Sermon Tone Analysis

!! Introduction

* our society has very little tolerance for delay in service.

We expect and demand immediate service.

* stores open new checkout lines when too many people are standing in line

* customers are encouraged to transact their business on the Internet so they don't have to stand in line.

* Customer service specialists relgularly "apologize for the delay".

Te expression is found 279,000 times on Google

* Amazed at the line-ups at Tim Horton's.

How long are you willing to wait in line for a coffee?

* People wait outside stores for hours for Boxing Day sales.

Sometimes all night.

* So evidently many people are willing to wait for service, as long as we know that the people who are serving us are trying to do the best they can

* I think we particularly frustrating when you see that staff are able to help, but don't do so.

When you are waiting to be served for something really simple and you see several staff doing nothing

* Slow service in Russian shops and offices - lineups are part of life.

Things are often done very inefficiently - by hand. 2 1/2 day process to change the ownership of my vehicle - 14 steps, probably stood in line for a total of 12 hours.

* but the most frustrating - When you have waited in line for hours, and when you finally get to the little window, and the staff person tells you that they can't help you or something isn't quite right with your documents or even worse, you are standing in the wrong line!

* Does God believe in prompt customer service?

Does he always meet our needs as quickly as possible?

* wrong question - God does not serve us - we are His servants.

* yes, but God is mighty and well able to provide for all our needs, answer our prayers, and heal all our diseases.

So then why don't we see God responding promptly to our cries for help?

* In the last while, our Ukraine field has lost 3 key missionary leaders with strategic ministries.

All of them have had to resign due to cancer.

Genna Friesen, Mark & Bonney Saucy, Kevin & Emma Barnhart.

* In the last while, many of our top leaders have had real hassles with visas.

Eventually the problems were resolved, but several of them spent months being restricted in their ministry due to delays in visas.

Doesn't God know the strategic value of these guys and their ministries?

Shouldn't these people be top priority for his intervention?

* I think the disciples sometimes asked the very same questions of Jesus.

Why the delays?

Why don't you use your power to meet our needs?

Why is your help not more prompt?

* Three boat crossings with dialogue in Mark.

Mark 4:35-41, Mark 6, Mark 8

!! First boat crossing - Sleeping on the job

* Mark 4:35-41 - Jesus is asleep in the midst of the storm.

The boat is about to sink and Jesus continues to sleep

* when the disciples wake him and rebuke him for not caring, he takes charge

* he rebukes the wind and the waves and calms the sea.

* he rebukes the disciples for being afraid and not having any faith

* This miracle demonstrates Jesus' power and authority over the forces of nature,

* It demonstrates his ability and willingness to protect his disciples from danger.

He does so effortlessly.

All it takes is two words (in the Greek).

* but this miracle also demonstrates that Jesus expected more from his disciples - that He was hoping to stretch their capacity to trust Him.

He intentionally kept on sleeping rather than immediately responding to the crisis.

!! Second boat crossing - Consciously ignoring the problem

* Mark 6:45-52 - Another storm, but apparently their lives were not in danger.

* this time they have to wait even longer for relief.

Jesus is not with them, and does nothing to help for many hours.

Fourth watch - between 3:00 and 6:00 am.

So they have been trying to row across the lake for at least 6 hours, maybe closer to 9 hours.

Jesus sees them straining at the oars all night (Mk 6:48) before he goes out to them,

* But what is most amazing, is that when he walks out to them, the text says he intended to pass by, rather than getting into the boat with them.

Why??

* Is he consciously ignoring their need?

Is he trying to look the other way and pretend He hasn't seen the problem, so that He doesn't have to do something about it?

* Obviously not - Jesus intended that His disciples see Him.

He could have walked across the lake in a way that no one noticed Him at all.

* So why does it say that He meant to pass by?

* Is this the disciples' perspective?

Did they feel that Jesus was trying to ignore them?

If so, how did they know what Jesus was intending?

* Or is Mark recording something of a deeper theological significance?

* Several commentators have suggested that there is a parallel etween Jesus passing by and what happened with Moses in Ex. 33:19-22 when God passed by in front of Moses in Ex 33:12-23, while proclaiming His name in Moses' presence.

I believe that Jesus was intending to pass by to assure them that He knew and cared about their troubles.

But because the disciples are terrified rather than reassured, he abandons his original plan, climbs into the boat and calms the sea.

Instead of catching a glimpse of God's presence in the midst of their problems, the disciples are fearful, amazed and clueless.

* The disciples are completely amazed.

Why? Mark says because they had not understood aobut the loaves.

What do the loaves have to do with their amazement?

What didn't they understand about the loaves?

* the loaves - a reference to the feeding of the 5000 that just preceded this boat crossing (Mark 6:30-44)

* Tim Geddert - "What causes the disciples' fear and amazement?

Are they amazed that Jesus can do such amazing miracles - multiplying bread, walking on water?

I don't think so.

I think they are amazed that the great miracle-worker they have come to know would refuse to come rushing to his disciples' aid and smooth their path.

They fail to see that in Jesus, their God, Yahweh, desired to pass by and speak out the divine nature in their presence so that they could be filled with courage and hope, even while battling wind and waves."

* You see, Jesus did not either quickly respond to their needs at the feeding of the 5000.

* the disciples were hungry at the beginning of the day (Mark 6:31).

They were so busy in ministry that they had no time to eat.

That is why they tried to escape to rest.

But instead the crowd followed them, and the disciples had to wait all day until Jesus finished teaching, and then all the people had been fed before they were able to eat.

The provision was abundant - a basket for each one of them - but they had to wait all day.

* A short while later, in the feeding of the 4000, also recorded in Mark (Mk 8:1-10), Jesus does not do a miracle until the *third* day (Mk 8:1-3), and again the disciples do not get to eat until the people are satisfied.

!! Third crossing - Refusal of service

* Mark 8:13-21 - no storm, but also no bread.

* No visible miracle this time.

No walking on the water, no calming of the waves.

* But they had a need - they had no food, at least not enough to feed 13 hungry men.

They had one loaf.

Furthermore, the disciples knew that Jesus could multiply the one loaf they had with them in the boat, and maybe were expecting him to do so.

Maybe someone had already approached Jesus about this possibility.

It would be so nice to be able to enjoy a nice quiet picnic on the lake.

* But Jesus wasn't doing any miracles today, and the disciples are left with no food.

I am sure the disciples were likely puzzled by his refusal to do so, when he obviously had the power to do so.

* But instead of meeting their immediate need, Jesus rebukes them for lack of understanding and hardened hearts and warns them about the yeast of the Pharisees.

* Just before they got in the boat, the Pharisees asked for a sign and Jesus refused to give it.

* Why does Jesus refuse to do a miracle for the Pharisees and now for the disciples?