Getting The Second Fear First

Mark 4:35-41

Remember Who Creates The Storm

God's Power In Creating The Storm

Satan might have been behind this storm.

Or, it might have been the product of nature.

But God is Sovereign!

His fingerprints were all over the storm.

It was He who sent it.

God's Purpose In Creating The Storm

The disciples were placed in this storm to teach them to trust in the Lord Jesus Christ.

They were to learn His power over the deep.

God's Peace In Creating The Storm

The winds and the waves did not bother the Lord Jesus Christ.

He slept peacefully, knowing everything was well in hand.

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Remember Who Controls The Storm

God Controls The Storm By His Word

The Lord Jesus Christ promised the disciples to cross over to the other side of the Sea.

His words would never fail.

God Controls The Storm By His Work

The Lord Jesus Christ calmed the storm.

God Controls The Storm By His Will

The Lord Jesus Christ sent the disciples to the storm, and He saw them through!

He determined the duration, the severity and the results.

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Remember Who Calms The Storm

The Lord rebuked the storm and it went away.

The Sea of Galilee became absolutely calm and peaceful again.

The disciples were relieved that the threat was gone.

They were left in awe at the power and majesty of the Lord.

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Do we get the second fear first?

Have we learned the lesson of the storm?

It is there to teach us to depend on the Lord Jesus Christ.

When we stand in awe of God's power, the storms will cease to frighten us.

Whether it is disease, discouragement, difficulty or death, it will seem as nothing when it compared to God.

Those who have a big God have little problems!

Those who have a mighty God weather every storm!

The Parable Of The Growing Seed

Mark 4:26-29

This parable gives hope to those who share their faith with others.

It teaches us that the Gospel seed has power.

We may not see immediate results for our efforts, but the Gospel will bear fruit in the Lord’s time.

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When the Gospel is shared, a mysterious process begins to take place.

This process is a sovereign work of God.

It is often hidden from the view of man.

Yet it results in changed lives and saved souls.

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It Is A Steadfast Work (26-27)

When a farmer has sown a seed into his field, he returns home and goes about his business.

For the farmer, this is a work of faith.

He has no control over what the seed does.

He sows his seed and he leaves the results in the hands of God.

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The farmer knows that the growth of the seed is God’s business.

He sows it and trusts the Lord to make it grow.

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As Christians, We have been called to sow the Gospel seed into the hearts of other people.

We tell them what the Lord Jesus Christ has done for us.

When we share the Gospel, we have no control over the results.

Our duty is to sow the seed, water it when we can and let the Lord do His work in hearts and lives.

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It Is A Secret Work (27-28a)

As the farmer goes about his business, an amazing thing happens.

The earth suddenly begins to show signs of life.

There are little sprouts everywhere.

As the days pass, the blade appears, then the ear is formed and, eventually, in the ear there is row upon row of corn.

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The farmer cannot see or understand the process the seed is going through underground.

All He knows is that he is about to benefit from a secret work.

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Sowing the Gospel seed is the same way.

When it is sown into a prepared heart, it is a mystery, but that seed begins to germinate.

When it does, life will issue forth.

This is the process we call conviction.

It is a puzzling mystery, how simple words, received into a human heart, can bring about so profound a change.

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It Is A Successful Work (28b-29)

All the farmer did was cast some seed into the soil.

He went about his business, and a secret work took place.

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While the farmer went about his day to day activities, the seed germinated, and a little plant pushed its way to the surface of the earth.

The sun favored the little, tender plant with light.

The heavens gave the plant rain.

The soil provided the plant with nutrients.

And the plant grew.

It matured and, in time, it brought forth fruit.

When the harvest was ready, the farmer entered the field and gathered his crop.

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Our witness for the Lord Jesus Christ is never in vain.

We cannot see what God is doing!

He is working behind the scenes to bring souls to Himself.

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We must not give up!

We must not stop telling the lost world about our saving Lord!

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The business of saving souls is God’s business, not man’s!

We can preach as good as we are able, as hard as we please and as often as we have opportunity.

But we cannot save a single soul!

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If we are faithful to sow and water, the Lord will take care of the saving, in His time and in His way!

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There is power in the seed!

When the seed found its way into the right soil, a secret work took place and life came out of death.

Such is the power of the Gospel we preach today!

The Gospel has the power to transform our lives.

That seed will germinate in our heart and the Lord will make us a fruitful plant for His glory.

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As Christians, we must put aside all our excuses about why we can’t tell others about the Lord Jesus Christ.

Instead, we must come before Him again, and make a commitment to be a witness for His glory.

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As Christians, we must not think our prayers and our witness are in vain.

Instead, we must get down before the Lord and talk to Him about our concerns.

We must ask Him to let us see a few sprouts in our field.

The Choosing Of The 12

Mark 3:13-19

The Lord Jesus Christ took some time out of His frantic schedule.

He communed with His Father and chose the 12 men who would be His representatives to the lost sheep of Israel.

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The Master (13)

A Time Of Special Communion

The Lord Jesus Christ went up on the mountain to commune with God the Father.

He was about to ordain 12 men who would be His spokesmen to the people of Israel.

A Time Of Sovereign Choice

The Lord Jesus Christ had called them to follow Him.

Now He called them to service.

They were to be His apostles.

It was His sovereign choice.

He chose based on His Own Will.

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The Mission (14-15)

It Involved Discipleship

The Lord called them into personal fellowship.

He wanted to teach them His ways.

He wanted to train them by personal example.

It Involved Declaration

The Lord Jesus Christ wanted to send them out to preach.

They were to take His message to the nation of Israel.

