1300. Does God Really Care About Me? Part 2

Welcome to The Daily Platform from Bob Jones University in Greenville, South Carolina. Today on The Daily Platform, Pastor Joe Fant from Community Baptist Church in South Bend, Indiana, will continue his sermon from yesterday where Jesus calms the storm in Mark 4. And here the disciples were paralyzed by the storm because they feared the storm more than they feared Jesus. First question, why are you so afraid? Second question, have you still no faith?

And with this question, Jesus addresses the real issue. They were putting their faith in their sailing expertise and they failed. They were putting their faith in their ability to bail water and they failed.

They were putting their ability, their faith in their ability to maintain their own safety and they failed. And he asked them this question, he doesn't say your faith is small, he says do you have any faith? What is faith? Faith is interesting.

It's an interesting concept that we talk about a lot but often is very misunderstood. Did you know that it's not about how much faith you have? You have false teachers in this world who will tell you that things are happening in your life because you didn't have enough faith. Let me ask you a question, how can you have more faith? Do you just need to like mean it more? Can I close your eyes?

Maybe squint a little bit? More faith. You know scripture says that if you have faith the size of a mustard seed you can move mountains. Faith is interesting because it's not about the amount of faith that you have. It's about the object of the faith that you have. If I'm climbing a tree and I have a lot of faith in a really small branch that is going to hold me. I can believe that as much as I want and it's not going to change anything. But if I have a little bit of faith in a large branch it will hold.

So let me ask you a question this evening. What is your faith resting on for your salvation? Pastor Joe when I was three years old I prayed a prayer next to the dishwasher. And whenever I doubt my parents remind me that I prayed that prayer and because of that prayer I'm saved. No you're not because prayer doesn't save people. Pastor Joe I've done a lot of good things.

I've always believed in Jesus. I try to be the best person that I can. I get good and dressed up and I wear a tie. That makes me godly.

And I cut my hair. And I'm at church. I give money to the church.

I go to a Christian school. What is the object of your faith? If somebody asked you why are you saved? How do you know that you're saved? Would you explain the concept in something that you've done? Or would you explain the concept in a person? You see you can't save yourself. Salvation is always seen as a passive action.

A passive event. You guys remember English 101 and English 102? Do you know why the school makes you take English 101 and 102?

Because they hate you. No that's not why they do that. They do that so that you can better understand the English language. So let's go back to English class real quick. What is an active event? I did this in an active voice. I hit you. Hopefully that's not true.

But if it was that would be an active statement. If it was a person doing the action. How are you saved? I saved myself. I prayed a prayer. I go to church. Did you know that every time scripture uses the concept of eternal salvation.

It's not active it's passive. You received salvation. You didn't earn it.

It was given to you. Salvation is all of God. The only thing that you brought to the table was your sin. You are totally and 100% a sinful creature. There is not one molecule of your being that is not affected by sin. That's Ephesians chapter 2. You were born in sin by nature.

A child of wrath. And there was not one good thing residing in you. And anybody who tells you that there was a part of you that was good is lying to you. It's not in scripture.

There is nothing about me. Nothing about you that has not been affected and tainted by sin. When you come to the book of Ephesians and you read Ephesians 1 and Ephesians 2.

God gives this beautiful picture through Paul's pen. The resurrection that happens when you're saved and God raises you from the dead. What can a dead body do? Nothing but stink.

Right? When I was a kid we had a dog named Recy. We got Recy as a puppy. Recy was brown and black hence the name.

Recy's cup. I believe when we picked the dog up from the pound. It was not a crocodoodle. It was a pound dog. And we picked the dog up from the pound and I believe the lady told us or the guy told us that it was half half collie and half labrador retriever.

Okay that's great. But as the dog got older it became obvious that that was not at all the breed that this dog was. Because it had the build of a Rottweiler and the features of a Doberman.

That's very different. And I remember my dad who's here tonight by the way and my mom keeping an eye on me. My dad praying Lord if this dog is going to be an issue because it had begun to show maybe a little sign of aggression.

If this dog is going to be an issue and harm either my family or someone else would you just take it out of our family. And later that week and then he left town by the way. Later that week our neighbor came and said I think your dog is on the road. Literally. On the road. Because he got hit by a car. And sure enough we went out to the road and found that Recy had turned into a pancake.

Very thin and long on the road. And so I decided that I was going to try to help. So I went and got a bottle of a bowl of water. Some food. Come on baby you can do it. Essential oils.

I tried everything. Even frankincense. You got this. There's no hope for Recy at that point. Zero chance. Because the dog was dead.

Gone. And guys that's a picture of you before you were saved. You had no chance. You were dead in your trespasses and sins. And without some supernatural influence on your life you would remain dead in your sins. And then a glorious thing happened if you're a child of God.

God saved you. God breathes life into the dead soul. And even the faith that you have given to you by God. And that's why you can't lose your salvation. Is because it's a supernatural, eternal faith placed within your heart. And you trust in the Lord for salvation and your active responsibility of choosing God. And even your faith is a gift from God. And that's why it's not about the amount of faith that you have. It's about the object of your faith. Is God the object of your faith?

