Participants: Pr. Roger Duncan
Series Code: FC
Program Code: FC000363
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00:31 Welcome to Faith Chapel, I'm Evangelist
00:35 Roger Duncan from Trinidad and Tobago, 00:38 South Caribbean Conference. 00:41 My subject today is, 00:43 when storm comes, let's pray. 00:47 Father, thank you for this day, 00:49 thank you for the divine privilege of 00:52 working with you, to be called laborers 00:55 with you in this work. Be with us today, 00:58 ignite this word. Let it come alive, 01:01 make it clear, make it powerful, 01:04 attend unto you dear Lord and bless 01:07 your people, in Jesus name amen. 01:11 I'll be reading out of the book of Mark. 01:15 The book of Mark the sixth chapter from 01:19 verse 45 to 50. Mark chapter 6:45 to 50. 01:27 And straight way He constrained His disciples 01:29 to get into the ship, and to go to the other 01:34 side before unto Bethsaida, 01:36 while he sent away the people. 01:38 And when he had sent them away. 01:40 He departed into a mountain to pray. 01:45 And when evening was come, 01:46 the ship was in the midst of the sea, 01:48 and he alone on the land. And he saw them 01:52 toiling and rowing. 01:54 For the wind was contrary unto them, 01:56 and about the fourth watch of the night he 02:00 cometh unto them, walking upon the sea, 02:03 and would have passed by them. 02:07 But when they say him walking upon the sea, 02:11 they supposed it had been a spirit, 02:14 and cried out for they all saw him, 02:17 and were troubled. And immediately he 02:20 talked with them. And saith unto them, 02:24 Be of good cheer, it is I, be not afraid. 02:29 I wanna use this passage not so much 02:32 to do an exposition of it, but use it as 02:37 a spring board to paint some picture 02:41 of Jesus and how we operate it. 02:45 Now Jesus did 13 of his miracles by water. 02:50 And there was reason for it. 02:52 Remember the children of Israel were from 02:54 a bed ridden society. They were like desert 02:57 people and so water was very important to them. 03:01 Many people in that ancient time build 03:04 there cities by systems and aqueducts, 03:07 and well, water was a 03:09 very important thing. 03:10 But even though water was very important 03:13 and a very important commodity, 03:14 it also has, had some ominous 03:18 things about it. Because it's the 03:20 water that drowned the people in Noah's day. 03:23 It's the water that was parted and Pharaoh's 03:26 army and chosen chariots were swollen up. 03:30 And so by the time Jesus was in the 03:32 scene of action. Water was also known 03:35 to like the lake of Galilee was also known 03:39 to posses some powerful demonic powers that, 03:43 that anybody that could quiet a storm for example 03:48 will be considered powerful. 03:50 And so sometimes, every blow of cool 03:53 air of the golden heights and as the hot air 03:56 rises and the cool air descends there will be 03:59 turbulence on the lake of Galilee and that 04:02 turbulence will call people to be afraid 04:05 because it can happen suddenly. 04:07 So even though out of the sea of Galilee 04:10 they could come fish and good things, 04:12 the people always had at the back of 04:14 their minds that there is some power, 04:17 some demon that, that is down there. 04:20 Hence the reason why when Jesus cast 04:23 the demons and the pigs. 04:25 They went in to the water, because the water 04:28 was considered an abyss, 04:30 a bad place. Now because Jesus 04:33 is a profound deep teacher. 04:36 He is a consummate great teacher, 04:37 when He called His disciples He call them 04:41 by the sea, He call them by water. 04:44 Now I wanna say something about the call. 04:46 I found God that He doesn't 04:50 call the qualified, but He qualifies 04:53 the called. I want you to get that. 04:56 God does not call the qualified, 04:59 but He qualifies the call. 05:02 God calls you even though you think you're bad, 05:05 even though you think you cannot do it, 05:09 you don't have the gift, God calls you and 05:12 in the process of serving Him, 05:14 He qualifies you. 05:16 And so do not be intimidated by where 05:19 you are now, God is calling 05:22 you to something higher. 