That song we sang a little bit ago, Have Thine Own Way, Lord, that's a great song, but boy, it's hard to apply that sometimes. We all say we want God to have His own way until He actually starts having His own way. And when His own way differs from my way, then we tend to get a little bit upset. But He's good at what He does, and His timing is impeccable. He knows exactly where and when and how things need to happen. I'm glad I serve a God that knows. And He can put us where He wants us, whether we like it or not sometimes. And He can get out of us exactly what He wants. For His glory and for the benefit of others. Amen. That song has been a long time coming. We have been privileged to be privy to most of Alyssa's life over the last couple of years and just to watch the growth that God has done in her since she came down here. To bring her to where she is is just the divine work of the Holy Ghost. If you have your Bibles this morning, find our text in the book of Mark. It's funny how the Lord orchestrates things. Wyatt was teaching about it in Sunday school. She sang about it and I'm going to preach about it for a little while. We've been looking at this idea of divine appointments. This is our fourth message in this thought process of divine appointments. What happens in this appointment we're going to be preaching on this morning will really set the platform for the rest of the series. What we've looked at so far, and there'll be more thrilling messages I guess to come, if I can use that word. I don't know exactly what the right word is. But when you look at Zacchaeus, that's exciting. seeing how God works. When you look at the woman at the well, that's exciting seeing how God divinely works. Nicodemus is an excitement to look at. But what happens when God, when that appointment is with a storm? Because if you walk with God very long you're going to meet some appointments with some storms. That's where we find our text this morning in the book of Mark chapter 4 and verse 35 is where we will pick up. It says here in the text, on the same day when the even was come, he saith unto them, let us pass over unto the other side. When they had sent away the multitude, they took him, even as he was in the ship, and there were also with him other little ships. There arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full. He was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow, and they awake him and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish? And he arose and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? How is it that ye have no faith? And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him? We need your touch this morning. As has been testified, your way is not my way. And for me to follow you, there's going to have to be some laying down of some things on my part. Lord, I desire to follow you wholly. Lord, we need your touch this morning. I pray that you'd help in the preaching. Thank you for meeting with us already. I pray that your presence would continue to be felt the rest of the service. In Jesus' name, Amen. Our thought this morning is a divine constraining. Divine constraining. What does that mean? prodded us in a certain direction. He's asked us in a certain direction. He's moving us in a certain direction. The question arises, what happens when the appointment that God has for you and I sends us into or causes us trouble? I said it a while ago, we'll be looking over the next several weeks at different appointments that do just that. But this message, Lord willing, will hopefully set the stage for the appointments to come. The truth is, sometimes the appointment God has for us leads us straight into trouble. Now, we don't like that. We like to avoid trouble. I don't know anybody in here that just enjoys finding trouble. But sometimes the reality is the appointment is the storm. The first thing I'll give you this morning on this thought of a divine constraining is the appointment's word. Verse 35 gives us our setting for this appointment. And the same day, when the even was come, he saith unto them... Now, if your Bible is a red-letter edition, you see the change in the words there. It goes from black to red. That means that Christ is speaking. He says, let us pass over to the other side. Now you can find this same story in the book of Matthew and in the book of Luke. And it will give you a different account of it from a different point of view, rather, I guess I would say. But the same word is evident in every single passage. As we began looking at our message this morning, in this text, I noticed that there is a specific word that comes with this appointment. Understand it was not just happenstance, it was not a coincidence, a run of bad luck that brought them to this storm. I've got a divine God that knows exactly what's going to happen. And sometimes he puts me right in the middle of it. Let us pass over unto the other side. That's going to be important for us as we look at this text, as we study this text, as we examine what is being said. It's going to be important that we remember what is said in verse 35 and in verse 36. This trouble that is coming is all of a divine design. It originated in heaven. It is not something that just happened. I had an instructor, when I was in Bible college, he used to say this. This was his motto for life, if you will. And it's a good one. Things happen, but they don't just happen. You're going with God. He's going to lead you exactly where He wants you to be. And sometimes that leading is going to put you right in the middle of a storm. These men were experienced sailors. They were fishermen. They had spent their lives on a boat. And God was about to try them in the midst of exactly where they were familiar. And He was about to rock