Good evening, God bless. Thank you so much. Yeah, I can see you. Thank you so much for joining us here in Swanley this evening. We just gather around the scriptures as we gather around the world. Wherever you are this evening pace the with you as the screen says face. That's what we're all looking for his presence is rests calmness and stillness. Thank you so much for joining me wherever you are this evening, whatever your timezone may be, wherever you are across the world, we thank you so much for joining us. I just gotta wait a couple of moments. We'll just get a couple of things. Press Done. Thank you, you can hear us excellent, Texas. All those that will be with us tonight at midnight. Midnight tonight for the midnight hours, we just gather around, break bread and tape together for about 45 minutes or so. He stopped well as we just broke bread. And to see what the Lord says through some prayer time to some still time, just some quiet time you have less than even Yes, thank you so much. Well, welcome. Thank you so much. The mighty name of Jesus Christ, and they want to join us on different platforms across the globe this evening. It's turned straight into the book of Mark chapter four. Mark chapter four, verse 35, through two verse 4041, sorry, a simple text, a simple read and easy look. Nothing complicated, nothing to nothing deep as in theologically stretching the same thing, just just resting in the Word of God just resting in the word there are storms breaking out all over the place there are, as the scripture says, Here it says a school we understand what a school may be an increase of wind velocity and increase in wind speed, a change of direction of the wind, it creates a storm, it creates rain, thunderstorm, a school so there was a sudden storm blowing out of nowhere. And I think for many of us, there are sudden storms just blowing out of nowhere at the moment, you know, on the east or north or west side of our lives. You know, wherever we look around there seems to be a quick storm very interesting. What a school actually means and how it depicts it doesn't say storm, it says a school, a very quick increase in the wind, a change of the environment, a change of the weather, a change, just a quick change, you know, and I think that's where we are at the moment that everything is changing very quickly. And we are in in in some form of a wet weather pattern where things are changing extremely quick, where everything is moving quick. Everything is fast, you know, fast. It's like storms are happening quick. The weather environments changing quick, you know, look at the lightning and the storms we've had over the last couple of evenings. And the sun sets and out. I've been watching some beautiful sunsets out of them to Windows over the over the top of the studio roof over their house. Everything is so quick and everything is changing so much. So we're in Matthew, for those that are just joining us. Matthew chapter four, verse 35, through to verse 41. A very simple a very easy read Matthew, sorry, Mark. Sorry, come on. Let's go sorry, I changed that we are in Mark Sorry. Go back to where the beginning was. We are in Mark chapter four. Not Matthew, Not Matthew, Not Matthew we are in mark in the New Testament the book of Mark chapter four verse 35 through 241. So let's just recap a moment. You know as the as the seasons are changing, political leaders are changing the weather environment is changing. Church as we used to and as we look at it is changing. Religion is trying to stay the same but there is a change in direction in there. Everything is for the change and it is quick everything is quick. You know, time is is just quick and in the seasons are quick and easy and everything is quick and then look out fast this summer is gone or dinner long hot days, and suddenly, you can feel the seasons coming in very, very quick. You can see it through the evenings and through the daytime, that the sun is starting to lose its strength, the seasons are starting to shift. But as we look at this scripture, there's so much that we can get from this. There is a lot coming out of a very simple and a very easy read. It really opened my heart when I when I read this when I was led into this. So we're in in the Gospel of Mark synoptic, gospel of Mark chapter four verse 35. A simple stretch down to six verses or there abouts nothing complicated nothing deep as in you know, trying to unpack stuff and and really seeking and really pressing in. quite self explanatory, easy soft on the is soft to read, you know, quite a comforting read. But I do believe I really do believe that there are lots of squalls around, quick fired storms that are, are whipped up coming in changing the environment, changing the way that we see things. We got quick storms in political areas, we got quick storms in the money markets, we got quick storms in education, storms that are coming in and quickly changing things. And everything seems to be switching over quickly all the time moving, shifting, it's almost like a shift in sand on the under our feet almost to a degree but I know what you're thinking. And I know what I should be saying, we are building on the rock but you understand what I'm saying that the what we are treading on feels very, very unstable. Everything feels a bit loose and a bit of the war, the general walk as a human being and remembering we are human beings that have spirit filled, that are filled with the power of the Holy Spirit filled with that living Word of God, filled with the power of Christ, we are filled. But we are human beings that are filled. We are brothers and sisters that are filled. We are not superhuman. We are human beings with a powerful, all encompassing power of God that sits on the inside of us. God is with us. And I pray tonight that you will find rest for your soul, peace for your heart, contentment for your being that you will just find a place to sit and be still upon the rock of ages upon the King of kings, and the Lord of lords. And I believe I really believe many of us, and I'm speaking