The Unshakable Faith
Grandparent’s Sunday 2020
THE UNSHAKABLE FAITH
Mark 4:35-41 (ESV)
35 On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, “Let us go across to the other side.” 36 And leaving the crowd, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. And other boats were with him. 37 And a great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was already filling. 38 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?” 39 And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. 40 He said to them, “Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?” 41 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?”
As I begin my sermon this morning, I wanted to greet all our grandparents – Happy Grandparents Day! I know this year 2020 has been especially hard for many of our grandparents because they are the demographic in our society, which is most vulnerable to this Covid-19 Pandemic. And so, for the most part of the past five to six months, many of them have been stuck at home. I hope today many of you will get to celebrate with your grandchildren during this special day!
This morning, during these very challenging times, I have decided to speak about THE UNSHAKABLE FAITH. I really believe with all my heart that if there was anything that can keep all of our grandparents and us confident and courageous in life today, it would be our faith in God. I remember reading an interview that Dale Carnegie did with the late Henry Ford when he was seventy-eight years of age. According to Mr. Carnegie, before going to see Mr. Ford, he was expecting to find a skinny, nervous older man. However, during the actual interview, when he asked him whether he was worried, Mr. Ford replied, "No. I believe God is managing affairs and He doesn't need any advice from me. With God in charge, I believe that everything will work out for the best in the end. So what is there to worry about?"
Without a doubt, this kind of faith is what we should have as believers. This is the kind of faith, which is never based on life’s circumstances, whether bad or good, or whether unpleasant or pleasant. Rather, it is a faith that is totally based on our knowledge of God. I hope and pray that this confidence in God is the faith we can all grow into. And for our grandparents, this would be the kind of faith that you will be able to pass to your sons and daughters and their children continually.
I believe we can all learn a lot about this faith when we study together a familiar story recorded in the three Gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke). But for our sermon today, we will focus on Mark 4:35-41. What really made this story stand out for the study of faith is the way the disciples of Jesus responded during a storm in the Sea of Galilee. Remember, the majority of these men were fishermen who spent countless hours fishing. For sure, experiencing storms in the Sea of Galilee was not something new. For those of us who have gone to Israel in one of the tours, we have learned that the sea was surrounded by so many hills. So when strong winds passed through in-between those hills, they were like passing through wind tunnels. And once they reached the sea, they formed like a whirlwind and can be locked in for hours. Yet, when they encountered this storm, they panicked and forgot all their knowledge and experiences in the sea.
How many of us are like these disciples? We have been believers for many years; we have gained much knowledge and rich experiences with God through the years. But there are times we don’t possess the unshakable faith that can instill some stability in life. I pray that our sermon can help us understand what it means to have an unshakable faith. Allow me to share some directives we would need to achieve an unshakable faith:
I BE ACQUAINTED WITH GOD’S ASSESSMENT TESTS (vv. 35-36)
When we talk about faith, one of the critical aspects of it is its object. How big is God to you? Obviously, if you don’t see Him as almighty and powerful, then, you won’t expect Him to accomplish anything extraordinary. But if you know Him as all-powerful and trustworthy, then, you see Him as someone who can do all things. The question is: Do you know Him enough that you will trust Him?
As you begin to read our text, verse 35 plainly stated to us that it was Jesus Himself, who invited them to cross the Sea of Galilee in order to go to the other side. Jesus said, “Let us go across to the other side.” Now, did Jesus know beforehand that in their boat ride to cross the sea that they will meet a heavy storm? Of course, during that time, they did not have the benefit of weather forecasts, just like what we have today. But Jesus, who knew everything, would have absolutely known, right? Yes, but the disciples needed this storm to see how much they know Jesus Christ.
All throughout the Bible, God is often presented as someone who tests our faith. I’m sure we are most familiar with the passage in the book of James: James 1:2-4 (ESV) 2 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, 3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. 4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
In here, James clearly referred to it as “the testing of our faith.” These verses help us understand that we should welcome these testing because God has definite purposes for them. They help produce in us the steadfastness and perfection or completeness. By the way, perfection in this passage doesn’t mean sinless perfection. Rather, this speaks of Christian maturity.
In the book of Psalms, the “Testing of Faith” is often carried out by the Lord for the purification of life. Here are some verses:
Psalm 66:10 (ESV) 10 For you, O God, have tested us; you have tried us as silver is tried.
Psalm 139:23-24 (ESV) 23 Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! 24 And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!
Often, we don’t appreciate our tests, but the Lord can use them effectively in order to make us better people. I hope we take this lesson to heart today. Whatever we are going through today is being used by the Lord to bring out the character He wants to see from us. Even Job, the righteous and devoted believer, understood this process of purging. He said: Job 23:10 (ESV) 10 But he knows the way that I take; when he has tried me, I shall come out as gold.
How are we responding to our tests? I challenge you to see this Pandemic as a test. I pray that we would ultimately be drawn closer to God, more devoted, and faithful to Him because of all the hardships we are going through because of it. My prayer is that we will not use this Pandemic as an excuse for become lax in our devotion towards God.
II BE AWARE OF GOD’S ABIDING PRESENCE (vv. 37-38)
Going back to the narrative, another significant truth we can find is the fact that Jesus boarded the same boat with the disciples. He was present with them before the storm came and while the storm was taking place. Unfortunately, because of the disciples’ lack of faith, they took for granted the value of His presence in their midst.