their boat, if you will. in the midst of a place that they would have considered to be their strength. They were experienced sailors. But there was something about this that I noticed. This part isn't present in the other accounts. But in verse 36 he says something there that Brother White I was studying this week and I've been pondering this thought all week and it just dawned on me as I was studying it. Last night I was laying awake praying for this morning and looking over the notes once again and he brought something out in the midst of it that I had never noticed. You see, we always preach this from the perspective of the disciples on the boat. And certainly that is the overtone for this morning as well. But if you go to verse 36, he says something there that I began to see in a new light. Let's look at it. What does it say? Verse 36, and when they had sent away the multitude, they took him even as he was in the ship, and there were also with him other little ships. I had never noticed that the lesson that the disciples were about to learn was not a private lesson. It was a lesson that all those other boats got to witness. Because all of those other boats were sailing in the same storm. And I began to realize something. And I had, I guess, approached it before. But it really began to hit home. And we'll deal with it deeper later on in our series. But the places that God takes you and I to and the places God takes you and I through are for not only our benefit but the benefit of all of those that are around us. They had sent the multitude away and they began to launch out and it was that ship and other little ships. But God gave the word to his disciples, let us pass over to the other side. And I just have to think, we were dealing with Pentecost this morning, a little bit in Sunday school. Brother Wyatt, I just have to think when God began to tell them about the things of Pentecost. that the lessons that they learned while he was on earth had a great influence on their faith in fulfilling their role later on. You see, God gave them a word to go in verse 35. Let us pass over. And He's given us a word as a church that we are to be the light of Lander. That is our text verse for our church. Let your light so shine before men that they may see your Father which is in heaven. That's the verse God gave us when we first took this building. That word is important because there are storms that will come about that if we're not relying on the word that sent us into the storm, we will get swept away by the storm. You see, the storm's going to happen one way or the other. Those other little ships were in the same storm, were they not? They are a part of the same storm. But the disciples were the ones that got the word. It began to remind me of this. She testified to it a little bit ago. It's funny how the Lord designs our services. I don't sit and come up with how they go. But she just got done testifying to how the Lord had brought her through some things for those that were around her to see God through her. And if we were to talk to each one of you that are born again in here this morning, have walked with God any length of time, no doubt there are those that are around you that are watching what you do with the Word of God. Talking about this appointment's Word. I want to give you this and then we'll move on. If you're taking notes, you might want to write this down. Regardless of the storm, they had a word to go. God doesn't care about the storm, He cares about your obedience. How do I know that? Well, we'll get to that here in a little bit. Regardless of the storm, we have been given the word to go. He did not ask for us to be fair-weather Christians, only moving when things are good and calm. But He's told us to go even when the times are tough. Now that moves us to verse 37, because things are about to get tough. In verse 37. How do I know that? There arose a great storm of wind. And the waves beat into the ship, so that it was, what's those words? Now full. I don't know about you, but if I'm in the middle of a sea, and there's a storm that rises, and my boat's filling up with water, something bad's wrong. Water ain't supposed to be in the boat. Water outside boat good, water inside boat bad. Water inside boat, boat sink, right? That's what the text says here. There arose a great storm of wind and the waves beat into that ship so that it was now full. The reality sometimes is going for God We will find ourselves in a storm, a storm of such magnitude that we will begin to take on water from the waves of the storm. The storm will begin to fill up our boat. I know personally in my ministry and my life there have been times that I have looked to heaven and I've been like, God, this is not any fun anymore. It was nice when we started out. The sailing was good when we started out. The sailing was smooth when we started out. But God, now the waves have come. God, now the wind has come. And it's beating me up. I just don't know that I'm going to be able to withstand it. Lord, I'm taking on water and I don't know what to do. The reality is sometimes in serving God, we're going to get beat up by the waves of life. The wind is going to rock our vessel. But I want to give you this. You can do with it what you want to. The waves and the wind has no bearing on the Word. The Word is the same in the waves and the wind. It does not change the fact that He said, let us pass over to the other side. But I've had waves and winds so high that I felt like I was going to sink. I've had storms with waves that it felt like I was going to be completely capsized. Just remember though, we're not to focus on the size of the wave rather than sincere word in our life. That's why it's so important to follow the directions of God. If He