about me, for me and to me at this moment, wherever you are 738 across the UK. And thank you for all those that join us on Buzzsprout, Spotify, I Heart Radio and all the other platforms and Amazon music and everybody that's on this broadcast tonight. And all those that will be with us at 12 o'clock for the midnight hour breaking bread. And as we just look at this scripture, very interesting and that Jesus is guiding his is leading in this area. So let's let's read about anymore. Let's read. So we're in verse 35, of Mark chapter four. And it says that day when evening came, he said to his disciples, let us go to the other side leaving the crowd behind. They took him along just as he was in the boat. But there was also other boats with him. A furious school came up and waves broke over the boat. So it nearly was swamped. Jesus was in the stone sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, Teacher, don't you care if we drown? He got up he rebuked the wind and he said to the waves, quiet be still the wind died down and it was completely calm. Verse 40, the last two verses, it says he said to his disciples, Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith? They were terrified and they asked to each other. Who is this even the wind and the waves obey him. Thanks be to the good Lord. In the heavens above. This is a competent scripture. This is a competent Scripture as in, we can see Christ directly speaking to the audience and he doesn't pull anyone out as an individual. He is speaking to the disciples. He is speaking to a handful a few people. He is speaking to an audience of a few. So there is a few here. So if we just go back to verse 35, and it says when the day evening came, he said to his disciples, so he's giving clear instruction. He's speaking clear and loud. They know exactly what he's asking him to do because their actions tell us through the Scripture, what he does. And what they do says When evening came and he said to his disciples, Let us go over to the other side. Let's just remind ourselves tonight that Christ is journey and with us, I find that the scripture were Christ is saying, let's go to the other side, we understand he talked about God, let's go to the other side of the lake. So there is a journey Christ knows the journey that is ahead. Christ knows that the journey to the left and the right Christ knows all of our journeys. He is in our journey, he understands our journey, he knows where we sit as human beings in the journey of life. And as we look at this text, it says, leaving the crowd behind, so straightaway, there is an element, there is an area there is a part of this text that we are looking at that sometimes we will have to leave the crowd. Now there are certain people within that crowd that we have to leave on the shoreline of life. And there are many of us that will need to leave many crowds on the shore line of life. And there will only be a few that we journey with to the other side. Now Christ is calling here Christ is calling Christ is speaking, Christ is directing. Let's go to the other side, it makes a very clear, he makes a very clear statement in verse 35, let us go to the other side. So he's talking to a few. He's talking to a handful, he's talking to a small audience, he's talking to his disciples, the number that is that we're not sure in this text. But he is talking to the disciples, he isn't taking anyone out as in Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John isn't, he isn't picking up the manual, he isn't speaking to Thomas directly, we find no names on the fabric of this page. But he addresses them as his disciples. So we have two things in the very kickoff of this text, he is dressing His disciples, the ones are his followers, the believers. But then also, he speaks about a crowd. Now, who was in that crowd? How many was around that crowd. If you backup the scriptures, you would find very easy where you can get an idea of how many was there. And as you go back up through and you work your way back up the gospel of Mark chapter four, we can get an idea and get the audience to see what's happening. But I really believe tonight, that there are many that are looking for peace. And I believe that there are many on a journey where they've heard Christ speak directly into their innermost being. And Christ is almost saying, we are going to go to the other side, the other side of the lake. Now Christ is saying, we are going to move away from the crowd. And I believe Christ is telling many of us to move away from the crowd, the systematic crowd, the robotic crowd, I'm looking at the word crowd, I'm not looking at who was in the audience of this crowd. But I'm looking at who's in the audience that may be around you and me in the environment, the larger audience that is, now we have the disciples, the disciples were the closer ones, that inner circle, that close knit that close walk with Christ, but there was a crowd and there is always a crowd around Jesus, when you look at the lady with the issue of blood, it makes very clear definition in the Scripture, that the crowd was crowd in Jesus pushing him. So the crowd is very robotic, the crowd has one agenda, the crowd can almost lead a certain human being. So I believe that we, we may have not put it directly straight onto your laps tonight and into into your thought pattern. But do we have a crowd that is around us, that we need to separate ourselves from? Firstly, I believe that Around me there is a crowd there is an audience that I've got to separate myself from, I believe that I've got to walk with Christ closer. Because as I look at this scripture, the disciples were called, because Jesus was calling them. Let's go to the other side. And I believe Christ is calling many of us to journey life very, very different, according to what the crowd is expecting. What the crowd expects from anyone to any one of us, is a very difficult issue to deal with. Because what the crowd wants, the crowd is filled with so many hearts, eyes is systems opinions, the crowd is made up of a, an enormous