This is so typical—not only of these disciples, but also of

people today. You come into a problem and the doctor tells you that you're going to die, the banker tells you that you're going to have something repossessed, your spouse tells you that they're going to divorce you. Somebody tells you bad news, and all of a sudden the depression starts.

These storms come and we go to the Lord saying, "God, I thought You loved me. Why aren't You doing anything?

Don't You care if I perish?" We basically put it all off on God as if it's His fault. God's not the one who sent this

storm.

Religion has caused a lot of confusion in this area by teaching that God is "sovereign," meaning that He controls everything. They say, "God is the one who caused or

allowed your sickness, poverty, divorce, or

whatever."That's not true. God didn't cause this storm in Mark 4. The Lord doesn't control everything.

Now, Jesus did have the power and authority to do something about this storm. He exercised that power by rebuking the wind and speaking to the sea, "Peace, be still."The Lord has the power, but not every problem that comes into your life is God ordained. He didn't make these problems. So for us to say, "God, why did You let this happen?" is wrong. In the first place, you're imputing iniquity and error unto the Lord, and you need to stop it.

God is a good God. He's not the source of your problems.

Don't go to God blaming Him and saying, "Why haven't You healed me?" or "Why did You let this person die?"

God is never, ever your problem.

These disciples in the boat started saying, "Lord, wake up!

Don't You care that we perish? Get a bucket and bail. Row.

Do something to help us! You aren't pulling Your weight.

If it wasn't for us, we would have already been sunk. You haven't done anything!" Sounds very similar to what people are saying to the Lord today. "Why haven't You healed me? I've prayed, I've done this, and yet, You haven't done Your part. Lord, don't You care about me?"

The truth is that Jesus had done His part. He gave the disciples that word. It was then up to them to take that word and release the life that was in it through believing and speaking it out. But they didn't do that.

REBUKED

It's the same with us today. People are praying and asking God to heal them saying, "Oh Lord, what's wrong? Don't You love me? Haven't You heard what the doctors said?

Please, please heal me." We're going to the Lord as a beggar instead of as a son who has already received his inheritance. Instead of claiming what is rightfully ours, we're begging for what He could do but hasn't done. We think it's God's responsibility, it's His turn to fix this

problem, when the truth is that God has done His part. He gave us the seeds of His Word, which will grow the

solution to our problem. He's given words that have life in them. All you have to do is take that Word, stand on it, and begin to release the life that is in that seed—the Word of God.

These disciples typify where much of the body of Christ is today. They're whining, crying, and saying, "Lord, don't You care about me? Why haven't You done this? Please touch me!" They're begging, pleading, and doubting the goodness of God. These disciples were moaning and groaning, griping and complaining. Look what Jesus did and said when they woke Him. He rebuked the wind, spoke peace to the sea, and then turned to them and asked:

Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith?

Mark 4:40 Jesus didn't get up and say, "Guys, I'm sorry. I was tired and just trying to catch a few winks. It's My fault, I got you into this. I apologize for not getting up and taking care of it." No, He didn't say that. Jesus didn't placate them. He

didn't just sit there and approve of their panic, griping, and complaining. Instead, the Lord asked, "Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?" He was angry at their carnality and disappointed by their

unbelief. By His words, you can see that He didn't approve of their powerlessness.

It would be unjust of Jesus to be critical of these disciples if there was nothing that they could have done. If it was just a matter of them waking the Lord up and Him solving the situation, then Jesus should have been apologetic, saying, "Guys, I'm sorry that I wasn't already awake and there for you." But that's not the response He gave.

Instead, Jesus basically rebuked them, saying, "Why are you operating in fear?"

The disciples may have responded, "Well, most people would say that we're about to drown. Why shouldn't we be operating in fear?"

If these disciples would have understood what Jesus had been teaching them all day long, they could have done something about this storm. Jesus had just given them ten parables about the kingdom of God. He had told them that the seed of God's Word contains power and life. When Jesus said, "Let's go over to the other side," He gave them a seed. He gave them His Word, a promise. If they would have had any understanding at all, they could have taken that Word and stood on it. They could have taken their authority and commanded the boat to go to the other side.

They could have rebuked the wind and commanded the waves to stop. Jesus did not approve of their

ineffectiveness. He rebuked them saying, "Guys, you ought to be doing better than this."