takes us to a storm, He knows the way through it. If I mess up and get myself in a mess, God's not interested in that. He can give grace and help us through it, but a storm that is brought on by God has a divine power to help us through it. That leads me to verse 38 and the thought of the appointment's worry. Now I know, oh I just, y'all are so much more spiritual than I am. I know, surely to goodness, ain't none of y'all ever worried about the things that God's given you to do. You've been going through the storms of surely to goodness. I'm the only one in here that has ever worried about things that's going on in my life. But these disciples, me and them got a pretty good companionship in that area. How do I know? Let's look at what the text says. Don't take my word for it. We'll notice that they begin to worry, something fierce. Verse 38. And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow. And they awake him and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish? The disciples were experienced sailors and they knew one very important fact And they forgot one very important fact in this text. I said it a moment ago. The fact they knew was water outside a boat, good. Water inside a boat, bad. But the fact they forgot was the fact that Christ had told them to go to the other side. They lost that. Somewhere about halfway in that storm, that fact just fell overboard, I guess. Carest thou not that we perish? I want to give you this. If he tells us to go to the other side, nothing will prevent us from arriving except our own lack of faith. That God is big enough to do what he said he would do. The funny thing about this is, the text immediately preceding this is dealing with the faith of a mustard seed. So he's just got done teaching them about faith. Boy, they forget quickly, don't they? God says you need to have faith, and then he puts them in a situation to operate in it, and they forgot everything he said. How many times do we find ourselves in that situation when we come to those divine appointments of trouble? God has given us the lesson outside of trouble and when we get in trouble we forget the lesson. God had already told them, Christ told them in verse 35, let us pass over. When God gives you a direction The only one that can make it not come true is you. The world can't stop it. It can't. It has no power to influence godly things. But it can sure influence you to not do what God said. Let us pass over to the other side. You go back to the other story of them being on the boat. You'd thought they'd learned the first time when they got on the boat that there was a storm coming. But they didn't. They got on the boat the second time and what happened? A great storm rose again. It's almost like God was trying to teach them something about faith. The second story where they're out on the boat, Peter says, Lord, at least he learned something in the midst of all that. He said, Lord, bid me come unto thee. Peter stepped out of that boat on that water and he did something that no man has ever done. He began to walk on the water. And he was doing real good until he began to think about what he was doing. He began to look at the waves and he began to look at everything but Christ who said come. And what did he do? He sank. He was doing just fine as long as he kept his mind on the Word. But when he got his eyes on the waves, he began to get wet. I'm talking about the worry of the appointment. When God tells us to do something, when God places us in the midst of some sort of a storm, when he places us in the midst of something that is troubling, we begin to worry. If he tells us to go on the other side, nothing will prevent it except us. Because our God is so big. And he's so powerful. We'll see that here in just a little bit. Verse 41, they say it. They feared exceedingly and said one to another, what manner of man is this that even the wind and the sea obey him? He knew he was okay on that boat. The problem came, the worry set in when they began to focus on what they knew rather than what they focused on the Word. What I know will get me in trouble a whole lot of the time. Because all I know is circumstance. That's all I know. If I begin to worry about what I know. We're all in trouble because I don't know much. But if I focus on the word that God's give us. When God brought us out here. He gave us that text out of Exodus. I've seen their afflictions and I've heard their cries and I'm sending you to bring them out. I had no idea what that meant. But God did. There were some folks that needed Him to deliver for some bondage. And it's not been an easy road. There's been some storms along the way. But the Word hasn't changed. The Word hasn't changed. The fact is, if you notice what the text says there in verse 37, the last little phrase, so that it was now full. That's an interesting little phrase there. This boat just didn't take on a little bit of water. No, this boat was full of water. Remember our little saying, water outside boat good, water inside boat bad. And ain't just a little water inside boat, there's a lot of water inside boat. You put water inside boat, boat sink. Says it's now full. Those disciples began to get nervous because they understood the physics of that. That's just one problem. That's not what the Word of God told them to do. What did He say? Let us pass over unto the other side. In fact, the truth of the matter is there was not a single thing in the world that could sink that boat. Why? Because they had a word to go to the other side. That boat could have been this chock full of water that it couldn't have fit one more drop. And I fully believe in the word of God that that boat would not have sank because he said, let us pass over unto the other side. In fact, Christ was so okay