The reality is that we too have committed the same mistake over and over again. Throughout the Bible, God’s presence has been promised to His people and the tremendous advantage it could bring to their lives. Allow me to help you be able to track some of these promises, as well as the advantages His presence can bring to us
A. The Promise of Success Joshua 1:3-6 (ESV)
3 Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given to you, just as I promised to Moses. 4 From the wilderness and this Lebanon as far as the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites to the Great Sea toward the going down of the sun shall be your territory. 5 No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you or forsake you. 6 Be strong and courageous, for you shall cause this people to inherit the land that I swore to their fathers to give them.
After Moses died, God has chosen Joshua to take the leadership role in bringing the nation of Israel into the Promised Land. In verse 5, the Lord’s mighty presence in the life of Moses is now being passed on to Joshua. This promise provides the guarantee to Joshua that he will succeed in his conquest of the Promised Land.
B. The Promise of Safety in Times of Trouble Psalm 46:1-3 (ESV)
1 God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. 2 Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea, 3 though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling. Selah
Life’s troubles can bring us so much fear in life. Imagine the natural calamities referred to by the Psalmist in verses 2-3; these disasters are enough to disrupt our joy and peace. However, because the Lord is always present in times of every trouble, we have the guarantee that we will have the adequate protection at all times. He will always be our “refuge” (or hiding place) and “strength.”
C. The Promise of Sufficiency
Matthew 28:19-20 (ESV) 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
We all recognize this passage as “The Great Commission.” It is so significant to emphasize that when Jesus left His followers with this task of reaching the world for the expansion of His Kingdom, He also impressed to them that they have sufficient resources every step of the way because He will always be present with them.
Have you ever recognized how meaningful God’s presence is in your life? He literally promised us success, safety, and sufficiency through His presence with us. Allow me to add one more passage that has personal meaning for Tess and I. Psalm 139:9-10 (ESV) 9 If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, 10 even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me. What makes these verses special for Tess and I? The first morning devotion after our wedding, we were both 23 years old and about to embark into our full-time ministry in Marikina City (Metro Manila, Philippines). We were excited about the journey ahead of us in serving the Lord together, but at the same time, we had lots of fear. We were not sure whether we have what it will take to survive the ministry. The Lord gave us these two verses for our devotion that morning. They were perfect for calming our hearts and giving us the courage to launch into the ministry. This verses remain so meaningful to us even after 34 years of full-time ministry.
Going back to our passage, the disciples should have known better that because Jesus was with them, they were absolutely safe. But they took His presence for granted. I hope we won’t make the same mistake today. Remembering that He who is always with us will definitely help us maintain an unshakable faith.
III BE ASSURED OF GOD’S ABOUNDING LOVE (vv. 38-41)
Lastly, we also need to emphasize the statement of one of the disciples in verse 38 saying, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” Of course, we should also note that what triggered this statement was the fact that Jesus was sleeping in the midst of the dangerous storm.
Perhaps, it would be good to ask, How many times have you ask the Lord the same question during your times of trouble? As you reflect on this question, I want to submit to you two possible explanations why Jesus was sleeping:
A. Since Jesus has designed the storm as a test of faith, He was willing to wait and see whether or not their reaction will demonstrate faith.
I am reminded of the test of Abraham’s faith in Genesis 22 when God asked him to offer his only son, Isaac. God practically waited for Abraham to go up to the mountain, build the altar, lay the woods and Isaac on the altar, and take the knife to slaughter his son, before He revealed that He had prepared a lamb for the sacrifice.
Genesis 22:11-12 (ESV) 11 But the angel of the LORD called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” 12 He said, “Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him, for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.”
You see, there are times when God seems to show that He is not paying attention or does not care because everything is simply part of the test.
B. By sleeping, Jesus was simply demonstrating to us that it is possible to have the peace of God in the midst of the storm.
Is it really possible to sleep in the midst of our storms? Aside from the Lord Jesus, King David also said that it is possible:
Psalm 3:1-6 (ESV) 1 O LORD, how many are my foes! Many are rising against me; 2 many are saying of my soul, there is no salvation for him in God. Selah 3 But you, O LORD, are a shield about me, my glory, and the lifter of my head. 4 I cried aloud to the LORD, and he answered me from his holy hill. Selah 5 I lay down and slept; I woke again, for the LORD sustained me. 6 I will not be afraid of many thousands of people who have set themselves against me all around.
When you read verses 1-2, you will learn from King David that he was faced with so many enemies, who were all making assumptions that he didn’t have anyone to help him or save him. But because He knew God was there for him, that he can call on Him, and He answers him, in verse 5, he declared – “I lay down and slept; I woke again, for the LORD sustained me.”
Do you sometimes feel that God is asleep in the middle of your own personal storms? I pray that we will know God enough to believe that He cares so much for us, and He is totally aware of what we are going through. As Jesus has demonstrated in our text, He has the power and authority to calm down our storm. Don’t miss verse 39 in our text - And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.” This scenario is very reassuring. As soon as Jesus commanded the wind, immediately, it calmed down. It is so obvious what the Lord was doing with the disciples – He used this storm to show them what God is like and what He is capable of doing. J Vernon McGee said it best in His commentary:
“God puts us into the storms of life in order that we might grow closer to Him and that we might know Him better.”
In closing, I would like to challenge each one of us to examine our faith in God. Is it possible that it is not as strong and steadfast as it should be? If there has been some instability lately, I trust that you can go back to your knowledge and perception of God. If you believe that He is truly all-powerful, that He is always trustworthy and reliable, then, your faith will be unshakable. Unshakable faith simply means never wavering or faltering in our most basic beliefs about God!
-Dr. Jeremiah Lepasana