amount of people. But when you break that down to the disciples, it can only be a handful of people on that vessel. But what the Scripture also says that there was some other boats that followed. So there is a following of Jesus that are close to him. So there was a few that he put any call and he said, Let's go to the other side. So let's assume that was most of all of all, we can't get any any numerology from this number from this page. We can't depict exactly to the numbers how how it was, but we understand that there was a large crowd around him. At the beginning of this they was crowding him he was teaching them, but there comes a point when when there is a separation, not from Jesus, but Christ is calling you or me to walk differently to sow differently. So this was their journey. They was with the crowd, Jesus was with them. They was all together, the disciples and the crowd will mix. They was integrated. They was together, they was walking, they were doing what they was doing, everything was going on. He was talking about the parable of the mustard seed. He was talking about the lamp on the stand, he was talking about the the parable of the growing seed and all the parables were here. But then suddenly, there comes a point, I honestly believe that we are at this point now for many of us, where, where Christ is calling us out of the crowd, out of the crowd of walk out of the crowd of life out of the crowd of business, out of the crowd of church, out of the crowd of religion, and Jesus is redirecting us, but the direction that he wants us to go in, we might be familiar with the waters of life, because these disciples were familiar with the waters, they was familiar of that area, that zone, that layer that they was living in that that parochial stretch that that water that was in front of them, they was familiar with that. And sometimes familiar territory can still be a dangerous territory. Now, the reason I say that is because very simply, the Scripture makes a very clear cut situation that a ferocious Squall came in. So we clearly get a bit of an understanding the US the squall is a quick fired power of wind, it changes the direction of everything, and the school comes out of nowhere. And I believe that there are many of us that have had a situation or an incident that we can draw a parallel with the School of a ferocious incident that has come out in the darkness, the deadness of daytime has suddenly come out and has come from nowhere, and has rocked our boat that we are living in. We are familiar with the waters that we trade, these fishermen, they were familiar with the shoreline, they were familiar with the water, they were familiar with the environment, we are very familiar with the environment. So here we have a separation of separation, not from Jesus Christ, but a call in from Jesus to cross the waters that we have crossed 1000 times before that we have sailed on the waters of life 1000 times before, so they wasn't going into unfamiliar territory. They was just doing what Jesus said. And they're probably sound this way a few times that fish this way a few times, they was familiar with the settings, this was their home environment. This is where they've done businesses where they live life. This is where they caught the fish. This is where they clean their nets. This is where they pulled their boats on the shoreline. They was familiar with this territory. And we become very familiar with our territory. And every one of us that is living a very familiar very robotic way. We live a certain way we fish a certain way we walk a certain way we carry on a certain way. I really believe that as we are living a certain way Christ has separated from a certain crowd. And there are many that have got to separate themselves from a crowd. But Jesus is calling us to sail across the lake of life and to trust them. But that is a severe, furious school that has already broken out. Now you might focus on bringing a parallel with the political agendas, the stocks and the shares and the finance and the Liquidity Markets. The housing stock you might have an you might look at what your business is looking like your life, your your relationships, your children, your husband, your wife, your marriages, whatever, however you might be looking at the Lake of your life and God Christ has called you to set sow and we are journeying across the lake. But as we journey across the lake, there is a sudden change of atmosphere, environment, darkness, light, everything has been a change. The general pattern of our life has been shaken by a furious out of nowhere. A furious Squall has come down from nowhere, and it almost hit our territory and it has shaken our boat and as the scripture says, and let's let's read it for ourselves. Jesus said leave the crowd behind. Now, that is very clear. A lot of people are in this position, leave the crowd behind. You know who you are. We know who we are. Leave the crowd of system, society, corporation, entities, establishments, environments, areas of life, leave the crowd behind let us go to the other side, leaving the crowd behind. They took him along and this is fascinating because Because Christ gives an extra in a clear instruction. It says on that day on the evening When he said to the disciples, let us go to the other side. So he's giving clear instruction through through speech. He's having a clear dialogue, they're engaging in him. And he says, Let's go to the other side. So they are on a journey, but the Scripture says, But they took him along as he was. If I even though I said, it's not not that deep, but when you really open up the envelope, and you take line by line, if we had line chance to do a line by line, study a word by word and translating it and looking at and unpacking it, maybe many of you are at this moment, taking it line by line and doing your own type of study, which is fine and wonderful. May God bless you for that. That's, that's brilliant that you're doing that maybe you're digging a little bit deeper under the envelope with a text. And as you see what