And for the first time in your life there may be light bulbs going on in your mind. That that's why the Christian life seems so frustrating to you because you're not even saved. Because you have been trusting in some event that you can't even remember. That you did to earn salvation. And perhaps from the pages of scripture the Holy Spirit is implanting this question on your heart.

And asking you the question, have you no faith? Friends turn to God for salvation. Placing your faith and trust on him and him alone as the object of your faith.

Because he will never fail. There's a great peace. Then after the great peace I want you to look down in scripture. Verse 41, we see a great fear. Same prefix in the Greek. And they feared exceedingly.

It begins with mega. Great. The great calm because of Jesus' questions turned into a great fear. Why? Because when you get an accurate picture of who Jesus is it causes fear in your heart.

That's why. Because in that moment in the midst of their trial they turned around and they saw Jesus for who he really was. And just like John in the book of Revelation who comes face to face with incarnate Christ and he falls flat on his face as dead. Just like Isaiah in Isaiah chapter 6 who sees God on his throne high and lifted up in his train filling the temple and he falls flat on his face. So these disciples when they saw Jesus for who he really was. When they got a view of God that was accurate. They couldn't care less about the storm anymore because their fear of God was so big. They feared exceedingly.

And Mark leaves his readers hanging on this one question. Look at the end of verse 41. What manner of man is this that even the wind and the sea obey him? The fear of their storm had been replaced by a fear of God. Their eyes had been opened to the supernatural power of Jesus. Can I encourage you this evening that no matter the storm in your life you can cling to the promise that God is in control. That God is using the storm in your life to accomplish your good which is your sanctification and his ultimate glory. You think the disciples had a different view of Jesus in the back of that boat after the storm than before the storm?

You bet they did. And can I tell you that you have some faculty members and some teachers and even some students here who have weathered some great storms. And the testimony of a child of God at the end of that trial or even in the midst of that trial is that God has worked it for good in their life and they're closer to him than they've ever been. In your storm God is working, remember it's his act, it's his story, it's his play here on this earth and so he's working this trial in your life to show you how big he is.

Now some of you are if you've studied this passage before or perhaps you consider yourself to be a deep theologian and you're saying okay pastor Joe I know something interesting about this passage. And that is that some commentators believe this was a demonic storm there were demons coming after him and that could be true because Jesus is going across the lake. And he's going to Gadara where there's at least you know a couple maniacs over there who are breaking chains and cutting themselves and inhabited by a legion of demons and there's a swarm of demons that had stirred up the storm to come after Jesus and to sink the boat so that he wouldn't get to Gadara and he wouldn't cast those demons out. And so this was actually a demonic storm a supernatural storm and I would say hey that's fine it doesn't really matter do you know why because Jesus wins that's why. Because it doesn't matter what kind of storm it is Jesus wins. He takes care of all supernatural forces there's no temptation taking you but such as is common to man and God provides a way of escape because through the power of the Holy Spirit the Christian can live a victorious life because God sits on the throne and he's already won the war even though the battles ranging and Jesus wins. And it doesn't matter how hard your life seems right now I'm not trying to belittle your suffering because many of you are going through things in your life that I've never had to deal with and I can't empathize and I can't sympathize because I don't understand but Jesus does. And can I tell you that you have a high priest who's sitting at the right hand of the Father to make intercession for you who can sympathize with all of your infirmities and all of your weaknesses so run to him the author of Hebrews says to find hope and to find mercy in your time of need.

Because Jesus wins every time. You say pastor Joe I've been diagnosed with something that I will never recover from. Like my father in law. With an 18 month battle with brain cancer. And we prayed for healing. And God healed him. Because he's in heaven right now, free from all worries. And all sickness. And all pain. And Jesus won in his life.

Because he always wins. It doesn't matter how bad the storm is. Jesus always wins whether it's a force of nature or a supernatural force of demonic oppression, no storm is too powerful for the God who created all the supernatural forces and created every natural law that you and I experience. No storm is too powerful for God. I'd like to leave you with three application points to ponder this evening.

Number one. God will allow storms to enter your life. But going further than that God will lead you into them. You know I think we have this concept that everything I shouldn't say we some people I did for a long time in my life have this idea that somehow bad things come from Satan and good things come from God. You know. Like the bad things in my life come and it's like oh Satan's on the heavy tonight. And then someone gives me 100 bucks and I'm like man God is good.

You know. But that's not at all what scripture says. Whose idea was it across the lake? It was Jesus' idea. Jesus knew what was coming he took them in anyway and afterwards they had a greater view of God than they did before. And so you have to understand in your life that when storms come that it's under the sovereign control of God. God is not the author of evil nor is he the author of sin. So your sin is never excused. But nothing happens in your life by accident. There's no such thing as luck.

