“DO YOU CARE THAT WE PERISH?” PART # 6. Mk. 4:35-41 KJV For the past couple of days, we’ve had a conversation about a discourse. We titled our conversation with the topic: “DO YOU CARE THAT WE PERISH?” We took Scripture reading from the gospel of Mark 4:35-41. And from a part of our reading, excerpts we derived our topic. Our topic is a direct crime accusation that the disciples of Jesus charged against Him when He slept in the boat that they traveled on the Sea of Galilee. A terrible windstorm raged on and filled their boat with water almost to their destruction. Yet, the mighty Jesus that they knew who had also instructed their trip slept in peace and comfort. In fact, they did not take in lightly with Jesus’ behavior when they found Him sleeping whilst they were about to perish. Hence, they alleged that Jesus’ sleeping act suggested or indicated that He did not care neither was He concerned about the unfortunate plight that was happening to them. And with anguish, fury and desperation: “They awake Him, and say unto Him, Master, ‘carest thou not that we perish?’” (KJV). At this point of our conversation, I deem it very relevant and fitting that we refresh our memory with the entire narrative that we’ve based our conversation on. We do this to acquaint ourselves with the Scripture that informs our discourse. By so doing, we will become freshly conscious and familiar with the actual story as it unfolds its own narrative direct to us. “And the same day, when the even was come, He saith unto them, Let us pass over unto the other side. 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. And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full. 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? 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?” (Mk. 4:35-41 KJV). Now, we know from our Scripture reading that Jesus the Christ initiated and instructed the voyage to crossover to the other side of the county. It’s convenient or suitable from the context of our Scripture reading that his disciples were perhaps not fully in agreement with the crossover trip that He instructed. Perhaps, his disciples had displeasure or, had some objectionable concerns about or against the trip. However, in spite of all their possible complaints or displeasure that they may have voiced or kept inward within them, they obliged and eventually took the trip with Jesus. They did this based on trust and confidence that they had in Jesus. They believed in Him to the extent that they knew Him in their personal relationship that they had with Him. Jesus was mighty, capable and impressive in performing miracles, signs, wonders and healing. They’ve personally observed Him do, perform these. Therefore, they were their own witnesses to how mighty, extraordinary and capable that Jesus was. In view of this evidence, they found safety and absolute trust in Him. Therefore, they obeyed and followed His instruction to crossover to the other side of the county even though they possibly had their objections and discontent with Jesus against the trip. It’s very ironic to note from Scripture and human behavior that anytime God had required or requires anything from us, we humans have problems with it or do it in a different way suitable to our natural thinking ad understanding. There is the Methodist Church creed that states thus: “What we’re supposed to do we have not done. But what we are not supposed to do is what we have done.” In deliberate, we always refuse to do it or do it in the opposite way whatever that God instructs us to do. What God instructs us, humans to do in the Old Testament is sometimes the same thing in the New Testament. Did God not instruct Joshua to be always fervent in/with Scripture as He equally instructs the New Testament believers to be fervent? Did He not instruct the true prophets in the Old Testament to say: “that says the Lord God” than to say or pronounce their own say to the people who lack knowledge about the One Creator God? Did Christ Jesus, the Word God not come to speak to the world in order to reveal to us about our Father God that we (the world) did not know Him? Do you remember what Jesus told Peter to do if he really loved Him? He said to Peter if you really love Me then feed My lamb, feed My sheep! (Jn. 21:15-17 NLT). Did God not instruct in the Old Testament that we humble ourselves and pray persistently so that our spirits and strength will be revived as the eagles which fly and not get weary? Did Jesus not demonstrate to us the kind of prayer that will yield result with His prayer life on earth for our example? Have you never noted in the book of James the reference that Scripture makes about the Old Testament prophet, Elijah concerning persistent prayer that stopped rainfall on the land for three-and-a-half-year period even in the New Testament? And did the apostles not learn and follow the example of Jesus in His love and dependency on His Father’s Word, Scripture and prayer to achieve the results that we teach and preach about today in our sermons? And why have we not done the same? Why have we not copied their example and yet have the audacity to cry and accuse Jesus as though He is a liar who has failed us in His promises? Do you see how and why as the result of our ignorance or lazy attitude the reason that we put our faith and trust in men as though they were God to us? It’s our entire fault for the simple reason been that we have not done exactly what Jesus our Providence and Deliverer God instructs us to go about our relationship, faith and trust issues with Him. In the book of Micah, the Lord our God informs that He has His own way of doing things. Therefore He requires us to know His ways and adhere and follow them accordingly. “No, O people, the Lord has told you what is good, and this is what He requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.” So then, what does Jesus require of us in same critical and needy times? (6:8 NLT). God our Maker also informs through the book of Hosea that when we lack proper knowledge of