the Word of God is saying, and the way God's word is opening up your heart tonight. But as you look at this, Christ has given the instruction, he's saying, we are going to go to the other side, you are going to journey on a journey that you've done before, because you are familiar with this lake, you are familiar with the sea of life, you are familiar with your boat, you are familiar with your net, you are familiar with the way that you live the way you fish. This is familiar territory to you. This wasn't a strange environment. This wasn't something unusual. This wasn't the first time they ever explored this, this see that there was going on this lake, they had done this all their business life, this was part of them. This was built into their humanity, this was built into their makeup, this was built into their work ethics, this was built into their life, these are human beings that are coming under instruction. And when I say human beings, I will say again, human beings that are disciples, because we are human beings, we are brothers and sisters, saved by grace washed in the blood of Jesus. But we cannot get away from the fact that all the time, there is skin on the bone, and we are speaking and we are alive and our hearts are beating. We are human beings. And God calls us sons or daughters of him. But we are human because the Bible says and the Word became flesh, to be flesh, you have to be a human being the human race, Christ created the human being out of the dust of the earth. So Christ is calling the fisherman to carry on the journey that they're familiar on. Maybe God and Christ is calling you and you are walking the same lake, you are swimming on the same tide of life, you are journeying you are sailing on the lake of life, and Jesus is calling you, and it feels very familiar. But you know that you know that you know that your living Messiah is with you. On the Lake of life Jesus is with you on the lake of life. Christ is with us on the lake of life. So they set sound that left the crowd behind very important that we understand that I have got to leave the crowd have walked the crowd of system, the crowd of society, the crowd of manipulation, the crowd are pushing the crowd of manipulation, the crowd will always manipulate what the numbers want what the crowd is hungry for. But when you break it down, you can be in some form of crowd and not understand what that crowd environment is after. Because the human being when it is in a vast audience together has this very interesting press and very controlling way. But if he was to take many people out of the crowd, they couldn't give a clearer answer. Because you might be caught in the crowd at the back of the crowd to the side of the crowd and not understand what the core of the crowd is. And sometimes it's can be very difficult in the system of life to find what is at the core of the crowd. Once someone starts moving and the crowd starts to bend and move. The crowd automatically moves but it doesn't not understand why it is moving. And why it is operating. It is just moving as a crowd, a crowd of people hustle and bustle living life. The UK we are living in a nation that is herded, we are herded like cattle. We are being herded at the moment by fear by by what can be coming down the tracks of Universal Credit, social housing, the economic markets, the political agendas, there is a herding there is a there is a generalized in there is a herding going on. Are we going to be herded by the culprit and the elite? Or am I going to leave the culprit and the elite let them bark and shout or am I going to follow Jesus because Jesus, there is a separation not between Christ and us but there is a separation between something very interesting, the crowd and the individual. There is a separation. Now will I stay with the crowd and the system or will I Listen to the voice through the word of God because God is speaking through His Word. Will I listen to this word stand on the rock. And now this might might sound a bit strange standing on the rock but walking by faith, you know, he's, he's our lefties are right here. They're beginning here they're in. Here's our bright morning star, he is Jehovah Jireh, Jehovah Nissi, Jehovah shalom, He is, He is our Lord. He is the great I Am He is the God of Israel, the father of Isaac, Jacob and Abraham, but He is our Lord. He is our Messiah, He is our Savior, He is our Redeemer. He is our redemption. And he has paid the price the ultimate price, crucifixion on the cross of Calvary. So the question is, Will I stay in the crowd, and let the elite drive and the the elite always like to drive the crowd. And it's very interesting that the elite don't get involved in the crowd, the elite are far removed from the crowd, the audience. So there are two things happening in this nation. Am I going to allow the elitist? Am I going to allow the elite to dictate from the towers of power and control the masses? Because that's what's going on? There's, there's there's like almost a fabrication, a switch and a move of control that is happening? Am I going to be herded? Or are we going to be one that is going to bust out of the crowd and say actually, I'm following Jesus I my faith is, is in him. I'm going to almost extract myself because Jesus is calling. You know, we've heard the how, you know, Jesus is calling. And I do believe Christ is calling through the message through the word of God. As we read it, we hear the power of the word, we feel the power of the word, we see the power of the word, we live by the power of His Word, we listen to the power of his voice. So his word Jesus God, Holy Spirit, the deity, the Trinity, the Father, Son, Holy Spirit, however, we view that and whatever our viewpoint is, and whatever our understanding is, and whatever our revelation is of the Scripture can be very different to one another. But the fundamental points have to remain the same to that degree of the fundamental points of Christianity. Sorry, I was thinking about something else there, sorry, left, excuse me, got 1000 things going on in my