with the boat being full of water, guess what he did? He's taken a nap in the back of the boat. Now it says, I was thinking about that this morning as I got up studying again for the service. It says the boat was full. So I have to imagine, if you'll let me just take this liberty, just this little bit of liberty here. I have to imagine that water had to be sloshing around where Jesus was laying. It says the boat was full. Full means full. It says he laid in the hinder part of the ship on a pillow asleep. I don't know about you, but if I'm in the midst of a bad storm, and I'm on a boat, and I'm full of water, I probably ain't going to be taking a nap. Y'all might be that way, but I just don't know that I'm that way. But the fact of the matter is, Christ was. It says he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow. Here's the reality. The disciples could have been right there beside him. Why? Because he said, let us pass over. She sings a song. Why should I worry? Why should I fear? This very same Jesus, he's always so near. And they got Christ up, they woke him up from his nap to fuss at him about how he was sleeping. Carest thou not that we perish? What in the world are you doing laying there asleep? Why are you so careless about what happens to us? They exhibit worry instead of focusing on the Word. See, these appointments like this will build your faith. It will reveal where you lack faith. Christ was so peaceful, He was asleep in the back of the boat even though it was full of water. They were laboring, He was laying. They were nervous, He was napping. The difference between the two was the application of the Word. Don't forget what we said at the beginning of the service. That it was not just them in the midst of the storm, it was all of those other little boats. Your testimony in what goes on in the storm will affect all of the little boats around you. Imagine the calming effect if they had seen the disciples All just sitting around at peace in the storm. Obviously there could have been for them because Christ was asleep. Is that fair? He gave them the word. In fact, he rebukes them here in a little bit. What are you worrying about? How we react in the storm will directly affect those that we are around. We say we want to follow God and we say we love God until it comes time to follow him through the storm. And then when we follow him through the storm, all of a sudden I really don't want to do what God said near as bad as I thought I did. It's sort of like the dog chasing the car. And then the car stops and the dog don't know what to do with it. If we were honest, we'd say, yeah, I want to be used of God. But what if being used of God is taking us through some storms? Then do we want to be used of God? I'm afraid the answer would be no in most cases. In my life, definitely there have been times that I have begged God, please, I want you to use me. I want you to do something in my life. I want you to use me to affect people around me. And then God puts you in the middle of something and it's like, never mind. I'd rather do it some other way. If you don't mind, I'm going to put my order in a different way now. But those other little ships were a witness to the fact of how the disciples reacted in the midst of the storm. I never noticed that. There were other little ships. It's not just you going through the storm, it's others too. And others will look to you to see how you're navigating it. Is that not what they did? We'll preach about Paul here in a couple of weeks. I'm excited about that one. About a divine crash, Lord willing. But that whole boat began to look to Paul. Again, the waves have come. They're beating the boat. The boat's breaking apart. And all of those lost men began to look at Paul. And they began to follow the instructions of Paul. Because Paul had one thing they didn't. He said, tonight the angels of the Lord have stood with me. Could you imagine getting on the boat the disciples were on and having Jesus Christ, the God of the universe, say, let us pass over to the other side? Why should I worry? Why should I fear? This very same Jesus, He's always so near. Isn't it interesting that they were fussing at Jesus because He was not worried? He's the one told them to go, and now they're fussing at Him because He ain't fretting. Isn't that just like us? God, why aren't you bothered with that? That's keeping me awake at night. Why aren't you bothered with that? God said, it's not a problem. How do I know that? Verse 39, He arose and rebuked the wind and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased and there was a great calm. And He said unto them, Look at what he says. Why are ye so fearful? And he doesn't say anything about them having little faith. How is it that you have no faith? We see the appointments wonder. So many times in our lives it is Only in the storms that we get to see the power of God manifested in our lives. When He brings us through something we should not survive. When He takes care of a situation in such a way that could not be handled otherwise. These appointments often reveal our lack of faith. They also give us the opportunity to live out faith in front of others. Don't forget, I'm going to keep reminding you that in this text there were other little ships that sailed with them that were caught up in the same storm. Christ calmed the storm and caused a great wonder among his disciples about his ability to change the weather. But all he ever wanted them to see was his faith, to remember his word and to apply it. God can and will do great things in and through our lives in the midst of a storm if we're willing to meet the appointment with the faith that He has already given us to use. Again, if you go back in Mark 4 Verse 30, Whereunto shall we