Him we will perish. The disciples of Jesus at that time lacked or did not utilize the knowledge they knew of their Master, Jesus into practical use to meet their need, to benefit them on the Galilee Sea: “My people are being destroyed because they don’t know Me. Since you priests refuse to know Me, I refuse to recognize you as my priests. Since you have forgotten the laws of your God, I will forget to bless your children (Hosea 4:6 NLT). God informs us through Scripture that there are certain things that may come in our lives that are beyond our natural abilities. In those, such things that we’re not able to cope up with them, we should cast them on Him through persistent and continual prayers. So the Scripture states it in Peter 5:7 thus: “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you” (NLT). God cautions us not to behave in the way and manner of our sibling brothers, the disciples of Jesus as they did whilst the strong windstorm buffeted them on the Sea. They relied on their own strength and knowledge to solve and resolve that which was impossible, beyond them to no avail. To this the Scripture admonishes thus: “Then he said to me, “This is what the Lord says to Zerubbabel: It is not by force nor by strength, but by My Spirit, says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies” (Zech. 4:6 NLT). First, the Lord our God requires relationship with us all because we’re all His creation. And the only way to know the invisible God the Father is to seek, know and establish a relationship with His divine Son, Christ Jesus. We establish a relationship with Jesus when we get to know Him and confess Him as our Lord and personal Savior. Second, He requires our absolute trust and confidence in Him. We are not to rest and depend solely on our own abilities and might. Third, He requires us to pray persistently and continually in the Name that is above all other names, in the name of Jesus without ever giving up. To this, the Scripture affirms and requires us to cast our burdens and anxieties upon Him, God in prayer. Christ Jesus, our Maker deeply loves and cares for us all. He demonstrated His love and care for us when He came to die for our sin in such a horrible, shameful and agonizing way. He is even more willing and able to do and provide for us all that we trust and commit to Him. “Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land” (2 Chron. 7:14 NLT). In all our previous five topics that we’ve treated on: “DO YOU CARE THAT WE PERISH,” one thing is very obvious. It was the disciples of Jesus, in other words, we men, creation of God that accused our Maker, Christ Jesus of possible neglect, abandoning, forsaking, unconcern etc. Consequently, the disciples of Jesus falsely accused their Ever-Loving and Caring Creator, Christ Jesus of a crime that He will never ever attempt to do and have nothing at all to do with it when they encountered their ordeal on the Galilean Sea. However, as we note from Scripture, the disciples’ accusation had no validity, merit at all. Rather, it was their entire fault that they went through the very terrible windstorm ordeal that they endured for some time. Most probably, it was because of their lack of knowledge, faith and trust in their Master and Lord, Christ Jesus. Here were these helpless and frail human beings, disciples of Jesus with their Lord in the same boat on the sea. This Jesus the Christ was and is presently very capable to turn all human impossibilities and situations to possibilities. Yet, Jesus’ disciples in their desperation entirely forgot about Him. To the extent, they failed to involve, call upon Him for help to curb, stop their terrible windstorm situation for them. Therefore, it’s safe to say that the disciples brought this unfortunate ordeal upon themselves for no apparent reason. The reason is that they could easily have called upon the Almighty Jesus who had instructed the trip and was with them in the same boat to stop the prevailing buffeting windstorm for them. However, in deliberate or sheer ignorance, they did not. They forgot about Him and refused to call upon Him, pray to Him on time. May be, they chose to ignore Him. Perhaps, they considered Him irrelevant and non-factor in such desperate and needy time of their lives. Have you yet observed yourself and myself in the disciples’ scenario, situation? At this point of our conversation, let us pause for a second and ask ourselves some pertinent questions that require our most sincere answers. Don’t you as a fellow human being like our siblings, disciples of Jesus have the same accusing attitude and behavior against God, otherwise Christ Jesus sometimes? Don’t you sometimes behave and approach your situations with Jesus in the same manner as our siblings, the disciples did? We note that the disciples of Jesus who generally represent believers in Christ Jesus had falsely accused Him. They accused the God-Man with a false crime He could not commit and did not do. Their accusation charge that they leveled Him with was: “DO YOU CARE THAT WE PERISH.’’ However, when the disciples had done the right thing that God had instructed them to follow and do, Christ Jesus responded to their cry, prayer for help and immediately delivered and saved them from their terrible ordeal on the sea. A complainant is the person who brings complaint or takes legal action against another. The accuser is the person who a charge or legal action is brought against him. There is a say in my country of origin that goes this way: “The complainant turns to be the accused.” This is exactly what Jesus has done to all believers in His name. He has commissioned each and sundry to preach His Good News so that the world may come to know Him who is the Creator and Savior God of all. When Jesus had completed His mission on earth, He also in a sarcastic way, turned man’s blaming games and the disciples’ accusation tactics on us, His believers. In a very serious demand He asks us, we His disciples if we care that our creation sibling brothers and sisters perish! “DO YOU CARE