mind at this moment as we look at the Scripture, but as we look at the Scripture, so firstly, we say Christ is calling them away from the crowd, he says, Let, we're going to lead the crowd behind. Let's go to the other side. So there is a journey. So every one of us is on a journey with Christ, we might be familiar that there is a few disciples with us on this same journey. And there might be a few a handful of people that we are walking with that, that are praying with us walking with us Bible study, and with us chatting with us. But we know that we are like kin, we know that they are trustworthy, they walk, we walk close with them, you know that you're safe with them, you know that you won't get charged with them. So, so there's two, there was more than two, there's there's things going on, let's stop. So the crowd is up there. Christ is calling they're in the boat, they've left that place, and they're moving that they have left the shoreline. And I do believe that there are many that have left the shoreline, and you are sailing and you are walking the boards of life. We have walked this way, time and time again, because the fishermen have gone this way backwards and forwards across the lake across the sea, backwards and forwards, dropping their nets, pulling their nets in cleaner nets, fixing their nets, catching fish, not catching fish. So these fishermen were familiar with the territory that Jesus Christ was calling them to cross over. You are familiar with the territory that you are in at this moment. But let me present it like this very quickly. There has been an outbreak of a furious squirrel in my life and your life. There has been a furious breakout, the wind of direction from somewhere else has come down that hillside hit the Lake of life and almost rocked the boat that we are sailing in with Jesus. The wave has come up it says it almost swamped their boat. It nearly so whatever you're reading from it might say almost or it might say nearly mine says it nearly the wave or nearly swamped the boat. It nearly took the boat out. Jesus is asleep. He's at the stern end of the boat, the backside of the boat back end of the boat. The scripture says he's on a cushion. He's asleep. Jesus is comfortable. Jesus is comfortable in our storm. But what I cannot allow is the storm to aggravate me because when the storm aggravates me When a storm catches my attention more than Christ is resting in my storm, Christ is resting in my storm. Jesus isn't getting fearful in the storm. He's asleep on the cushion, he is resting in the storm, his body will know. His being will know that their environment is changing, he will know that that bow is being moved and knocked about Jesus knows the owl bow, an owl vessel that we are sailing in, across the lake of familiarity. In life, he knows the elbow are familiar press on life is being knocked about. But Christ did not jump up and shout and holler and run around the vessel that they were sailing in. In fear. He just spoke to the elements of creation, the wind and everything died down and it was quiet. Jesus might seem to be asleep in the most darkest ferocious Squall that you are in tonight. Whatever is breaking out all of a sudden, because that is what a school means. It has come out of nowhere. We left the shoreline, we were singing Kumbaya, hallelujah, we love you, Jesus. Jesus is with us in a vessel of life. Jesus said, Let's go to the other side, we are going to have a revival crossing the territory of life. This is going to be great. We're going to be singing we're going to be praising Jesus is asleep. Everything is a Oh, K. But the circle of life, the elements of life suddenly changed. Even when Jesus is journeying with us, the elements change in our lives. I find this very profound, I find this very deep, actually, I said it wasn't. But I'm finding it deeper as we go in. And as my mind is thinking, as my mind is trying to articulate it, and my heart is trying to deliver it. So Christ is asleep in the vessel, that they are all sailing in. Jesus Christ might look like he's asleep, but he's not in fear. Because when he woke, and they had to wake him up. Now when we look at this very carefully, it says they woke him up. To wake him up. They must have shaken him, shouted, hollering, pulling out his clothes pulling out him. And they said something very interesting. into the ears of Jesus. They spoke over his life. Don't you care if we drown? I can't imagine that they sang that so holy, and they spoke that so wonderful. Jesus, don't you think that we're going to drown? I would imagine the fear and the adrenaline and the stress of suddenly out of nowhere, as they was with Jesus. Everything is great because I'm with Jesus. But suddenly, even though I'm with Jesus, this furious Squall broke out, it is not my boat, the wave has come up so high, and then it has crashed down on my house, and we are going to drown. We are not going to drown in the lack of money, we are not going to drown in the lack of fuel, we are not going to drown in the lack of leadership in this nation. We are not going to drown in the lack of food we are not going to drown in the in the hike of the fuel prices. We are not going to drown because Jesus has a plan. God has a plan. And the plan is that we are living in end times. There are going to be many squalls breaking out in our lives. There are going to be very ferocious storms breaking out within the UK, spiritual storms, natural storms, physical storms, the general storm of living as a human being, you might say to yourself, well today has been a calm day. It has been a quiet day, but there may be many on the other side of the lens of this camera this evening. Capturing this broadcast that is going you know what I was sailing well this morning. And then suddenly out of nowhere, a serious a ferocious storm a school broke out and suddenly I was shouting and going Jesus. Don't you care? I ain't gonna make it Lord. I'm not gonna get through today. Lord, help me. What is going on? Lord, you're asleep on the boat of my life. What is going on? God