Mark 4:35-5:43
I want to start with two hypothetical situations and I am asking you to think about the question, “What would I do?”
A cold car on a dark night. . . A warm offer on a sunny day. . .
The question is when do we trust people. Trust is defined as: “The placing of reliance or entrusting one’s affairs to another.”
We tend to trust two major times in our lives.
Everything that is meaningful in life revolves around trust. It is not a matter of whether you trust but who are you trusting. You and I are trusting something this morning. It could be the weather, your job, your bank or a host of things but you are a trusting person. Every one of us practices trust.
We have all been burned by trusting. Have you ever told someone something as a matter of trust and then heard about it from someone else three weeks later from another person? Some of us have been burned in our jobs or a business deal. Ronald Reagan in dealing with the Russians at the end of the cold war said, “Trust but verify.”
Learning to trust is extremely difficult. Do you know what God wants from you more than anything else? It’s not your morality or your sacrifice. It’s your trust first and foremost.
The scripture says, “Without trust it is impossible to please God, because those who come to God must believe that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” It is the relationship with God that is important. The byproduct of a relationship with God will produce morality. It will produce the loving of others. It will produce obedience to God’s word. Even in the Old Testament God declared that He really didn’t want sacrifices. His word suggests that He wants a broken and contrite heart, a heart that will trust Him completely.
How do you learn to trust God? God will allow us to get into desperate situations that call for us to trust Him beyond our own human strength. The other way is for us to observe godly people who over time we see have stayed in a consistent trusting relationship with God and we come to understand how God works and that He is trustworthy. We learn that God is trustworthy from exposure to these kinds of people and to His Word. This morning we are going to try to understand how Jesus taught His disciples to trust Him and how we can apply those principles to our own life.
In this whole series from the book of Mark the messages have boiled down to one main truth: If you want to be my disciple trust in my word, obey it apply it, live according to my word in spite of what any one else says about how you should live. Now Jesus is taking these disciples into the lab of life. He is taking them into some impossible situations and He is going to demonstrate His power over these situations.
He is going to demonstrate that when Jesus says it, although it may not always seem logical, it always is in your best interest to obey and trust His word. That’s what trust is. Trust, unlike intellectual ascent, is not agreeing with God. It is trusting Him enough to live out His word in your life no matter what the circumstances are that you are facing.
FOUR IMPOSSIBLE SITUATIONS
Drowning Fisherman
35That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, "Let us go over to the other side." 36Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. 37A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. 38Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, "Teacher, don't you care if we drown?"
39He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, "Quiet! Be still!" Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. Jesus asked them two questions. He gave them His word when He said we are going to the other side. His asking of these questions implies that He is questioning their attention and belief in His messages. He has been saying through His messages and parables, “you can trust me.”
40He said to his disciples, "Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?" 41They were terrified and asked each other, "Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!" Mark 4:35-41
These are His closest followers. These fishermen had been in hundreds of storms but this one is beyond their control. They did not wake Him up because they believed He could do anything about it. They were stressed and didn’t think it was fair that He was sleeping while they were about to die. When Jesus did wake up and calmed the storm they were terrified. They were upset that He was so indifferent to their plight.
He is teaching that fear and faith go together when you are talking about trusting. They learned that when you cry out to God He cares and He acts. They learned that when you find out who Jesus really is you are a whole lot more afraid of Him than the storm! They asked a great question. It was personal. They asked, “Who is this guy?” Before the storm Jesus was a normal sized man just like them but after this miracle they looked at Him completely differently. He lifted the veil so that they could see His was God. If you want to learn to trust God start scratching your head and asking for yourself, “who is this guy?”
Now Mark starts demonstrating this whole fear and faith thing in light of a God who is superior and all powerful. If you are going to trust someone you want to make sure they are holding all the aces. You don’t want to follow some one and find out later they are third in line at the company. If you are going to trust some one you want it to be the CEO not someone down the line. You trust the third man or woman in line and the CEO walks in and fires you both. You better trust the person with the power. 