05:25 So when God called Peter. He said, he told him, 05:28 he say, thou art Simon, but thou shall be, 05:32 thou art but thou shall be, 05:36 in other words you're this now but when 05:38 I'm finished with you thou shall be. 05:41 So God calls you how you are, 05:44 but He doesn't leave how you are. 05:47 He carries you further that is why when 05:49 we are praising this gospel. 05:51 We are casting out our net and we're 05:53 saying come as you are. 05:55 You come to Jesus as you are, 05:57 but then He makes you to what He 05:59 wants you to be. Now to make 06:01 it more practical. Some people know 06:03 thou art. Thou art Peter, 06:05 thou art a curse, a person that curse, 06:08 thou art a fornicator, thou art adulterer, 06:11 thou art this, thou art that. 06:13 But you don't get intimidated when people 06:15 know who you are now, be happy for what 06:18 you shall be in Jesus Christ. 06:21 So Jesus called his disciples by the sea. 06:25 He called all of them and He called them as 06:27 fishermen to be fishers of men. 06:29 Now these disciples were not idol, 06:33 often times in the scripture whether you are 06:36 talking about soul when he was looking 06:38 for his father's donkey or he talking about the 06:40 Elisha tending his yoke of asses and 06:43 all these things. Jesus called busy people. 06:47 The disciples were doing something, 06:48 a lot of people sit down on their chairs 06:51 and they say God is not using me, 06:55 the church is not using me or this and 06:58 that or the other. The thing is God often 07:01 time call busy people. David was tending his 07:04 father's sheep when God called him. 07:06 Moses was in Midian tending sheep when 07:09 God called him. God calls you, 07:11 you do something and in the process you 07:14 see God calling you and so He called 07:16 the disciples by water. And He called them by 07:19 the sea and there is a specific reason once 07:22 you follow me to the end, you will get it. 07:25 But I want you get this point, 07:26 so remember this one as I transition to 07:29 the other point. 07:30 Jesus being a master teacher just before He died. 07:32 Made His way to Caesarea Philippi 07:36 with His disciples. 07:38 And when you reach in Caesarea Philippi there 07:41 was Mount Hermon, one of the highest 07:43 mountain and the water use to descend in 07:45 Mount Hermon there and use to gushed. 07:48 Now note water again. At the base of 07:52 Mount Hermon there was a large tone 07:54 and a cave with a hole. Now the heathen 07:58 people in Caesarea Philippi which was one of 08:01 the worst Hellenistic place of the time where 08:05 they use to have sexual orgies and do that 08:08 in order for their God Baal and Asherah 08:11 and all these God pan to interact, 08:14 inter-relate with each other and in other 08:16 words as a result of that produce vegetation and 08:20 allow the land to be fertile and they 08:22 worship their Gods. Now Jesus at the 08:25 end of his life, in the graduation 08:28 service of a disciple is carrying them in a 08:32 bad place to teach a particular lesson. 08:35 Now when Jesu reach there, 08:37 He ask his disciples who do say man say I am 08:40 and some of them says, some say you're Jeremiah, 08:43 some say you're Elias, some say you're that, 08:44 now notice. There will always 08:47 be a some say in your life. 08:50 There will always be somebody saying you're 08:52 this and saying you're that. 08:53 The most important thing in life is for you 08:57 to know who God says you are. 08:59 Because it is who He says you are, 09:02 you are. Because as I 09:03 told you God will call you a mighty man of 09:07 valor when your shaking and trembling in a flesh 09:10 and flow like Gideon. 09:13 And so you need to know who God says you are. 09:20 And so God called them by sea along them, 09:25 by the mount, by the base 09:27 of Mount Hermon, who do men say I am? 09:29 Now Peter, who always talks says, 09:32 that though art the Christ, 09:34 the Son of the living God, and Jesus says 09:37 something very profound, He says upon this 09:39 rock I will build my church and the gates of 09:44 hell shall not prevail against it. 09:47 Now of course we know that many Theologians 09:49 explain this to me and rightly showed that upon 09:53 this profession of faith. Upon this profession 09:55 that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, 09:58 that rock profession and that basis he has 10:02 build his church, not on Peter. 