help me Where are you Jesus please. You can Imagine how they addressed the Messiah. You can imagine how they was feeling. Some would have approached him quite violently shaking him pulling him by the leg. pulling him is cloak pulling at him, screaming, shouting, help us. We are going to drown, don't you care? Honesty, honesty, honesty with Jesus. Honesty with Christ. Let's put press on. Let's press on a fear a furious school came down, and the waves broke over the bow. So it was nearly swarmed, swamped. Sorry, Jesus was in the stone sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said, Teacher, don't you care if we drown? He got up. He got up. We are looking at Christ in the fullness of the man Christ Jesus. When we look at Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane, we understand that is kneeling in the Garden of Gethsemane. And when we, when we may be doing a bit of a deeper dive, as in studying, when when he is saying to His Father, not my will, but Your will be done, what was the will of Christ? I believe that as we look and as we hear, and we see Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane, I believe, I believe that as we look at the Scripture, we see the man, Christ Jesus, completely coming under the authority of the voice of his father, the man Christ Jesus, because he says, Not my will, but Your will be done. So the will of Christ was different to the will of the Father, because if it was the same will as the father at that particular point, he wouldn't have had to have that conversation and he wouldn't have to have spoken the way that he spoke. So as you look at Christ as you do some Christ ology, and you do some studying of Christ, and you, and you understand, the physical Christ, the spiritual Christ, the boy, Christ, the man, Christ Jesus, as the scripture says, as you look at Christ, I believe that as we look at him here on the vessel of life, the man Christ Jesus, completely obedient, completely full of the word, completely, the image of the invisible God. Here we have Christ speaking with the authority of the Word into an over the elements that he created. He knew the wind velocity, velocity, before he even spoke to it, he knew that a score was going to break out because he created all things. And He is before all things and all things consist. He knows how much that see how much that lake actually weighed. In weight. He knew and he knows how many liters of water are in that lake. He knows how many fish are in that lake, he knows the different types of minerals, he, he is the creator of heaven on earth. He is the God of Israel, He is the Creator, for someone to to create, you have to know what you are creating. And he is the God of all he is the great I AM. He is the God that created the universe, the heavens, on the stars, the planets, and the spheres that are up there. So when we look at Christ standing in this boat, the image of the invisible God, He knows everything about the cushion that he was laying on. He knew where that that boat was at that particular point, he knows absolutely everything about everything. The scripture says he knows the end from the beginning, the beginning from the end, when you think of the construction of the vessel that he was on, the vessel that he was on was in, was constructed of wood, timber. Where did that come from? It comes from a tree, who would have planted that tree who put that tree into being God spoke everything into being. So Christ is standing on a vessel that has been created by human hands, and craftsmen that he had already created and spoken into being but not only the human side and the great factor of the skill set that they carried as craftsmen to create the vessel that Christ is standing in, but Christ before time, and as he spoke the world into being and as God spoke the world into being and as God spoke over the platform of the world, and trees started to grow. And as true tree started to pollinate and as a pollen started to spread across Jerusalem and creation and from the Garden of Eden Eden as it stretched out, what I'm trying to get at is that this vessel that Christ was in, he knew where that piece of wood came from, he knew exactly where that seed fell on that ground and turned into that tree that became the boat that he is sailing in. So Christ knows all things at all times, in all areas in every millisecond of time. He is before the rapidness, the, the collision of time and the speed of time. He is before all things in he holds all things, and in Him, all things consists. But here we have the man Christ Jesus, completely in His sovereignty, completely in his Earth suit completely in the skin, that he's standing in the skin that he created the flesh that he created, and the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. So here we have the Messiah, standing on the vessel, on this timber that he created that he spoke into being. But he has around him an audience that is fearful. And as we go further down, we find out very quickly what happens and Jesus was in the stern sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, Teacher, don't you care if we drown, he got up, he rebuked the wind. And he said, to the ways, Be quiet, be still. There wasn't a prayer meeting. There wasn't a consortium of leaders sitting around a table deciding what was going to happen next. There wasn't a 24 hour fasting group. It wasn't a preparation group. There wasn't a steering group in the church. There wasn't a planning group. There wasn't a social group, there wasn't a massive prayer meeting to change and to look at the direction. What we have here is Christ speaking very clearly, quiet, be still. So what I'm getting out I might have been flipping to get to the point that I'm getting that there wasn't a consortium of pastors gathering to find and looking for the answer. When Jesus speaks, the world listens. When Jesus speaks, the world comes into being. When God speaks, the world comes into being Come on, I know you feel origins of breaking it down and pulling me to task on this when God spoke, the