Mark 4:35-41
Does God Care?
The account is familiar. Jesus and the disciples were crossing the
Sea of Galilee when a storm came up. The Sea of Galilee is about 13
miles long and 8 miles wide and surrounded by mountains on all sides.
This creates something of a "pot" effect, allowing heat to build up
in the valley. When a cold front sweeps into the pot, it can cause a
sudden and turbulent storm. On this day, that is exactly what
happened.
BUT while the disciples were fighting against the storm, Jesus was
asleep on a pillow. Jesus must have been extremely tired. A storm was
raging, rain was pouring, the boat was filling with water, men were
screaming with fear—and Jesus was sound asleep on a pillow. (I find
the pillow a nice tidbit that Mark gave us.) The pitching of the ship
did not awaken Him. The rain pouring either on or around Him did not
awaken Him. Even the men shouting did not awaken Him.
Did you ever feel like God was asleep on you? That no matter how
loudly you shouted, He was not hearing you? Then you know how the
disciples felt even though Jesus was physically before them.
Finally, scared, tired, and bewildered, they ran to Jesus, probably
shook Him and with frustration in their voices asked, "Don’t you care
that we about to die?"
Have you ever felt like God did not care? You were in a bad bind, you
needed a miracle, you asked God for help, and—as far as you could
tell—God did not do anything? Have you ever asked God the same
question the disciples asked Jesus? I know I have and I’m going to
assume you have too.
So let us just answer the question, "Does God care about us?" Yes,
and the cross proves it. God cares about your soul, your eternity,
and your relationship with Him. He also cares about your life, you
happiness, your comfort, and your safety. Bear that in mind while I
preach this morning.
Well, Jesus got up, calmed the storm, then He gave an obvious rebuke
to the disciples.
Mark 4:40 And he said unto them, Why are ye so
fearful? how is it that ye have no faith?
I have preached on this text before, taught on it, listened to other
preachers preach on it, but I believe for the most part, we may have
missed the point. Most of the preachers I have heard seemed to say
Jesus was rebuking the disciples for not having enough faith to calm
the storm or at least for having so little faith that they thought
the ship would sink. I see a different possibility.
I believe it Jesus may have been answering the disciples’ question.
Jesus often did that, answered a question with a question. They
asked, "Don’t you care?" Jesus answered, "Can’t you believe?" He was
telling them that they could not see the truth of His care for them
until they had faith and used that faith to believe some things.
I don’t think these were not unrelated statements. I believe there
were some answers to their questions that required faith.
Let me share some thoughts with you.
I. God’s First Concern Is Not US.
A. I know. It sounds like blasphemy when I say that.
1. In fact, I had to go back and study it when I first wrote
it down to make sure that it wasn’t.
2. It is not blasphemy.
3. In fact to say that we are God’s biggest concern is more
likely blasphemy than to say that we are not.
4. Yet, it sounds like it is blasphemy.
a. Why?
b. Because many of us have fallen into a man-centered
theology.
c. We believe that God does what God does because He
cares about sinners and does not want them to perish.
d. God DOES care about sinners and God DOES NOT want them
to perish, but that is not why God does what God
does.
B. The reason God does what God does is to bring glory to
Himself.
Isaiah 48:8 I am the LORD: that is my name: and
my glory will I not give to another, neither my
praise to graven images.
Isaiah 48:11 For mine own sake, even for mine
own sake, will I do it: for how should my name
be polluted? and I will not give my glory unto
another.
1. I understand that what I am saying may distress some
people.
2. I also understand it may make God sound vain.
a. However, God would only be vain if He was not the One
who deserved glory.
b. God not only deserve all of the glory, He is the only
ONE who deserves ANY of the glory.
c. God’s first concern is to accomplish that in this
world.
d. That makes God’s statements not vanity but truth.
C. So we need understand God’s first concern.
1. God’s first concern is not that we live a long time.
2. God’s first concern is not that we live a comfortable
life.
