SERMON TITLE: “Peace! e Still!” SERMON TEXT: …

1 SERMON TITLE: Peace! Be Still! SERMON TEXT: Mark 4:35-41 preacher : Rev. Kim james OCCASION: june 28, 2015, at First UMC INTRODUCTION On April 21, rescuers pulled a teenager and his grandfather out of Willard Bay after their fishing boat had capsized. High winds had caused the boat to turn over. The water was quite cold, so it was fortunate that the teenager had a waterproof cell phone and was able to call for help. The two clung to one life jacket as they awaited their rescue. On june 1, on Bear Lake, a violent storm quickly arose and blew over a boat carrying two adults and five girls. Despite the fact that all seven of them were wearing life jackets, four of them died from the accident.

2 The three who survived had to endure 53-degree water for over three hours, while the wind whipped 10-foot waves around them. Two of the girls who survived say they swam, sang, and shouted prayers over the deafening noise of the storm. Garden City Fire Chief Mike Wahlberg said the conditions were about as extreme as it gets. 1 A week ago Saturday, a four-person raft flipped over on the Green River in northwestern Colorado. The rafting accident occurred near Triplet Falls in a section rafters call The Birth Canal. Three of the rafters were able to swim to safety. The drowned body of their 34-year old rafting companion was found on Monday. We may not all go boating or rafting, but we all experience tragic storms and terrifying waves in our lives that threaten our well-being physically, emotionally, socially, financially, or spiritually.

3 Bad things happen sometimes because of our choices and sometimes in spite of our choices. Since this is the season for going to the lakes, rivers, creeks, and pools, I thought maybe it would be good for us to consider this watery symbol of danger in our lives. When we, like the disciples, feel afraid that we will be capsized and drown, how can we hear Jesus say, Peace! Be Still! ? 2 1 STORMS HAPPEN EVEN TO THE BEST OF US First of all, we should take note that storms happen even to the best, brightest, and most prepared among us. Even for the 12 chosen disciples of Jesus, there was no avoiding the windstorm. Hanging out with the Son of God himself, they still encountered tremendous gusts.

4 Even as they faithfully followed his instructions to cross the water to the other side, they were beaten by waves. Being surrounded by other boats going in the same direction didn t prevent the storm either. Water swamped them. The disciples were terrified that they would perish. Life is like that. We can avoid some storms by watching the weather forecast and using some common sense. We can avoid some emotional, spiritual, financial, and social disasters by being wise and following God s instructions. But sometimes, bad things just happen to us even while we re minding our own business, doing what s right, following God to the best of our ability, and surrounding ourselves with good people.

5 Later in this service, 10 persons are going to join our First United Methodist Church. I m really glad they want to take this step of faith. It s a wonderful thing that Tom, Bobbie, Kevin, Christine, Richard, Peggy, Patti, Ann, Margaret, and Herk all want to follow Jesus on this spiritual journey with us. Living a devoted Christian life in community with other believers can protect and rescue us from a world of potential hurt. But, new people, I have to warn you that being baptized and joining our church isn t going to prevent all the storms from coming your way. The First Letter of Peter told the early Christians that they would likely face various kinds of suffering and their faith would be tested by fire.

6 And, in the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus told his followers that the rain falls on the just and the unjust alike. When difficulty comes to us, we shouldn t be surprised, and we shouldn t respond with bitterness and anger, thinking that our Christian faith or church membership should have shielded us from all harm. We more likely will experience Jesus 3 words, Peace! Be Still! if we begin with the realistic expectation that storms happen even to the best of us. 2 SOMETIMES IT FEELS LIKE JESUS DOESN T CARE As if the forecast for storms isn t bad enough, today s gospel story reminds us of another not-so-pleasant reality. As Christians, we may sometimes feel like Jesus doesn t even care. In Mark 4, the disciples were all in a dither over the storm, and Jesus was asleep on a cushion in the back of the boat.

7 While the disciples were worrying about the dark clouds ahead, Jesus seemed oblivious to what was going on around them. The disciples knew their Jewish scriptures well and could sing Psalm 121 s promise that the one who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. Yet, it seemed like Jesus, the one they believed to be God s Son, was sleeping on the job as if he didn t even care about them. Most of us have had troubled times like that. We expect that life should be better, and we don t understand why God is allowing us to suffer so much. We feel like victims of circumstances, diseases, and betrayal. We sing the blues theme, If it weren t for bad luck, I d have no luck at all. We lament in grief and sadness.

8 And we pray and pray and pray, wondering if God is even listening. Like many of the other Psalms, we cry out, How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? How long must I bear pain in my soul, and have sorrow in my heart all day long? 2 Those of you who have taken a new members class recently may recall that I told you about John Wesley, the founder of Methodism. John Wesley was a very devoted Christian man, who loved God and tried in every way he could to be faithful to God s calling in his life. In the early 1700s, John Wesley studied religion and became an ordained priest in the Church of England. Then he went as a missionary across the Atlantic Ocean to the far-away colony of Georgia.

9 But Wesley s ministry with the English colonists and the Native Americans was difficult and was severely compromised by a romantic relationship gone sour. The situation in Georgia became so hostile, in fact, that Wesley actually had to 4 flee for his life in the dark of night. As John sailed back to England, he felt like a failure. He was depressed and spiritually defeated. For quite some time afterward, John lacked assurance of God s forgiving mercy in his life. Eventually, at the age of 35, John found relief. He wrote in his journal that he felt his heart strangely warmed and believed that God loved him, even him. With that newfound confidence in God s mercy in his life, Wesley became the dynamic leader of the Methodist movement.

10 But during that previous dark night of his soul, John definitely would have understood the trauma of the disciples, thinking that their boat was being swamped by the waves, wondering why Jesus didn t care. Most of us have had some hard times like that too. Job failures, relationship betrayals, financial bankruptcies, life uncertainties, family problems, addictions, battle scars, loneliness, physical diseases, mental illnesses you name it. And when those dark storm clouds roll in, when the wind gusts hit us, when the waves roll, and the boat is about to capsize, it can certainly feel like Jesus is asleep and doesn t care. But if we know that those times are bound to come, we can be less anxious.