10:05 But there, because Jesus was so practical and 10:08 profound in His teaching there is another 10:10 meaning that many people miss. 10:12 Jesus had them in a specific location to 10:16 make a specific point. Because right there 10:20 at the base of Mount Hermon, 10:22 there is that there that large rock. 10:25 Where their Gods and Goddesses common 10:28 God and Goddesses that was there still and 10:31 that hole which was a cave, 10:33 that was considered a gate. 10:35 So in a particular season God pan will go 10:39 down and hide and then when it comes to spring 10:43 time he will comeback up and the people will give 10:45 that God praise thinking that is he that caused 10:48 rain and he that caused sunshine. 10:51 So Jesus brought His church. 10:54 His disciples at that very spot. 10:56 In a place where resembles hell and 10:59 says upon this rock not only the, 11:02 the profession that Peter make, 11:04 but upon this rock, upon this very spot 11:08 I will build my church. And the gates of hell. 11:11 The gate that the God pan goes in will not 11:14 be able to prevail, so he here's point. 11:16 God wants His people, His church not just to 11:20 surround themselves with stain glasses, 11:23 in a comfortable building in their comfort zone. 11:27 He wants them where Satan himself dwells, 11:30 because we are the ones that have to 11:33 confront the gates of hell and take the 11:36 captives from hell. We are the ones 11:38 that storm the citadel of hell and change 11:41 captivity into captive. Rescue these people, 11:44 bring them from hell. And so God wants 11:50 Christians to be confrontational to 11:51 address the issues of their day. 11:53 And so that is why we're addressing the 11:56 commandments and all the things that 11:57 are ill in our society, because God expects 12:01 his people to take a firm stand. 12:03 Because Jesus said upon this rock, 12:05 in this very place that the devil has setup 12:08 his kingdom is the place I want my church 12:11 to take an offensive. No longer do we 12:14 want to sit by and see the world be 12:17 lost to Satan, but we're coming after you 12:19 hence the reason why this gospel is 12:22 being preached, because we're 12:23 sending it out that you could be rescued 12:26 from the pit of hell. 12:27 And so Jesus had that profound lesson 12:30 for your disciples. And so in this 12:32 particular case where he was by 12:33 water to do that. Jesus now has 12:37 preached the sermon, He has fed many 12:39 thousands of people with bread and fish 12:42 and all these things and they are happy, 12:43 and they want to make Him King. 12:46 So Jesus now goes up in a mountain to pray. 12:49 Now this is the point. 12:51 Anytime you do something well, 12:53 you preach well, you sing well, 12:55 you do your job well and people want to 12:57 praise you and make you King, 12:59 be careful, that's the time 13:01 to run and go to the mountain to pray, 13:04 so it doesn't go to your head. 13:06 And so Jesus went up to mountain to pray 13:09 and He sent His disciples in the sea, 13:13 in the lake. While they were 13:16 there in the lake, of course suddenly 13:22 a storm came. Now because 13:23 of the storm the disciples were there fighting 13:26 and toiling and fighting and toiling and they 13:28 were not getting anywhere. 13:30 And the Bible says that Jesus had not come until 13:34 the fourth watch of the night. 13:36 Jesus was watching His disciples in the storm. 13:39 Now you have to remember that a storm, 13:42 the sea, water meant 13:45 that it's a bad thing going on, 13:47 there are demons here and so the 13:49 disciples are afraid. 13:54 And so Jesus wants to teach a profound lesson. 13:58 He's in the mountain and He is looking 14:01 at His disciples. Now sometimes Jesus 14:04 see you in your trials, in your tribulation, 14:07 rowing, having an rough time, 14:09 but He is waiting, because there are 14:11 lessons that He wants to teach. 