We're not talking about a headache or a toothache here. We're talking about a situation where your life is on the line. Dr. Tony Evans says even the worst storms we face in life come our way for a reason. A storm is always designed to to increase your faith and give you a deeper experience with your God.
This is the alternative broadcast, featuring the timeless biblical teachings from the archives of Dr. Tony Evans. When we're stuck in difficult circumstances, we'll often call on God to help get us out. But Dr. Evans says, even when the storms of life are getting worse, we may be right where God wants us.
Let's find out why as we join him for today's message. When we were in school. One of the things we had to dress and deal with. or test.
Some tests were pop quizzes. Pop quizzes were shorter tests and typically you didn't know when they were coming. They would just pop a test on us. And the idea of a pop quiz was to keep you always ready. Because you know it could happen at any time.
You would try to keep up enough so that if you got popped with a quiz, you would be aware enough to pass it. But then there were those midterms and finals. Those were like major exams. That was bringing together a lot of information. taught over an extended period of time.
for you to take a major test on. These major exams were no joke.
Sometimes they required all day and all night studying. Because you knew. that typically the weight of a major exam was more than the weight of a pop quiz. because it was so much bigger.
Now, when a teacher gave you a pop quiz or a major exam, It would be over. if they were a good teacher, information they had taught. If they weren't so good. Everybody would be in trouble. But a teacher would test over what was taught to see whether what was taught you got.
In other words, they don't take your word for it. They don't believe just because you said you got it, that you got it. And so they put it to a test. A pop quiz, that's one thing. A major exam, that's another thing.
But what happens when you get hit with a pop exam? It's not a small quiz. It's a major exam, but you were not notified in advance.
Well today we want to look at not a pop quiz but a pop exam. Unexpected yet big. We've been talking about Faith. We define faith as acting like God is telling the truth. Faith is measured by feet, not by feelings.
Faith is measured by walk, not by talk. Faith is measured by life, not by lips. Jesus has been teaching all day. He's been teaching the crowds, preaching the big sermon. And then he takes his disciples aside and He gives them a private word.
He says in verse 33 of Mark 4, With many such parables he was speaking the word to them.
So far as they were able to hear it, and he did not speak to them without a parable. But he was explaining everything privately to his own disciples.
So he calls his disciples aside after teaching the big crowd and says, Let me speak to you. And let me give you some stories. that will give you spiritual truth for you to apply to your life. And he gave them some inside information. But, like any good teacher, he wants to see whether you got it.
He wants to see whether you were just saying amen, hallelujah, praise the Lord, ain't God good? or whether you really, really believed it. And so he gives them a pop. But not a quiz. He gives him a pop.
But it turns out to be a major exam. Because beginning in verse 35, he tells his disciples, I want you to get on the boat. And let us go, verse 35 says, to the other side. Leaving the crowd, they Took him along with them in the boat just as he was, and the other boats were with him.
So let's get something straight. As we start our journey. The disciples are smack dab in the will of God. Jesus said, get in the boat. They got in the boat after the sermon.
They listened to the word. He said, get in the boat. They got in the boat. And they are doing exactly what they were told to do. They are.
Perfectly situated. Not only Are they in the will of God? Jesus is in there with them. Because it says Jesus got in the boat too.
So life can be better. Then having church Hearing the word. And Jesus joins you in the boat.
So Jesus is in the boat. They're going their way over to the other side. But While in the will of God. And on the boat with the Lord. There's a problem.
The problem is described in verse 37. There arose a fierce gale. of wind. And the waves were breaking over the boat so that the boat was already. Filling up.
The Greek word here for fierce gale of wind is lilac. A lilac. Was a tumultuous storm. coming out of nowhere on the Sea of Galilee. The Sea of Galilee is located in a basin surrounded by large hills.
Creating a funnel effect.
So, when the wind would blow at a certain speed in a certain direction, it would get caught in this funnel. And it would turn into a half hurricane, half tornado, creating chaos on the water.
Now it's only about a six-mile journey from one side of the Galilee. To the other side of the Galilee, but when you get caught. In a lilac. And it's a big one, a fierce gale. Then it turns the water upside down, and it's like a tornado sucks down and just rips things up.
And while they were obeying God. In God's will. doing exactly what God said. After church was over. Jesus had finished teaching.
They run into a storm. And it's a whopper. It's so bad that the boat is filling up.
Now, many of these are professional fishermen, so they know how to handle water, boats, and storms.
So when professional fishermen get scared, You know it's a big deal. This is a major Lilac. And so they are caught in the storm while being in the will of God.
So, the first thing that you need to know. is that in the will of God, it does rain. You can be smack dab in the will of God. and be in the middle of a lilac. You can be smack dab doing exactly what God tells you to do and the boat of your security.
begins to sink. You can be smack dab in the will of God. Now, obviously, you can be out of the will of God and be in the storm. And you can be in the will of God.
So this ought to clarify that storms in and of themselves do not tell you whether you're in or out of God's will. What tells you whether you're in or out of God's will is did you do what he told you to do? But whether you did it or you didn't do it, you can still be in a lilac. That is a tumultuous situation. The other thing you need to know about this lilac is it's merciless.