It was the Gospel of the Kingdom.

It was the good news that God had sent His Son into the world to be the Savior of sinners.

It Involved Demonstration

The preaching ministry of these men was to be accompanied by miracles.

They were given the power to heal the sick and to cast out devils.

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The Men (16-19)

These last verses tell us the names of the men the Lord Jesus Christ chose to be His disciples.

Their Names

Simon Peter, James, John, Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Cananite, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed Him

Their Natures

These men lacked spiritual understanding.

They lacked humility.

They lacked faith.

They lacked commitment.

They lacked power.

They were always getting into trouble.

They were always missing the point of Christ’s teachings.

They were always lashing out at people who were different.

They were always saying the wrong thing.

They were always walking away from their commitment to Jesus.

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In spite of their weaknesses, the Lord Jesus Christ used them to turn the world upside down for His glory.

The Lord Jesus Christ led them patiently along, filled them with His Holy Spirit and shocked the world with the way He used them.

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The Lord Jesus Christ took 12 ordinary men, saved 11 of them by His grace and made something special out of their lives.

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If we will come to the Lord Jesus Christ, confess our sins and receive Him into our heart, He will save us and prepare us for Heaven.

He will make us into His disciples.

Get The Clay Out Of The Way

Mark 2:1-12

4 men carried their paralyzed friend to the Lord Jesus Christ.

They couldn’t get him into the house because of the crowds that blocked the door.

So they took him onto the roof of the house.

They broke up the roof and lowered him down to the Lord Jesus Christ through the hole in the roof.

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Now They Could Examine The Person Of Jesus

When they got the clay out of the way, they could see the Lord Jesus Christ and what He was doing!

He Became More Discernible

When the clay was removed, they could look on the Lord Jesus Christ!

He Becomes More Desirable

When the clay was removed, they could see the Lord Jesus Christ Whom they desired!

Now They Could Enter The Presence Of Jesus

After the clay was taken out of the way, they could lower their paralyzed friend into the very presence of the Lord!

They Could Discharge Their Burden

When the clay was removed, they could give the Lord Jesus Christ their burden!

They Could Discover Their Blessing

The Lord Jesus Christ looked up and saw what they had done to get their friend to Him.

He commended them and on the basis of their faith, he healed the paralyzed man!

Now They Could Experience The Power Of Jesus

After the clay was out of the way, the paralyzed man could get to the Lord Jesus Christ.

He Could Experience His Cleansing Power

The Lord Jesus Christ cleansed this man of his sins!

He Could Experience His Changing Power

The Lord Jesus Christ didn’t just touch him on the inside, but He also touched him on the outside!

The Lord Jesus Christ totally changed his life!

When the clay was taken out of the way, he walked differently, he glorified God and he left everyone scratching their heads at the awesome power of the Son of God!

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When we get the clay out of the way, it will change our walk!

It will change our prayer lives.

It will make us bold in our witness.

It will make us vocal in our praise!

It will fill us with excitement and it will leave a lost world scratching their heads in amazement at what the Lord Jesus Christ has done!

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Has the clay of our life been broken up before the Lord Jesus Christ?

Have we been honest with Him about every detail of our life?

Are we in a position to examine His Person, enter His Presence and experience His Power?

Let us get the clay out of the way so that the Lord God can bless us like He wants to.

The Power Of The Amazing Servant

Mark 1:23-34

When the Lord Jesus Christ preached and taught in the synagogue on a Sabbath morning, He caused a stir!

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The people were left astonished and amazed by His word and His works.

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He Has Power Over Demons (23-28)

As the Lord Jesus Christ preached, He was interrupted by a demon possessed man.

The demon caused the man to scream.

The demon also declared his awareness of the deity of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Jesus rebuked the demon and freed the possessed man from the demon’s grip.

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He Has Power Over Disruptions (29-31)

When the services were over, the Lord Jesus Christ went home with Peter and Andrew.

When they arrived at Peter’s house, they found his mother-in-law sick with a fever.

Her fever had left her incapacitated and unable to prepare the noon meal for the family.

They told the Lord Jesus Christ about the sickness.

The Lord Jesus Christ walked over and healed Peter’s mother-in-law.

She got up and went to get the meal ready.

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He Has Power Over Diseases (32-34)

The Lord Jesus Christ and his 4 new followers spent the afternoon relaxing.

When the sun went down and the Sabbath was over, the people showed up to the Lord Jesus Christ for healing.

The people were suffering from every imaginable disease and affliction.

None of them posed a problem for the Lord Jesus Christ.

The Lord Jesus Christ healed every affliction that came His way.

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The people came from all classes of life.

But the Lord Jesus Christ received them all.

He never turned anyone away.

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But man’s greatest need is not the healing of the body.

Man's greatest need is the healing of the soul!

Man is a sinner by birth.

Man is doomed to Hell by his sin.

Man has only one hope.

And His name is Jesus.

If Man will turn to the Lord Jesus Christ by faith, He will instantly, perfectly and permanently heal him.

He will save his soul.

He will make him a new creature.

He will give him a brand new life.

He will adopt him into His family.

He will make him a child of God.

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When the people saw the Lord Jesus Christ casting out demons and healing diseases, they were amazed at His power.

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The Lord Jesus Christ still has the same power today.

He can still deliver us from the grip of the devil!

He can still handle all the disruptions of our lives.

He can still cure the diseases that ail us.

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If we want to be free, we must come to Him!

If we need healing, we must come to Him.

If we need to be saved, we must come to Him.

And if He has spoken to our hearts and reminded us of where our needs to be, we must come to Him!

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Come! Come to Him now!