3. God’s first concern is not that we live a pain free or
even happy life.
4. If it were, Christians would live long, comfortable,
pain free, happy lives.
a. Have you not noticed that all Christians do NOT live
those kinds of lives.
b. All don’t because these are not God’s biggest
concerns.
D. This is one of the reasons why God let’s bad things happen to
good people, and it is especially the reason why God lets
extra bad things happen to some of His best Christians.
1. From the Bible, Job comes to mind. God called Job a man
who was perfect and upright, one who feared God and
ran from evil. Yet look at what God allowed to happen
to him.
2. From contemporary life, Stephanie Wesco. Around the end
of November of last year, she, her husband Charles, and
their 8 young children arrived in Africa to be
missionaries. Twelve days later, Charles had been shot
and killed by an African rebel. The family was actually
in different locations, and it took a while for them to
get back together, get Charles’ body, and be evacuated
back to the states. But within three months of that,
Stephanie Wesco was diagnosed with numerous tumors
throughout her liver. She is only in her late 30’s.
3. Now, if anyone has a right to ask God the question, "Don’t
you care?" it would be Mrs. Wesco or one of the millions
of godly saints like her.
a. Those Christians and good people who get some of the
most awful diseases, whose children get hooked on
drugs, who themselves get kidnapped, raped, and
murdered.
b. But they do not ask that question. Why?
(1) Because by faith, they know we are not God’s
first concern. His glory is His first concern
and He is working a plan that will bring glory
to Himself.
(2) And our goal, by faith, should be to give Him
glory—no matter what sacrifices it calls for on
our part.
E. If God’s biggest concern is for us, then He is either a weak
God or a deaf God—and I assure you, He is neither.
1. But on that day 2,000 years ago after a storm raged
across a small sea, 12 men bowed before God and marvelled
that this Man was not like other men!
2. Does this mean that the answer to the disciples’ question
was NO? No!
a. I wish I had better words to explain this.
(1) I remember talking to a friend who had a lost a
son, and I wanted to convey some of this truth
and did so miserably.
(2) But years later, I do not think I can make it
sound any better.
b. It is just that everything God has created and
everything that God does is to bring glory to
Himself, first and foremost.
F. If God’s first concern is about His glory, what should our
first concern be?
1. Hint: It should NOT BE about our longevity, comfort,
safety, or prosperity.
2. When God allows us to suffer and when God opens death’s
curtain for us to walk through, it may take some faith
to believe, but God does care and God cares very much.
G. Now someone says, "Well I suppose our welfare is God’s second
most important concern." Well, I don’t think so.
II. God’s Second Concern Is Not Our Comfort and Longevity.
A. If the first statement I gave sounded like blasphemy, this one
surely will.
1. If our comfort, safety, and longevity on earth were not
His first concerns, some would think that they would be
His second.
2. After all, the Bible does say that He loved us so much that
He gave His only begotten Son.
3. It seems we must be somewhere in the top 2.
4. God does care about us.
a. In fact, I believe God’s second most important concern
has to do with us.
b. It just doesn’t have anything to do with our comfort
or longevity.
5. What, then, would be next?
B. I think God is more concerned with knowledge and its
dispersal, especially spiritual truth.
1. More than how well or how long we live, I believe God
wants us to know truth.
2. I don’t know of a Bible verse that comes right out and
says that, however, I notice that God’s commands to the
church are first about preaching the gospel.
Matt 28:19 Go ye therefore, and teach all
nations, baptizing them in the name of the
Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
20 Teaching them to observe all things
whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am
with you alway, even unto the end of the world.
Amen.
3. I am not saying that God does not care about the health
and welfare of people.
a. The Bible makes it clear that God cares about the
poor, the hungry, the thirsty, the naked, the sick,
the widows, the orphans, and the elderly.
b. However, He puts more of a premium on getting the
truth out than anything and everything else.