That is It comes down on you and it seeks to consume you. The boat was filling up. The wind was blowing at such speed. That it threatened to take them under. Anyone ever been in a situation that looked like it was going to take you under?
That it was going to overwhelm you? A storm, this kind of trial. is an unexpected circumstance. that invades your life. That threatens your very existence.
We're not talking about a headache or toothache here. We're talking about a situation where your life is on the line. Where you don't know if you're going to make it or not. But let me tell you something else about a storm. A storm is always designed to increase your faith.
and give you a deeper experience with your God. Storms aren't pleasant, they aren't comfortable, and sometimes they can be life-threatening. But they always come with a purpose.
So here they are in a crisis. They're in this crisis, and the crisis was threefold. There are actually three storms occurring here. Let me walk you through the three storms. First of all, there is a circumstantial storm, the lilac.
I say one more thing about this circumstantial storm, and that is, it was a storm over which they could exercise no control. You can't control the wind, you can't control the sea, you can't control the rain, you can't control the spinning of the turmoil, you can't control waves billowing up and going, you can't control that. That is out of your control.
So, you can be in the will of God in a storm and absolutely be able to do nothing about it. Because you can't control a lilac. It's circumstances. that produces a helpless And sometimes the feeling of a hopeless scenario.
So that's storm number one. That leads to storm number two. Storm number two is that they were terrified. We know that they were terrified because Jesus is going to say to them, Why are you afraid in verse 40?
So they weren't scared, they were scared. No, we're talking terrified.
So now we not only have eight. Storm of circumstance, we have a storm of emotion. Because their emotions have riveted up and they are scared about the doctor's report, scared about the financial struggle, scared about the relationship direction, scared. Whatever it is that you can't control that's causing your emotions to be uprooted is your lilac. Because it's something so big, so deep, and so devastating.
You can't control it. Dr. Evans will tell us about a third kind of storm when he returns with more of our message in just a moment. But first, if you need help building the kind of faith that can weather life storms. Tony provides it in his current series Believing is Seeing.
He says most of us look at faith and experience upside down. But once we understand that believing comes first, we open ourselves up to see more of God's supernatural work in our lives, especially in the moments we need Him most. Believing is Seeing is an eight-part collection of faith-building messages, and we'd love to send them all to you as our gift when you make a donation to help keep this program coming your way each day. And if we hear from you right away, We'll also include Tony's brand new devotional and prayer guide, Anchored by Faith. A powerful daily tool to help you stay rooted in God's promises and experience greater confidence as you walk with Him.
This double offer will only be available for a limited time.
So visit TonyEvans.org today or call 1-800-800-3222 to make your donation and request. Again, that's tonyevans.org. or by phone at 1-800-800-3222.
Well right now, let's get back to Dr. Evans talking about trusting God in a storm.
So the first storm are circumstances out of their control. The second storm is their emotional instability because of the uncontrollable circumstance. But there's a third storm here. We'll call it a theological storm. Because not only was their circumstance out of control.
And now their emotions responding to that circumstance. They now have a spiritual storm. A theological storm because the scripture goes on to say. That they woke up Jesus and said in verse 38, Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing? See, that's the spiritual stolen.
Because their circumstances were out of control. And their emotions have gone crazy.
Now they question whether what they have been believing. is true. That's good. If the truth be told. There aren't many of us who haven't questioned God.
Who haven't said, I'm not sure I should be believing this anymore. I'm not sure I should be continuing this because what I'm hearing on Sunday and what I'm experiencing on Monday don't match. I heard the preacher say. That you care. I don't see you caring for me.
Ow! I heard the preacher say, you can fix it. But you ain't fixing it for me. I heard somebody say, You're a healer. I'm still sick.
I heard somebody say you're a lawyer in the courtroom. But I'm in trouble. I heard somebody say that you will be a friend to the friendless, and I feel more lonely than ever.
So what I heard about you And what I'm experiencing. don't match and I'm not sure. This is real. If we were to tell the truth. There have been those times When we have to raise the question like Martha and Mary, where were you when I needed you?
Because if you would have been here It wouldn't be this painful, it wouldn't take this long, and it wouldn't hurt this bad. Come on, God. Teacher? Do you really care, or is that just theological nonsense I was raised to believe? There are those times in our lives, particularly when the storm rages.
We don't have this problem when there's no storm. We praising the Lord. We waving our hand in the air like we just don't care. When there is no storm. But in the middle of a storm Especially one that just shoots up on you.
Unexpected. that looks like it will wipe you out. And you're terrified, afraid, insecure. Because you're overwhelmed. That naturally leads to a spiritual question.
Where were you, God? Let's go a little deeper. Because verse 38 says Jesus himself was in the stern, asleep. On the cushion. No, you didn't.
Oh no, you didn't, Jesus. I'm in a storm and you're snoring. I'm in a storm. And you're sleeping. What good is a savior who sleeps when you're in your storm?