THAT THEY PERISH?” When His disciples finally cried out, prayed to Him, immediately He responded to their rescue. He did this to demonstrate to them that He cared and did not want them to perish at all. He has also graciously saved us to avoid, prevent us from perishing eternally. Now is our time and turn to show the world that we care and are very concerned that Jesus extends His salvation to all mankind, the world. This is when “the Great Commission” by Jesus comes in to us. Today, the Lord our Creator God requires from us all one most essential, significant thing from us we that have graciously come to know and establish inter-personal relationship with God the Father through His Only divine Son, Christ Jesus our Savior Lord God. This one most significant requirement is commonly known or labeled as, “the Great Commission.” “Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I AM with you always, to the very end of the age’” (Mtt. 28:16-20 NLT). To all my audience, readers and fans, I say I appreciate and love you all. I am not here to insult or offend any of you who may be a member of a particular religion. By the way, I am also not here to talk about religion but to talk with you about the one Creator God. I am here to communicate or reason with you about God because we are all accountable to Him for judgment for whatever that we do here on earth. This is because He’s responsible for our creation; He created us all in His image, likeness, in Himself. This Trinity member who appeared on earth in human flesh with the racial name Jesus is the God-Man. Christ Jesus is the Creator and the Savior God. The Father God created all His creation through the divine Son of God otherwise called Jesus Christ. Each and every believer is a mandate broadcaster; announcer of the Good News about Jesus also called the Christ. You are, at least, a mandate introductory preacher and teacher of the one Good News to all creation. You may not be as eloquent and fluent like Paul or Apollos. You may also not be as much schooled and a-skilled writer like Dr. Luke. Yet, you can live a-Christ-like life that can reflect it light to shine in the dark to give vision to those that are still in the dark that do not know well about Christ Jesus who is the only Beacon of Light of/to the world. All the people of the world are all creation of the One True God through Christ Jesus our Lord. All religions inform that they will lead us to a god, precisely the Creator of all. This philosophy of religion will have been very good and laudable news to us all. Who will not want somebody to lead him to know and see his father who gave him a birth that he did not know and have never seen before? However, there is one big problem about all that religion informs us about its gods/god. The problem is that they all admit and testify to us that they do not know and have never ever seen the god that they want to transport or lead us all to him or it, whoever or whatever he/it may be. Have you ever thought seriously about religion’ claims when it states all its gods as invisible and unknown? Who in his right frame of mind will ever allow a blind man to lead him to a person that the blind claims not to know (him) personally? Or who in his right mind will ever allow another person who admits to the seeker that he does not know the judge the seeker is seeking to appear before him for her eternal salvation or condemnation life judgment? I will not do that neither do I expect you to ever take such a stand to bargain your one precious life on. Again religion informs us about something that is very ridiculous. All religions say to us that if we try to live and do good things then perhaps its gods may be merciful to us and grant us favor before them. I will ask you a simple question that regards you and your child or somebody’s if you have no children of your own. Suppose your child comes to deny you as a parent but says to you that you never gave him/her birth but she personally worked her birth through you to become your child how will you feel? Do you think your child’s stupid idea can ever become feasible or possible? If not feasible or possible, then how come that you as an old, sinful child of the Creator God can ever imagine becoming sinless after you have so sinned against your Maker? There is no way that you can ever become a new child of God without Him giving you a new creation and birth through Christ Jesus our Creator and Savior God. The simple reason is that you have sinned, at least, sinned to attract the human sin virus, nature. In other words, you still have the sin virus in you that have automatically changed the very nature that you were originally created with. Originally, you were created in the very image, likeness of your Maker, God. But now you are not because the sin that you have once committed had changed your original creation status. When you have the Aids virus whatever good thing that you may try to do afterward will not get rid of the deadly disease. What you need to do first is to look for a cure. It’s after your cure that you have to do your ‘so good things’ so that you do not have to acquire the Aids virus again. Today, as a mandate announcer of the Good News about our God that crated us all and have also come to save us all, I have reached you wherever that you are or be now with the news about your Maker and my Maker, God. Please accept Him, Christ Jesus now as your Lord and Savior! The Scripture states in the book of Romans thus: “If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. “Everyone who calls on the Name of the Lord will be saved (Rm. 10:10; 13 NLT). And may the Lord our God be with you, guide and protect you all. It’s my fervent prayer that you come to know our Lord Christ Jesus. It’s also my prayer that our Lord God grants you His favor and provisions according to His endless riches and blessings in Christ Jesus bestowed on us all! Amen. Rev. Kwame Ankoma-Amoa.
Posted on: Sun, 24 Nov 2013 11:30:32 +0000
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