Mark 4:35-41 – Does God Care? – Bible study

Mark 4:35-41 Does God Care? The account is familiar. Jesus and the disciples were crossing the Sea of Galilee when a storm came up. The Sea of Galilee is about 13 miles long and 8 miles wide and surrounded by mountains on all sides. This creates something of a "pot" effect, allowing heat to build up in the valley. When a cold front sweeps into the pot, it can cause a sudden and turbulent storm. On this day, that is exactly what happened. BUT while the disciples were fighting against the storm, Jesus was asleep on a pillow. Jesus must have been extremely tired. A storm was raging, rain was pouring, the boat was filling with water, men were screaming with fearand Jesus was sound asleep on a pillow. (I find the pillow a nice tidbit that Mark gave us.) The pitching of the ship did not awaken Him. The rain pouring either on or around Him did not awaken Him. Even the men shouting did not awaken Him. Did you ever feel like God was asleep on you? That no matter how loudly you shouted, He was not hearing you? Then you know how the disciples felt even though Jesus was physically before them. Finally, scared, tired, and bewildered, they ran to Jesus, probably shook Him and with frustration in their voices asked, "Dont you care that we about to die?" Have you ever felt like God did not care? You were in a bad bind, you needed a miracle, you asked God for help, andas far as you could tellGod did not do anything? Have you ever asked God the same question the disciples asked Jesus? I know I have and Im going to assume you have too. So let us just answer the question, "Does God care about us?" Yes, and the cross proves it. God cares about your soul, your eternity, and your relationship with Him. He also cares about your life, you happiness, your comfort, and your safety. Bear that in mind while I preach this morning. Well, Jesus got up, calmed the storm, then He gave an obvious rebuke to the disciples. Mark 4:40 And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith? I have preached on this text before, taught on it, listened to other preachers preach on it, but I believe for the most part, we may have missed the point. Most of the preachers I have heard seemed to say Jesus was rebuking the disciples for not having enough faith to calm the storm or at least for having so little faith that they thought the ship would sink. I see a different possibility. I believe it Jesus may have been answering the disciples question. Jesus often did that, answered a question with a question. They asked, "Dont you care?" Jesus answered, "Cant you believe?" He was telling them that they could not see the truth of His care for them until they had faith and used that faith to believe some things. I dont think these were not unrelated statements. I believe there were some answers to their questions that required faith. Let me share some thoughts with you. I. Gods First Concern Is Not US. A. I know. It sounds like blasphemy when I say that. 1. In fact, I had to go back and study it when I first wrote it down to make sure that it wasnt. 2. It is not blasphemy. 3. In fact to say that we are Gods biggest concern is more likely blasphemy than to say that we are not. 4. Yet, it sounds like it is blasphemy. a. Why? b. Because many of us have fallen into a man-centered theology. c. We believe that God does what God does because He cares about sinners and does not want them to perish. d. God DOES care about sinners and God DOES NOT want them to perish, but that is not why God does what God does. B. The reason God does what God does is to bring glory to Himself. Isaiah 48:8 I am the LORD: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images. Isaiah 48:11 For mine own sake, even for mine own sake, will I do it: for how should my name be polluted? and I will not give my glory unto another. 1. I understand that what I am saying may distress some people. 2. I also understand it may make God sound vain. a. However, God would only be vain if He was not the One who deserved glory. b. God not only deserve all of the glory, He is the only ONE who deserves ANY of the glory. c. Gods first concern is to accomplish that in this world. d. That makes Gods statements not vanity but truth. C. So we need understand Gods first concern. 1. Gods first concern is not that we live a long time. 2. Gods first concern is not that we live a comfortable life. 3. Gods first concern is not that we live a pain free or even happy life. 4. If it were, Christians would live long, comfortable, pain free, happy lives. a. Have you not noticed that all Christians do NOT live those kinds of lives. b. All dont because these are not Gods biggest concerns. D. This is one of the reasons why God lets bad things happen to good people, and it is especially the reason why God lets extra bad things happen to some of His best Christians. 1. From the Bible, Job comes to mind. God called Job a man who was perfect and upright, one who feared God and ran from evil. Yet look at what God allowed to happen to him. 2. From contemporary life, Stephanie Wesco. Around the end of November of last year, she, her husband Charles, and their 8 young children arrived in Africa to be missionaries. Twelve days later, Charles had been shot and killed by an African rebel. The family was actually in different locations, and it took a while for them to get back together, get Charles body, and be evacuated back to the states. But within three months of that, Stephanie Wesco was diagnosed with numerous tumors throughout her liver. She is only in her late 30s. 3. Now, if anyone has a right to ask God the question, "Dont you care?" it would be Mrs. Wesco or one of the millions of godly saints like her. a. Those Christians and good people who get some of the most awful diseases, whose children get hooked on drugs, who themselves get kidnapped, raped, and murdered. b. But they do not ask that question. Why? (1) Because by faith, they know we are not Gods first concern. His glory is His first concern and He is working a plan that will bring glory to Himself. (2) And our goal, by faith, should be to give Him gloryno matter what sacrifices it calls for on our part. E. If Gods biggest concern is for us, then He is either a weak God or a deaf Godand I assure you, He is neither. 