We call you Savior. Jesus, this is not the time to be tired. Because we're in a storm. Not only is Jesus asleep, He's asleep on a cushion. A cushion is a pillow.
So he's not only asleep, if you asleep on a pillow, that meant you meant to go to sleep. See, if you didn't tuck the pillow up under your head, that's not like nodding off. That's, I'm tired, I'm going to bed. Let me get this pillow just right, and I'm going to get on now. I lay me down to sleep.
Pray the Lord my soul and keep. You know, this is serious sleep.
So that man, he sleep on purpose.
So not only is Jesus Asleep. Not only is the sleep on Or permit, he's asleep in a storm.
Okay, now I got another problem. Because he's sleeping on me. And he's in the same storm I'm in. Because he's on the same boat I'm on. He sleep.
Or the storm, and the only way he gets up is I gotta wake him up. It says they woke him up. Jesus, why does Storm not messing with you? Because it's your mess with everybody else on this boat, and you are sound asleep. And we got to shake it and bake it.
We got to stir you. One version says they had to arouse him, which means they didn't just say, Jesus. Time to get up. No, they had to shake and bake that. Jesus, wake up!
That's when you're crying out because. It's so bad, so deep for so long. And they they shook him and they said, Don't you care? Because if you kid we wouldn't even have even if you were tired we wouldn't have to wake you up You guys, you're getting wet like we're getting wet. The boat's flipping and flopping you like it's flipping and flopping us.
Have you ever noticed something? When you were taking your midterm exams, How quiet the teacher was. The teacher would either leave the room or go sit behind the desk. She wouldn't say anything. He wouldn't say anything.
Why wouldn't the teacher say something? Taking a test.
So the teacher is quiet when you're taking a test. Because you should be taking the test. off of information already received. Yeah.
So the teacher not saying much. I know you want to raise your hand and say, teacher, number five, number five. I'm having trouble with number five. Wake up, teacher. Wake up, teacher.
But right now the teacher Oh, it's quiet. Teacher doesn't have much to say. Because you're taking a test. And so they're in this storm, they're struggling. Jesus is asleep.
And they had a question. Where were you? Do you c you don't care about me? If you cared about me, I wouldn't be going through this like this. Don't you care how bad was it?
that we are Parache.
So this is major. We think we're gonna drown out here and die. We all have sponges in our homes. You dip the sponge in water. It becomes full of it.
And then when you apply a little pressure. What was soaked in comes out.
Now if you squeeze But you never immersed the sponge? Don't look for something to come out. Because there was nothing absorbed in. What storms have An amazing Ability to do. is to show you.
Whether what you heard in the sermon was soaked. Whether it got beyond the external hearing the message. And whether it was soaked in. But the only way what is soaked in the sponge comes out is when there's a little. Pressure.
You pour it, you squeeze it, you press it, and all of a sudden, whatever was soaked comes out. The reason why, when we're under pressure, a lot doesn't come out. Is a lot hasn't been soaked in. We were around the water. We didn't absorb it.
So what the pressure reveals is air. 'Cause it wasn't soaked. Jesus had just taught the disciples, they'd just come from church, so to speak. And now. They're under pressure.
And it's tough. Does Jesus care about my pain, my finances, my loneliness, my hurt, my depression? Because I'm in his will and I feel all this. And so They wake Jesus up. Verse 39, Jesus gets up.
And he rebukes the wind and says to the sea, Hush your fast. Hush. Be still. Notice who Jesus is talking to. He's going to talk to them, but he's not talking to them right now.
He's talking to the circumstance. The circumstance is the wind and the sea. It's a storm. He doesn't speak to them yet. He speaks to the situation.
But when does he speak to the situation? After they wake him up.
So Jesus is asleep. They wake him up. When they wake him up, He speaks to the circumstance that was causing the crisis.
So don't let it be said your crisis continues. Because you never took the time to wake the Savior up. Not words. You were not so concerned about it. that getting his attention to it was unimportant.
Because we'll wake up our friends, we'll wake up people with power, we'll wake up people who we think can change it, and a lot of times we don't try to wake up the Savior. Valuable words from Dr. Tony Evans on Trusting God in a Storm. And he'll have more for us on this tomorrow.
Now don't forget, our lesson today comes from Tony's series, Believing is Seeing. An eight-part journey that explores the vital connection between taking God at His Word and seeing that Word transform our lives. And for a limited time, when you make a contribution to help support the alternative broadcast, we'll send you this complete audio collection as our gift, along with a special bonus, Tony's brand new devotional and prayer guide, Anchored by Faith. This resource is designed to help you stay grounded in God's promises, deepen your trust. and experience greater confidence and peace as you navigate life's challenges.
this exclusive package will only be available for a limited time.
So visit tonyevans.org or call 1-800-800-3222 soon to make the arrangements. Again, that's tonyevans.org. or by phone at 1-800-800-3222.
Well, tomorrow, Dr. Evans talks more about what it takes to trust God. when it seems like our circumstances are about to wash us away. You'll discover why even when things are at their worst, There's something more powerful at work than the storm. Be sure to join us.