world come into being when Jesus speaks through the authority of the son that is in the authority of Christ, because He says very clearly, I am the father and one and we cannot be separated, as he says very clearly, don't you know, fill it. You are looking at the father, you are looking at Christ, you are looking into the eternal God. But even the disciples that what within the eight within that see the miracles after see that see the great power that he had bespoke disposed across the earth, the miracles, the bringing out of Lazarus, the resurrection, everything, the this and even all the way through their war, even even all the way through their walk, they was crushing. Who is he? Who is he? Who is he? Who is he? Who is he the ones that he called, when he had eyeball to eyeball contact, when he was on the shoreline when he was in the audience with them when he called them out of the crowd, when he spoke directly to them when his eyes drew them when he's being Drude. And when He called these disciples, He called them but not all the time did they realize who he was, because that's what we see in a few moments. It says he got up and rebuked the wind, and he said to the ways, quiet, be still, then the wind died down, and it was completely calm. Then he said to his disciples, I believe God is saying this to me, I believe Christ is saying this to me through the Word. And I believe I can hear God's voice Christ's voice saying this. Why are you so afraid when I said this this morning, as well as gathering for coffee and prayer, because this is the text that I was in this morning. And it's been sitting in my spirit all day, all the way through meetings, all the way through the circle of life and what I've been doing all day, this has just sat in my innermost being, and it's still sitting here at this moment in time. And it's okay to be afraid. It's okay to have a fearful moment. It's okay to have a moment of a wobble. It's okay to have a moment of not sure what all this is about Jesus, who are you? What isn't? It's okay to ask the questions. Why? Why, why? What Lord how Lord? Yes, Lord, may be Lord I'm not sure Lord, I understand what your word says. It is the will the perfect will of the Father But Lord, help me understand what the will is why Why is the will of the Father? What is the will of the Father about why Lord, why is this happening to me? Why is this on my family? Why is this in my workspace? Why am I being bullied? Why am I being trolled? Why am I being this? Why am I being that? Why have I got no money? Why why why why am I fearful? Why is the freezer empty? Why is this empty? Why why why? The questions that we have that we ask Christ? Or should I say I am I the only one that asks him these questions? Why Lord, why Lord I know your your Word tells me the will of the Father But Lord, my mind is in such a cognitive froze it my mind is just frozen. My mind is like an ice blocks. My My thinking is frozen, my eyes have glazed over my thinking, my heart everything is almost stopped. I'm not even operating right? I'm not even walking, right? I'm not even thinking right? But Lord, why? Why? Why? Because the Scripture tells us that the disciples asked him why how Lord, what Lord? Are you sure Lord, how we're going to feed them? What Lord Jesus? How Holy Spirit? But then Jesus says to them, Why are you so afraid? And that is an interesting question that Jesus asks the disciples. And I believe Christ is asking me tonight. Ben, why are you afraid of the fuel pump? Why are you afraid of the leaders in this nation? Why are you afraid of the school that is breaking out in your life? Why are you afraid of the of the social injustice? Why? Why are you afraid of life? Why are you afraid? Why are you afraid? What are you afraid of? And why are you afraid? I will come back and say this. I'm actually not quite sure, Lord. Because my faith is in you. But my mind and my focus. My human me is looking at who's the next leader of the nation? Where's the Antichrist gonna pop up from? Is the price of fuel going to rise? Are we going to get the vehicle out tonight? Are we going to be able to pick this up tonight? Will we get this tonight? Well, we do this tonight, Lord, how Lord? Yes, Lord, why, Lord if Lord, buts, Lord, but Why, Lord? When Jesus is saying, then why are you afraid? Why are you afraid? I created this world. I know everything about you. Why are you afraid? The Scripture is clear. Why are you so afraid? It actually says, I haven't even read that text. So that's so that Jesus pops into that that conversation, or that dialogue or that narrative that is going on here? And he says something very clear. Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith? So there is a question, there is a conversation there is a something that could be opened up here he is saying to His disciples that he called that they walked with him that they see miracles from him. And he says, Do you still have no faith? Their faith did not stop the calling from Christ on their life. Their uncertainty did not stop the calling of Jesus, his voice on their life. Their fear in the boat, did not stop the calling of Jesus of them on the shoreline. Because He is all knowing, all God. All power, all sovereign, all King, all glory, all anointing, all power, he is all authority. He is all knowing. He is all creating. He is stretching out the heavens as we speak. As we speak. Now the universe is the satellite, the solar systems, the universe, the lights, the the construction, that every area of every element of everything that is in existence at this moment, he created things that are visible, and things that are invisible according to the Word. He is in charge of all things. He created all things. And he's asking me this question tonight. Is there anyone else can we be brave enough to say, I don't know why I'm afraid Lauren. Why are you so afraid, Ben? Is it because you still have no faith? Wow, Lord. But my lack of faith, my enormity of fear of life, my doubts, my trepidations my wrong decisions. My tea pot my Trappy mouth my dangerous