1. But on that day 2,000 years ago after a storm raged across a small sea, 12 men bowed before God and marvelled that this Man was not like other men! 2. Does this mean that the answer to the disciples question was NO? No! a. I wish I had better words to explain this. (1) I remember talking to a friend who had a lost a son, and I wanted to convey some of this truth and did so miserably. (2) But years later, I do not think I can make it sound any better. b. It is just that everything God has created and everything that God does is to bring glory to Himself, first and foremost. F. If Gods first concern is about His glory, what should our first concern be? 1. Hint: It should NOT BE about our longevity, comfort, safety, or prosperity. 2. When God allows us to suffer and when God opens deaths curtain for us to walk through, it may take some faith to believe, but God does care and God cares very much. G. Now someone says, "Well I suppose our welfare is Gods second most important concern." Well, I dont think so. II. Gods Second Concern Is Not Our Comfort and Longevity. A. If the first statement I gave sounded like blasphemy, this one surely will. 1. If our comfort, safety, and longevity on earth were not His first concerns, some would think that they would be His second. 2. After all, the Bible does say that He loved us so much that He gave His only begotten Son. 3. It seems we must be somewhere in the top 2. 4. God does care about us. a. In fact, I believe Gods second most important concern has to do with us. b. It just doesnt have anything to do with our comfort or longevity. 5. What, then, would be next? B. I think God is more concerned with knowledge and its dispersal, especially spiritual truth. 1. More than how well or how long we live, I believe God wants us to know truth. 2. I dont know of a Bible verse that comes right out and says that, however, I notice that Gods commands to the church are first about preaching the gospel. Matt 28:19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen. 3. I am not saying that God does not care about the health and welfare of people. a. The Bible makes it clear that God cares about the poor, the hungry, the thirsty, the naked, the sick, the widows, the orphans, and the elderly. b. However, He puts more of a premium on getting the truth out than anything and everything else. 4. There are many Bible verses which illustrate that God is MORE concerned about getting the Word out than OUR health or well-being. a. Pentecost and its effects were still being discussed in Acts 3. In Acts 4, the disciples heal and preach. For that, they are arrested, warned, and released. In Acts 5, they are preaching again, get arrested again, but are held in prison overnight. That night, an angel releases them and tells them to go back to the temple to preach \#Acts 5:19-20\. They get arrested again and their first painful punishment is given. Acts 5:40 And to him they agreed: and when they had called the apostles, and beaten them, they commanded that they should not speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. b. In Acts 6, Stephen is called to be a deacon. He was already a preacher, so he preached. In Acts 7:59. the Bible tells us what happened to him. Acts 7:59 And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. (1) It seems that the people are not responding well to the preaching of the truth, doesnt it? (2) It has caused some a beaten and one his life! (3) If God is more concerned about our comfort, safety, and longevity than us giving out the knowledge of truth, He will rescind His "Go into All the World" order. (4) But God did not. c. Persecution intensified, not just against the men who believed. Acts 8:3 As for Saul, he made havock of the church, entering into every house, and haling men and women committed them to prison. 5. We can keep on reading through the book of Acts and see the evidences of persecution in the Epistles. We can turn to history books and see it spread across the Roman empire We can go back to the Gospels and read the warnings that Jesus gave that such days would come a. Yet God NEVER told the church to quit spreading the truth. b. Why? Because us having and giving the light of Gods Word is more important than our health, safety, comfort, and even our life. c. But why? Why put knowledge ahead of our ones life, ones earthly comfort, ones health? (1) The answer is simple really. (2) Without knowledge, souls will perish in hell forever. (3) It will take some faith to understand this, but it is true. Mans eternity is more important than mans life and health! C. The question the disciples asked was, "Carest thou not that we perish?" 1. Yes, He cares if we perish in body and health, but He cares much more about souls perishing in hell. 2. It will take some faith to see it, but even more than our lives, God cares about His glory and He cares about the truth being spread around the globe. D. Well then, it must be Gods third concern that we live long and enjoy life and comfort. I dont think so. III. Gods Third Concern Is Not Our Comfort and Longevity. A. They asked the question, "Dont you care that we perish?" 1. The answer is He does, but it will take some faith to see and to understand that some other things are more important. 2. Gods glory and knowledge are more important. What else? B. I believe our faith is more important that our comfort and longevity. 1. Again, I cannot give you a verse that proves this, but we see it in the what God desires before He desires our comfort. 2. He desires that we believe and trust in Him. 3. Let me give you a few examples by asking some easy to answer questions. C. Questions: 1. What must a soul do before he can be saved? Answer: He must believe. He must have faith. 2. What must a Christian do before he can get his prayers answered? Answer: He must believe. He must have faith. D. The Bible sums all of this up in the book of Hebrews: Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. 1. Without faith, God may not release any of His goodness and help to you. 2. You may be sick and need healing; but without faith, God may not heal you. 3. You may be broke and need a job; but without faith, God may not give you one. 4. You may be lonely and need comfort, but without faith, God may not send it. E. Why? Because more important than health, than income, than comfort is to have faith in God and His Son. 1. It has to do with His glory again. 2. It is more important that we believe in His goodness and love than it is that we receive Gods goodness and love on earth. 3. Friend, our place for receiving is not to be here. It is to be there. It is not to be now. It is to be then. Does God care that we perish? YES. God cares, but what happens to us in this earth is nothing compared to what God will do for us in heaven. May God give us the faith to see that today.