An Island To Myself
An Island To Myself…??
"I'm not hurting anyone..."
But, are you HELPING anyone?
Text: Mark 4:35-41– 1/14/07 P.M. PPHC
I. The Discovery of the Other Little Ships
A. Mark’s Account – the only gospel that gives an account of the story from this angle.
1. His anointing, His speaking with authority could not be denied. People surrounded Him on the shore and on the sea.
· When the power of Christ is manifested in our midst, people will come from every “angle” of life…all walks of life…just to be in His presence!
B. The Storm was Raging Against Them As Well
1. In these ships – Fishermen, friends…followers of Christ.
II. The Distribution of Blessings
A. God’s Blessings - Overflowing
1. Day of Pentecost - Acts 2; Abraham – Gen. 12:3 “…bless them that bless thee…”
2. Jacob and Laban – Gen. 30:25 – “I have learned by experience that the LORD hath blessed me for thy sake.”
3. David – Ps. 23:5 “…my cup runneth over.”
B. Preachers, prophets, teachers; elected chosen by God Himself.
1. But not for themselves; but to be a blessing to others by their obedience unto God.
a. God-given gift is for “the perfecting of the saint, the work of the ministry, and for the edifying of the Body of Christ.” Eph. 4:12
2. Olympics in Atlanta, Ga.
a. Airlines, transportation, motels, vendors, and colleges reap benefits; boom for the economy.
C. In the Saving of the Disciples, He Saved the Other Ships As Well
D. When He Delivered the Disciples, He also had the Other Ships in Mind
1. God’s elect (Israel)…2,000 years later, we are still receiving the blessings from the promise given to Abraham (God had us in mind when making it – “bless them…”)
III. The Demand of Responsibility
A. In the Storm, the Disciples Awoke to the Sense of Danger
B. They were Saved by the Presence of Christ (from shipwreck / capsizing)
1. The recognition of their helplessness in their situation did more than even “they” realized.
a. They were responsible for the safety of the other little ships.
· A father and son were mountain climbing. Getting ever closer to the top, the son said, “take care, father, for I am following in your footsteps.”
1. Caution: Steps too far apart, climbing where he can’t possibly go safely…
2. The dad is RESPONSIBLE.
C. We have “Little Ships” All Around Us
1. For their sakes, sanctify yourselves – Jn. 17:19
· If we growl and grumble, we make life harder for others.
· If we face it with quiet trust, it enables others to face their problems w/similar actions.
· The way you conduct your life is what the Christian life is all about.
· You and I cannot rid ourselves of this responsibility.
IV. The Deliverance of Others
A. Deliverance for the others came because of the disciples’ prayer.
1. They used the oar of prayer.
2. The other ships were saved by faith, but not their own.
3. The other ships were blessed in answer to prayer, yet it was not their own.
B. We have a Direct Bearing on Others…our choices may affect others we may not ever see.
Borrowed sermon outline from: Preach for a Year