thinking my dangerous way of understanding my my controlling mechanisms my, my human me, has not did not stop Christ saving me the coal in the Christ called over and on the shoreline of Galilee and the shoreline wherever the these guys were called and what point and what acre of life they was on at that moment in time that is in the question of life, and the theologians will break it down to actually to the, to the police exactly this is where they stood, this is where it actually got everything lined up, I can assure you, they still do, they stood there. But wherever they stood, whatever shoreline it was, whatever net, they held, whatever their boat looked like, one thing's for sure is Christ called them where they was. And wherever that was, wherever the maps line, wherever the wherever the, wherever the marker line, whatever lined up in their life, wherever they was, he called them at that particular point in their life. See, Christ calls us where we are, he never expects humanity to get to that bar, of where he is because it's impossible for humanity. Because we've all sinned and fallen short of the glory. But we're saved by grace, not by work so that no one can boast. So whatever our wherever we was called, and whatever the geography was, and wherever we was, and whatever the map setting was, and wherever the compass land, landed, and wherever the theological stretch was, and wherever those are, that are deeper in the word, the me that will unpack this and say, well, actually, there was at that point, at that particular hour, the sun was hanging this way that was looking like that. And then the grapes and the figs, were hanging it this way. All I know, as in the simple side of me in the way that I think that these disciples were called, wherever they were called, or whatever our they were called. And one thing's for sure, what didn't stop Christ call him them was their lack of their fear of it didn't stop Christ, calling them to journey with them. God is bigger than our fears and our worries, God is bigger. And let's remind ourselves who owns this earth? God, let's remind ourselves, who owns the cattle on 1000 hills, let's remind ourselves that put the stars in the heavens, let's remind ourselves who was in charge and who created the gas, the iron or the minerals? Who put the sea into action? Let's remind ourselves who science is trying to chase. God, let's remind ourselves of what the Hadron Collider is trying to do. Under the depths of the earth is trying to create the Big Bang, the god ban the enormity of life. So it's okay to say to Jesus, Why, Lord, how Lord, when Lord, help me, Lord, because Jesus spoke to His disciples in the same way. Why? Why? Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith, by Christ saying that did not stop the call, and did not stop the journey, even when this great miracle as we close as we bring this to a land, as you look at the Scripture, in verse 14, it says, And his disciples said, Sorry, and he said to his disciples, so why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith, verse 41, as we bring it to a pause from him for a moment, he says that they were terrified. So they was in complete, terrifying, unusual environment. They were terrified. When they see the miracle maker performing a miracle on the natural environment. It says they were terrified. So there was no faith, there was terror. There was fear. There was doubt there was everything that terror brings. And it even says, they said, when they were terrified, they asked each other, who is this? Even the wind, and the waves obey him? So even when Jesus is with us, and we know he's with us, and a miracle happens, and the storm subsides and there is peace? Who is this Jesus? They will they was in terror. They was in fair, but Jesus does not reject us when we're in terror. And when we are in fear so much to get from this small, six verses packed at the very beginning of Mark chapter four. I pray as we come to a close tonight. However, you look at this text however you vote view this text. However your ears have heard this tech tonight, however your eyes have dropped onto this text and I, I pray and I know that God will reveal this more and more to you that God will give you a revelation of knowledge in this powerful but simple reading in the Gospel of Mark chapter four. God bless every one of you in a mighty name of Jesus, I thank you so much for all of your lights. And then the way you are, who you are, to some degree. I can just say a few names dropping up on the socials. I get to understand I get to walk with a handful of you but the vast amount that I will never know that I can get that first statistics. See that there are people on the other side of the world. Whoever you are, wherever you are, whatever your timezone, and stay within the UK, it's May 27. I pray that God will guide you and strength for you. But I asked you tonight to just keep in the Word of God. Keep in the word, rest in the word, write the word look at the word. Speak and look at it here and get the word of God Preston the tablet of your heart. It is the word of God keep us in the store. But even though the word of God is with us in the store, we still will question who Jesus is. Because we are human beings. And when a human being gets caught in a storm, terror comes in. fear comes in the natural elements of the body and the adrenaline of a chemical processing of the mind can come in and overtake and we can react to the fear rather to the to the faith that is within us. Because that's what Jesus says. Do you still have no faith, Ben? That you know who I am? Why are you still so afraid? Don't be afraid. Come to me. All of you are weary, heavy laden, and I will give me rest. God bless every one of you. See you tonight at 12 o'clock 12 o'clock tonight as we gather for breaking bread and communion in Jesus name.
Close:Thank you for listening to Elim church Swanleys latest podcast. You can find us on Buzzsprout Spotify Apple Music iHeartRadio Google Play Alexa Mixcloud Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.