14:14 Jesus wants to teach that He is the master 14:16 of the sea. He is the 14:18 master over demons, He is the master 14:22 over nature. He needs his 14:23 disciples to understand that and so even 14:24 though He wants His church to being operate 14:29 in the midst of trial, 14:30 in the midst of prosecution, 14:31 in the midst of hell really. 14:33 Even though that is the case He 14:35 has over seen us, He is looking at 14:38 us and He is in charge of everything. 14:41 Now here what's the Bible says. 14:43 It says that, and He had sent 14:45 them away and He departed into the 14:47 mountain to pray. 14:48 Verse 47, And when evening was come, 14:51 the ship was in the midst of the sea, 14:55 and he alone on the land. 14:56 And he saw them toiling and rowing. 14:59 And the wind was contrary unto them in the 15:01 fourth watch of the night, but Jesus didn't come 15:04 and eventually when He came He looked like He 15:08 was passing them by. 15:10 Now in another passage where the Bible is 15:14 speaking about the same story. 15:17 It talks about and it was dark and Jesus 15:20 had not come. Using a tense, 15:23 a pure perfect tense is that it was dark 15:27 and it could not get any darker and Jesus 15:31 had not come. So sometimes 15:33 your experience is dark, you've toiled the 15:36 first watch, you've toiled 15:38 the second watch. You've toiled the 15:40 third watch and it seems like Jesus had not come. 15:43 I'm suggesting to us that do not give up, 15:45 do not give up toiling and rowing do not give up. 15:51 Because once you stay on the ship that's 15:54 the important thing. Some people when 15:57 they see that there are trials, 15:59 when they see that they've trouble, 16:01 when they see that there are temptation 16:03 they bailout, but it is worse 16:06 outside then inside. It is better to take 16:10 the problems inside the kingdom. 16:13 Take the problems inside the ship, 16:16 because at the end of it Jesus will 16:18 quite your storm. But if you bailout 16:21 now I'm talking to back sliders at this stage, 16:24 you've left the kingdom, you bailout, 16:27 you leave because of the wind. 16:29 You leave because of the storm, 16:30 but your life is no better off, 16:33 but if you stay in the ship and you row and 16:37 you continue on you'll notice that Jesus will 16:40 show up and do you what Jesus has a way 16:43 of coming on what I call the 25th hour. 16:48 When it seems like all is over, 16:51 all has ended Jesus comes in and then 16:55 works His miracle, so that nobody could 16:58 get the glory. He likes to show 17:01 up at the 25th hour. And so the disciples 17:04 were rowing and toiling and it seems like Jesus 17:09 was passing them by when He came. 17:13 But the Bible says, But when they say 17:16 him walking upon the sea, they suppose it had 17:19 been a spirit, and cried out for 17:22 they all saw him, and were troubled. 17:24 And immediately he talked with them. 17:26 And saith unto them, Be of good cheer it is I, 17:29 be not afraid. Do not be afraid 17:33 when storm comes. Storms are important, 17:36 do you know it is when storm comes and wind 17:40 beat vehemently upon trees in the forest. 17:44 It is that beating of the wind and the vehemently 17:47 of it that caused the tree to get strong roots 17:51 and be strong as they grow up. 17:53 It is as trouble. It is troubled that 17:56 causes us to go. Get use to trouble. 17:59 It has a way when you reach on the 18:01 other side of trouble, you realize your 18:03 better off. In fact the 18:05 Bible says in this way that God prepares 18:07 a table before me in the presence of my enemy. 18:12 In other words God likes to provide for His 18:16 servants in the midst of your enemies. 18:18 So if you see your enemies around you, 18:21 it could the storm. It could be a bad barrage, 18:24 it could be people talking against you, 18:26 it could be people in the job that is plotting 18:29 to take your place. When you see your 18:31 enemies God says that He is able to provide and 18:35 prepare a table before you in the presence 18:39 of your enemies. So when you see your 18:41 enemies just take out your knife and fork and 18:44 begin to get ready to eat, because certainly as 18:48 soon as the storm goes you discover that on the 18:51 other side of a storm Jesus has a meal. 18:55 So just continue rowing, continue moving, 18:58 don't worry Jesus is there and Jesus is saying, 19:01 be not afraid it is I. I'm the master 19:06 of the storm. 