You can pull up your bootstraps. You can say, I'm going to go after this and I am going to conquer it. Or if you want to be really strong, you can say, yeah, that's a little bit much for me. I'm going to turn to Jesus and trust in him because he cares for me. Now, here's the deal. I think everybody here can agree with me on this Labor Day weekend that life is not always easy. Everybody agree with that. The sooner you embrace that truth, the better off you're going to be in life. Life is not always easy. You're going to face difficulties. If that's news to you, you never heard that before, see me afterwards. We'll work through it together. But listen, that's the way it is, okay? Number two. Because life is not always easy, it is best to decide right now where you're going to run when life becomes difficult. Just make the decision now. That way, having made the decision, you slip in your back pocket and you'll know exactly what to do when life becomes difficult. And I would say to you that the best decision is you're going to run to Jesus, not to yourself and not to others. Others can be helpful, but let Jesus direct you to them. Start with Jesus. So here's the deal. If the going is tough for you right now in life, Would you turn to Jesus and would you trust Him? Because he sees you, he is patient with you, and he cares for you. And if the going is not tough right now, if your life right now is like the day it is outside, just beautiful, temps are perfect. Everything is wonderful and glorious. Great. Put on your favorite song. Papa Wilbur, Bud. Enjoy the day. Oh, my goodness. But now you know, when the difficulties come, you have a Savior who cares for you. Let's pray. Father, we thank youk for preserving by the power of youf Holy Spirit, this story, the Gospels and Jesus, we thank you for performing the miracles that you have performed and the record of them so that we understand exactly who you are. We praise you today as Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Lord of all. We thank you that in the midst of the storms that we face in life, you are faithful to us. Father, I pray right now for those who are gathered in this sanctuary who are facing storms in life, who are confronting difficulties. Lord, I pray that if they had been doing it on their own strength, they would stop right now and turn to you and trust in you. And for the rest I pray, Father, that you would etch this message and story on their hearts so that when the difficulties come they will know to whom they can turn for you will be faithful. And we pray this in the mighty and strong name of Jesus. Amen. Stand with me as we say.