4. There are many Bible verses which illustrate that God is
MORE concerned about getting the Word out than OUR health
or well-being.
a. Pentecost and its effects were still being discussed
in Acts 3. In Acts 4, the disciples heal and preach.
For that, they are arrested, warned, and released. In
Acts 5, they are preaching again, get arrested again,
but are held in prison overnight. That night, an
angel releases them and tells them to go back to the
temple to preach \\#Acts 5:19-20\\. They get
arrested again and their first painful punishment is
given.
Acts 5:40 And to him they agreed: and when they
had called the apostles, and beaten them, they
commanded that they should not speak in the name
of Jesus, and let them go.
b. In Acts 6, Stephen is called to be a deacon. He was
already a preacher, so he preached. In Acts 7:59.
the Bible tells us what happened to him.
Acts 7:59 And they stoned Stephen, calling upon
God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.
(1) It seems that the people are not responding well
to the preaching of the truth, doesn’t it?
(2) It has caused some a beaten and one his life!
(3) If God is more concerned about our comfort,
safety, and longevity than us giving out the
knowledge of truth, He will rescind His "Go into
All the World" order.
(4) But God did not.
c. Persecution intensified, not just against the men who
believed.
Acts 8:3 As for Saul, he made havock of the
church, entering into every house, and haling
men and women committed them to prison.
5. We can keep on reading through the book of Acts and see
the evidences of persecution in the Epistles. We can
turn to history books and see it spread across the Roman
empire We can go back to the Gospels and read the
warnings that Jesus gave that such days would come…
a. Yet God NEVER told the church to quit spreading the
truth.
b. Why? Because us having and giving the light of God’s
Word is more important than our health, safety,
comfort, and even our life.
c. But why? Why put knowledge ahead of our one’s life,
one’s earthly comfort, one’s health?
(1) The answer is simple really.
(2) Without knowledge, souls will perish in hell
forever.
(3) It will take some faith to understand this, but
it is true. Man’s eternity is more important
than man’s life and health!
C. The question the disciples asked was, "Carest thou not that we
perish?"
1. Yes, He cares if we perish in body and health, but He
cares much more about souls perishing in hell.
2. It will take some faith to see it, but even more than our
lives, God cares about His glory and He cares about the
truth being spread around the globe.
D. Well then, it must be God’s third concern that we live long
and enjoy life and comfort. I don’t think so.
III. God’s Third Concern Is Not Our Comfort and Longevity.
A. They asked the question, "Don’t you care that we perish?"
1. The answer is He does, but it will take some faith to see
and to understand that some other things are more
important.
2. God’s glory and knowledge are more important. What else?
B. I believe our faith is more important that our comfort and
longevity.
1. Again, I cannot give you a verse that proves this, but we
see it in the what God desires before He desires our
comfort.
2. He desires that we believe and trust in Him.
3. Let me give you a few examples by asking some easy to
answer questions.
C. Questions:
1. What must a soul do before he can be saved? Answer: He
must believe. He must have faith.
2. What must a Christian do before he can get his prayers
answered? Answer: He must believe. He must have faith.
D. The Bible sums all of this up in the book of Hebrews:
Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible
to please him: for he that cometh to God must
believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of
them that diligently seek him.
1. Without faith, God may not release any of His goodness
and help to you.
2. You may be sick and need healing; but without faith, God
may not heal you.
3. You may be broke and need a job; but without faith, God
may not give you one.
4. You may be lonely and need comfort, but without faith, God
may not send it.
E. Why? Because more important than health, than income, than
comfort is to have faith in God and His Son.
1. It has to do with His glory again.
2. It is more important that we believe in His goodness and
love than it is that we receive God’s goodness and love
on earth.
3. Friend, our place for receiving is not to be here. It is
to be there. It is not to be now. It is to be then.
Does God care that we perish? YES. God cares, but what happens to
us in this earth is nothing compared to what God will do for us in
heaven. May God give us the faith to see that today.
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