WHEN HELL PUSHES BACK

Series: Storm Season | Pastor Daniel Norris

Text: Mark 4:35–41 (ESV)

35 On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, “Let us go across to the other side.” 36 And leaving the crowd, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. And other boats were with him. 37 And a great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was already filling. 38 But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion. And they woke him and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” 39 And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. 40 He said to them, “Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?” 41 And they were filled with great fear and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?” 

5 They came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gerasenes. 2 And when Jesus had stepped out of the boat, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit. Mark 4:35–5:2 (ESV)

Question: How do I move forward when hell seems to be pushing back against me?

Don’t let what happens in the storm make you forget what Jesus spoke before the storm.

1. REMEMBER THE LAST WORD JESUS SPOKE

“He said to them, ‘Let us go across to the other side.’” (Mark 4:35, ESV)

When we face significant storms in life one of the first questions we ask is, “Did I miss God?”

How do I know the difference between a storm of correction or a storm of challenge? 

It all comes back to… What has been spoken?

Storms of correction arise when you are in disobedience.

Storms of challenge arise when you are in obedience. 

If I’m going to face resistance, I want it to be because I’m moving against darkness, not because I’m resisting God.

The storm doesn’t get to rewrite the last word you heard!

When hell pushes back and you find yourself asking, “Did I miss God?”

Go back to the Word. What did Jesus say?

2. REMEMBER WHO IS IN THE BOAT

“But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion. And they woke him and said to him, ‘Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?’” Mark 4:38 (ESV)

Storms cause us to forget our proximity to his presence. 

Storms challenge what we believe.

I can’t reproduce externally what doesn’t exist internally.

Don’t let what’s happening around you determine what’s happening within you.

Look around you and answer this question: Is Jesus still there? Then be at peace!

3. REMEMBER THE FIGHT YOU ARE ACTUALLY FIGHTING

“And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, ‘Peace! Be still!’” Mark 4:39 (ESV)

Jesus rebukes the wind with the same forceful language Mark repeatedly uses when Jesus confronts opposition. It reminds us that sometimes there is more happening in the storm than what we can see.

“For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.” Ephesians 6:12 (ESV)

Look at how Jesus responds…

– Jesus rebukes the enemy

– Jesus releases peace to the environment 

When hell pushes back remember, “What you are actually fighting?”

4. REMEMBER WHAT IS ON THE OTHER SIDE

“They came to the other side of the sea.” (Mark 5:1, ESV)

The story is not just about Jesus calming the storm, the story is about how the storm failed to stop the mission!

Jesus crossed the sea for one man… 

“Go home to your friends and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.” Mark 5:19 (ESV)

“And he went away and began to proclaim in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him, and everyone marveled.” Mark 5:20 (ESV)

You don’t know what is connected to your obedience.

Opposition often intensifies because obedience is taking you somewhere the enemy does not want you to go.