There's no such thing as karma. God works everything in your life to the smallest detail for your spiritual good and for his glory if you are a child of God. If you're here this evening and you're not a Christian suffering in your life has but one purpose. And that is to bring you to your knees in repentance. To recognize that there is a God and you are not him. And that God is a God of justice and mercy and if you do not bow your knee to God here on this earth your suffering does not work out for good.

Because Romans 8 28 is not a promise to everyone everywhere for all things work together for good to those who love God to those who are called according to his purpose. If you're not a Christian and you're suffering the only hope that you have is to bow your knee to God here. Because you will bow your knee to God in heaven or in hell. Philippians chapter 2 says that all creation things in heaven and things in earth and things under the earth will recognize and bow their knee in submission that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father. If you have a choice bow your knee on this earth and find forgiveness from your sins find mercy as you place your faith and trust in Jesus Christ alone for your salvation.

Bow your knee by choice on this earth or bow your knee by force in eternity to experience hell forever. But for the Christian your trials are promised to work good that you would see God as never before and that you would grow in your faith and that's the second point. The purpose of your storm is to grow your faith you say whoa whoa whoa Pastor Joe I'm paying attention and you said your faith can't grow and then you just said it's to grow your faith. Well that's right because you have to ask yourself the question what is faith? Faith is placing your trust in an object and you either have it or you don't. It's very binary either the light is on or it's off okay either you have faith or you don't.

You either trust God or you don't. But the way you grow your faith is you grow the knowledge of the object of your faith and as your knowledge of who God is grows so your faith grows to match the knowledge of that object. The purpose of your trials is to work good in your life by revealing God to you like you've never seen him before. And as your knowledge grows Paul says knowledge in accordance with godliness meaning knowledge grows and your faith grows to match that knowledge and so as you grow older in life and as you suffer more. So you see God to be greater than you've ever imagined and so your faith grows to match that knowledge as you continue to place your faith and trust in Christ alone for your salvation and your faith is preserved by God. And your faith grows to match your knowledge of God that's the purpose.

It's to grow your knowledge of God and thus grow your faith. Thirdly, faith in the Creator will bring peace and comfort to your heart in the midst of your storm. Philippians chapter four don't be anxious about anything. But pray about everything. Let your request be made known to God as you're thankful. And as you're not anxious and as you pray and as you rehearse these thankfulness this thankfulness the peace of God which passes all understanding will keep your heart and will keep your mind.

It will guard you. You ever met somebody who's in the throes of suffering and yet their faith shines through and you say I have no idea how you're so calm right now. I have no idea how you're weathering the storm. It's because their faith. Their faith. Jesus did not immediately intervene in the disciples storm to bring calm. And often in the storms of our life it's the same. He delays immediate intervention so that you can see his glory displayed in ways that you've never seen it before.

This delay drives us to God in prayer works to develop patience and endurance in us and character and hope. This passage teaches us that there is nothing outside the rule and reign of God. And everything that he brings into your life as a Christian has a purpose. Charles Spurgeon says it this way in the address to his congregation and talking about trials.

The pastor Charles Spurgeon says my dear brothers and sisters. Do you know that sometimes God works a greater wonder when he sustains his people in trouble than he would if he immediately brought them out of it. For him to let the bush burn on and yet not be consumed.

Talking about Moses and the burning bush is a greater thing than for him to quench the flame and save the bush. God is being glorified in your troubles. And if you realize this you will be ready to say Lord heap on loads of trials if it is for your glory. Give me but strength equal to my day. Then pile on the burdens I shall not be crushed beneath them. But I shall be made to illustrate your power.

And he ends with this phrase my weakness shall glorify your might. Are you weak tonight? Do you feel like the whole world is coming down on your shoulders? Are you bearing up under suffering? Would you find comfort that there's nothing outside God's rule and reign? Would you find comfort that God is in control? If you're a Christian would you ask that God would reveal Himself in ways that you've never experienced before so that at the end you can say like Job I've heard you with the hearing of the ear before but in the midst of this trial I actually see you with my eyes. If you're hearing you're not a Christian would you submit to Jesus Christ tonight?

Would you turn from your sin and place your faith and trust in Christ alone for your salvation? Be like blind Bartimaeus Jesus son of David have mercy on me. Father thank you so much for this passage that reveals to us your character. That reveals to us your power and your might.

That shows us that you are in control of everything. That reveals to us the true nature of saving faith. That brings comfort in the midst of trials.

That brings purpose to suffering. And I pray that you would reveal yourself as never before. I don't know what suffering is happening in this room tonight Father but you do. And Jesus I pray that you would intercede for my dear brothers and sisters in Christ who are going through deep valleys in this room. That you would intercede for them and reveal yourself through the pages of scripture like never before. And Father for those here who are unsaved that you would breathe life into their soul. Father give them a heart of flesh that they might see you and be saved. You've been listening to the conclusion of a sermon by Pastor Joe Fant from Community Baptist Church in South Bend, Indiana. Thanks for listening and join us again next time for another sermon from the Bob Jones University Chapel Platform.