19:08 And in verse 51 it says, And he went up onto 19:11 in the ship and the wind sees and the storm is, 19:15 in themselves beyond measure and wonder. 19:19 The reason why they were amazed is because 19:22 Jesus quiet the storm. In other places Jesus 19:26 stood in the midst of the sea, 19:28 in the midst of a bad place, 19:29 in the midst of place that those people in 19:32 those days thought was demonic and said 19:35 to the water, and said to the sea, 19:37 please be still and it had to stay still. 19:41 Jesus was trying to show that I've conquered the 19:44 devil and I will conquer him and I want to give 19:47 you the victory over the seas in your life. 19:50 I wanna give you the victory over the 19:52 storms in your life. Now Jesus spoke peace 19:55 to the wind, peace to the storm 19:58 and the storm had to get quite. 20:00 The reason for that is because Jesus had 20:02 peace within Him. You cannot speak 20:06 out what you don't have in. 20:10 I want you to get that point. 20:11 You cannot speak out what you don't have in. 20:17 Jesus had peace within Him, 20:19 so that He could speak out peace. 20:21 Now that's a very important point, 20:23 because many people try to give out what 20:27 they don't have in. 20:29 And so I could remember as a young preacher 20:31 passing on our college where they trained 20:34 people to preach. I use to hear young 20:37 preachers trying to imitate great men of God 20:39 and speak like them and gesticulate like them, 20:44 intonation like them, because they thought 20:47 that the power of the preacher was in his 20:50 voice and intonation, but they will discover 20:54 that the power of the minister was in his 20:56 inner strength what he had inside. 20:59 And so when Jesus spoke at the storm, 21:01 He was speaking what He had in. 21:04 And so when He spoke the sea is still, 21:07 so that we should try always to have that 21:09 inner experience, inner strength, 21:11 so that we can speak to the storm. 21:14 In other words just like this other point 21:16 the Bible says out of the abundance of the heart 21:19 the mouth will speak, and so while it's 21:22 important to learn how to speak and to learn 21:26 how to give proper grammar, 21:27 the training of mouth is not as important as 21:32 the training of the heart. 21:33 Because once the heart has an abundance 21:36 it will come out. And so Jesus is modeling 21:39 for His disciples. He is showing them 21:42 it is His word against the wind. 21:45 Whatever He says, so He says to the wind 21:48 peace be still. It has to still, 21:50 because God wants us to have that confidence 21:53 in His word, so that we could 21:56 know when storm comes we could trust in Jesus. 22:00 Now what is not worthy over this 22:03 particular story, it took place 22:05 under the lake of Galilee. 22:08 The fresh water 12 miles long and about 22:11 eight miles wide, and this is a place 22:14 that Peter and James and John 22:16 got their livelihood. But it was also a 22:19 troubling place, a place of trouble that 22:22 Jesus carried them by so that He could 22:25 teach them profound lesson. 22:27 Now watch this point verse 51 and 52, 22:30 And he went onto them into the ship, 22:34 and the wind sees and they were so amazed 22:38 in themselves beyond measure and wonder. 22:41 But I just wanna stretch it a little 22:43 bit to verse 52. It says, For they 22:46 considered not the miracle of the loaves for 22:51 their hearts was hardened. 22:54 They considered not the miracle of the loaves 22:58 and fish for their heart was hardened. 23:00 Now watch this, what made the storms 23:06 and the roughness of the water so 23:09 terrible to the disciples, because they forgot 23:12 that Jesus had just fed five thousand. 