A Demonized Maniac
“1They went across the lake to the region of the Gerasenes.[a] 2When Jesus got out of the boat, a man with an evil[b] spirit came from the tombs to meet him. 3This man lived in the tombs, and no one could bind him any more, not even with a chain. 4For he had often been chained hand and foot, but he tore the chains apart and broke the irons on his feet. No one was strong enough to subdue him. 5Night and day among the tombs and in the hills he would cry out and cut himself with stones.
6When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and fell on his knees in front of him. 7He shouted at the top of his voice, "What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? Swear to God that you won't torture me!" 8For Jesus had said to him, "Come out of this man, you evil spirit!"
9Then Jesus asked him, "What is your name?"
"My name is Legion," he replied, "for we are many." 10And he begged Jesus again and again not to send them out of the area. 11A large herd of pigs was feeding on the nearby hillside. 12The demons begged Jesus, "Send us among the pigs; allow us to go into them." 13He gave them permission, and the evil spirits came out and went into the pigs. The herd, about two thousand in number, rushed down the steep bank into the lake and were drowned.
14Those tending the pigs ran off and reported this in the town and countryside, and the people went out to see what had happened. 15When they came to Jesus, they saw the man who had been possessed by the legion of demons, sitting there, dressed and in his right mind; and they were afraid. 16Those who had seen it told the people what had happened to the demon-possessed man—and told about the pigs as well.
Jesus wants His disciples to know that He has ultimate superior power. They could be questioning where Jesus power comes from. He demonstrates here that it is not a demonic power. He speaks and it happens. In the arena of the supernatural He is the absolute superior. There were two responses to this miracle. I want you to ask yourself which response would be you.
17Then the people began to plead with Jesus to leave their region.
These people are not asking who are you, they are asking Him to leave. There response to the truth is to move away from it. They are afraid of Jesus and His power. He did the whole demon into pigs thing so that they would know this was no sleight of hand magic trick. They were asking what’s it going to cost to be around you?
The economy in these days was not driven by stocks, bonds, and money market funds, it was driven by sheep, cows and pigs. They had just watched 2000 pigs go over a cliff. That represented money and economy. In their minds, they were thankful for the man who was now healed but they were much more concerned with doing away with this Man who had just cost them a lot of money. They wanted Him to leave.
How many times has God tapped us on the shoulder and wanted to reveal a wonderful plan that would take a great step of faith on our part and instead of asking who are you God or what kind of power does it take to transform a life like this? Instead of asking those questions too often we asked, what’s it going to cost me or what are the implications on my lifestyle? What will my friends think? When we trust we often have to take our faith to new levels. Notice the contrast in this story.
18As Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed begged to go with him. 19Jesus did not let him, but said, "Go home to your family and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you." 20So the man went away and began to tell in the Decapolis[c]how much Jesus had done for him. And all the people were amazed.” Mark 5:1-20
When God does something in you don’t ask about the cost you beg to go with Him. That is the essence of trust. People who don’t really trust but have an intellectual assent toward God are always asking how can I follow God but do my own thing. People who have the real disease will say, I don’t where you are going but I want to follow you. Wherever you go I want to go. The transformed life is the greatest miracle in this passage.
What can we learn about faith? It’s about faith and fear. It’s about a God who is all powerful. It is about our value system and what is really important. This power is not just for a few people but it is available for everyone. 
A Discouraged Woman
21When Jesus had again crossed over by boat to the other side of the lake, a large crowd gathered around him while he was by the lake. 22Then one of the synagogue rulers, named Jairus, came there. Seeing Jesus, he fell at his feet
Do you notice that when people are in need they are willing to get low before God? This man was a man with a title and a position but in his desperation his position and title don’t matter.
23and pleaded earnestly with him, "My little daughter is dying. Please come and put your hands on her so that she will be healed and live." 24So Jesus went with him.
A large crowd followed and pressed around him. 25And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years. 26She had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better she grew worse.
This woman had been to every major medical facility in her region. She had spent large amounts of money and she was worse. She’s like a fisherman with waves coming over the boat or a demoniac who is out of control, she’s desperate.
27When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, 28because she thought, "If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed."