liken the kingdom of God? Or with what comparison shall we compare it? It's like a grain of mustard seed. Then you go on down and it talks about the different faith that is there. So often, I'm afraid we do not pay attention to the lessons learned on the shore. Because we might say, well, I don't have any need of that, I'm not in a storm. But the lessons he's giving is for the storm that's coming. You don't wait until you're 14 miles back in the wilderness Your cell phone has died. You have no way out to learn survival skills. It's a bad time to try to learn. No, you learn before you go. He's been teaching them all of this time about faith. And they get in the midst of the storm and they forget every lesson God ever taught them. That's why he says, why is it you have no faith? Why are you fearful? Boy, that seems harsh, doesn't it? I mean, they're in the middle of a storm, waves are beating, the ship is full. God's picking on them. Why would he be so rough on them? Why are you fearful, rebuking them? Because he has been living out faith in front of them and teaching them how to live out faith in front of others. And when it comes time to apply it, they blew it. Says he got up, he rebuked the wind and he called it peace be still and it calmed. when he shouldn't have had to have said it because they should have already been calmed. It's a lesson that I am learning. I have not learned it all yet. I have not gotten it all yet. I'm telling you as one who has dealt with it and is dealing with it, sometimes it is very hard to be calm in uncalmed situations. When it feels like the world is falling apart, around you, one of the hardest things it can be is to be calm. But can I tell you, it's the only thing that's ever going to work in this world to show people something different is if you act different than them. You want to influence people for Christ, act different than they act. You want to look different than they do, then you need to look different in the storms than they do. In fact, we get down to the end of it. It says they feared God after the end of this thing. They went from fearing the storm to fearing God. Boy, they're just a bunch of scared people, ain't they? What manner of man is this that even the winds and the seas obey him? They knew what manner of man it was before they got on the boat. It isn't like this is their first rodeo with Christ. They knew exactly who they were on the boat with. But it showed them a different side of Christ when He calmed the storm in their midst. Caused a wonder. There's been days I have looked back on my life and I've had to throw my hands up and say I don't have a clue how I made it here. But by grace, it seemed like the world was coming to an end. It seemed like the world was crashing in around me. My boat was ready to capsize. It was so full of water, this world, that I could not get it to go another league. But then the good Holy Ghost moved in. Oh, and He began to calm the storms. He began to do a work in my life. He began to change some things. I remember standing on that boat up there in June, up around Haines, Alaska. And I was in a storm. And I felt like I was going to sink. I was so full of water I couldn't hardly move. But then the good Holy Ghost of God began to move in my life. And He began to remind me of the faith that He has taught. And the Word that He gave before I ever made it to the storm. And He reminded me the Word did not change because of the waves. In fact, the Word is the only thing that will get me through the waves. Those texts in Romans are fantastic when you're dealing with trouble. The Psalm 18 that we're dealing with next in our series is so fantastic. He's talking. He says, He is my strong and my high tower. He's my refuge. He's my God in whom I trust. In Romans, he says, Who shall be able to separate us from the love of God? And then he says, Nothing, nothing, nothing. Nothing can get me out of the hand of my God. There's not any amount of storms, there's no waves that are too big to knock me out of the presence of the holy God. What a wonder. These disciples, they had a divine appointment with the storm. He constrained them, he beckoned them, come. And he knew exactly where they were going. But they had to go because there's going to be a day in Acts chapter 1 and Acts chapter 2 that they stand before 3,000 and they proclaim the gospel of God with a faith that is powerful. All because they learned some things on a ship that was full of water. Here's a question. And we'll close up with this. Are you willing to walk through a storm for those around you to see God? If that's what it takes for someone around you to get saved, are you willing to be put in the midst of that storm? Are you willing to walk in places that are unpleasant for people to see God in your life? I'm afraid in my own life there are many days that I don't know that I'm near as willing to do that as I would like to be. But they are nonetheless divine appointments. And he'll do great things through it. They're about to get through the end of this and then they're about to go to the Guderian demoniac and he's about to cast out a demon right in front of them. Powerful God, who's always got something going on for us to be a part of. If I'm willing to be in the storm. Our church has weathered some storms. It's been through some storms that I, if I'm just really honest this morning, I didn't know if we was going to make it or not. We is taking on water. But I'm glad I've got a good God who has fulfilled His will and He's fulfilled His word. And He's brought us through the storm and He set us back on the shore on that solid rock of His Son. And He's given us a reason to keep going. He's given us a reason to keep serving. His word is still true. and it's still powerful. Father,