23:16 Now here's the point, if you remember what 23:20 God has done for you in the past. 23:23 When you watch your resume, 23:25 you can say God if you saw my children go 23:30 to school and you help me to raise my kids. 23:34 You help with my marriage, you paid for me to 23:36 send them college, you helped me in 23:38 this situation. Certainly you can 23:40 take me through this. What makes a storm rough, 23:44 what makes child rough, is that when we don't 23:48 remember what God has just done for us. 23:51 The children of Israel went through that. 23:54 every single individual will go through a storm. 23:58 Every single individual will go through 24:01 a wilderness. The length of time 24:04 in the wilderness is dependent 24:06 upon your attitude. If you complain in 24:08 the storm, if you, 24:10 if you murmur in the storm instead of 24:13 taken 40 days, it may take you 40 years. 24:16 But if you learn to praise God in your storms, 24:20 when storm comes give God a praise thank 24:23 Him for the storm say Amen, 24:25 say hallelujah, you'll discover that 24:28 all the storm is into your life is to 24:33 make you great, all the storm is in your 24:36 life is to make you see worthy. 24:40 All you've to do is to remember your past, 24:43 remember what God had done for you, 24:46 but the nice interesting thing about this text. 24:49 He told them let's go over to Bethsaida. 24:53 Now if you know the geography of the lake 24:56 of Galilee you'll discover that they left 25:00 Capernaum and they were going to Bethsaida, 25:03 but when the story ends. 25:05 They ended in Genezareth and so they 25:08 ended up in a different place then where 25:11 they were going. 25:13 They ended up in a different place 25:16 all entirely. 25:19 But even though they ended in a different 25:22 place the lesson is this, 25:23 you just keep on rowing in the direction that God 25:29 sends you and even though you end up in 25:32 a different place He has provision for you. 25:35 I need for you to get that point, 25:37 you keep on rowing they were going to 25:39 Bethsaida He told them that, 25:41 but they end up in Genezareth. 25:43 And so all they have to do is keep on 25:45 rowing just keep on going, 25:48 just keep on going in the direction of your 25:50 faith into the direction God calls you even 25:54 though you end up in Genezareth. 25:56 Because when they reached onto other side 25:58 they met a demon. And a demon man 26:01 that the preparation of going to the storm would 26:06 have prepared them for that other challenge, 26:08 so that every storm you go through in your life, 26:11 every trial you go through in your life God 26:15 is preparing you for a 26:16 different level and different levels 26:19 bring different devils. The higher you go, 26:23 the more challenges you will face. 26:25 In this life my brother and sisters. 26:28 In this life viewing audience they'll 26:30 always be trouble, there will always 26:33 be storm, but the thing is, 26:34 the thing about the storm is that you 26:37 don't allow what's on the outside to 26:39 get in the inside. What makes a boat 26:42 sink is when the things on the outside get 26:46 you on the inside. So that you keep 26:48 the water out and what you keep inside of you 26:51 is the fact that your God told you 26:53 we are going over to the other side. 26:56 Once His word say to you that you're going 26:59 over to the other side believe me at the 27:02 end of the sentence, at the end of the 27:04 day you will be where He say you will be. 27:07 Just continue on God word in spite of what 27:10 happens to you, in spite of the 27:12 storms in your life, in spite of the 27:15 heart hates, in spite of the trials, 27:17 in spite of the temptations that 27:20 come your way. When it beats vehemently 27:22 in your ship just remember that Jesus is 27:25 just a pray away, Jesus is just a 27:28 praise away, Jesus is just a 27:32 phone call away. If you call Him 27:34 up He will come by your side, 27:36 He will speak to your storm, 27:38 He will quite your storm. 27:40 He will prepare you for anything. 27:42 I recommend to you today that Jesus 27:45 is able to take you through your storm. 27:47 Would you let Him take you through? 27:49 May God bless you, may God keep 27:51 you until we meet again God bless. |
Revised 2014-12-17