The disciples had a little faith, the demoniac had no faith, the people in the town and negative faith and she has an imperfect faith. She mixes true theology with superstition and yet we can see that even when you theology is not quite right if you come to Jesus with an honest desire there is something there for you. God will touch your life.
29Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering.
30At once Jesus realized that power had gone out from him. He turned around in the crowd and asked, "Who touched my clothes?" 31"You see the people crowding against you," his disciples answered, "and yet you can ask, 'Who touched me?' "
32But Jesus kept looking around to see who had done it. 33Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell at his feet and, trembling with fear, told him the whole truth. 34He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering." Mark 5:23-34
I think God wants to communicate that there is a tension between fear and faith and even as we learn to trust Him if we don’t have it all together (we should work toward that) Jesus is willing if we demonstrate a willingness to trust. There’s this large crowd and she is not the only lady in the crowd with a need. She was the only one willing to reach out and access the power of God even though she was fearful. She reaches out and what happens. “Daughter, your faith has healed you.” That is a term of relationship.
You know we have so many things that concern us and we try all of our own solutions but in the end God is simply wanting us to trust Him. We white knuckle our way through this life and miss so much by not trusting.
What area of your life are you struggling with trust the most in right now? 
A Desperate Father
“35While Jesus was still speaking, some men came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue ruler. "Your daughter is dead," they said. "Why bother the teacher any more?"
36Ignoring what they said, Jesus told the synagogue ruler, "Don't be afraid; just believe."
There it is fear and faith. You don’t understand Jesus what’s going on in my life. There are so many things that we are often unwilling to trust the Lord with in our lives. (economy, our kids, marriage, jobs)
The primary motivation for us to trust Him is not so that He can send us to Africa, or to put us in a job that we will hate, or keep us from getting married if that’s what we want to do. Or if your doing well financially He will crush that so we have faith. The primary reason He wants us to trust Him is that He is full of compassion for us and our situation. He knows you intimately and He loves you and He knows what is best for you. He just wants you to trust Him and allow Him to have control. Sometimes it may even seem a little illogical.
37He did not let anyone follow him except Peter, James and John the brother of James. 38When they came to the home of the synagogue ruler, Jesus saw a commotion, with people crying and wailing loudly. 39He went in and said to them, "Why all this commotion and wailing? The child is not dead but asleep." 40But they laughed at him.
After he put them all out, he took the child's father and mother and the disciples who were with him, and went in where the child was. 41He took her by the hand and said to her, "Talitha koum!" (which means, "Little girl, I say to you, get up!" ). 42Immediately the girl stood up and walked around (she was twelve years old). At this they were completely astonished. 43He gave strict orders not to let anyone know about this, and told them to give her something to eat.”
Mark 5:35-43
If you go back to the last few sermons we have learned and heard over and over one truth. Obey His word. No matter what is going on around you or how counter-culture it may seem obey His word. Trust His word.
These miracles today tell us that He is superior over all powers and He is available and He is full of compassion.
Let me ask you one last question. If you can’t trust Jesus who can you trust? Your trusting someone. (Your business sense, your spouse, your job, yourself)
What is it that you need to take your hands off the wheel of and trust with? He can make the relationship go and be healed. He can give you strength to endure the pain of what you are going through right now. Trust Him and let Him be close to you.
In 1980, I attended the Olympics as part of an outreach team. Six of us piled into a single engine plane and flew to Saranac Lake, the airport being used for all incoming flights. This airport is located between two mountains in upstate New York and the weather was typical for winter in those mountains. Sitting up front by the pilot, he informed me that a plane had crashed there the week before trying to make the landing in the fog and snow that we were going to have to make. Shortly before landing with no visibility he handed me his watch and told me to hit the stopwatch feature which was set at 3 minutes. He told me to let him know when we reached the end of three minutes and he would descend out of the clouds. According to his calculations the runway should be right underneath us. It was an amazing moment of trust. We couldn’t see. We had no visibility but we had trust in the instruments and the calculations on the map.
Proverbs 3:5-6
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.”