Sermon: Acknowledge God (Mark 6:45-52) Recognizing God in Your Life Each Day

Mark 6:45-52

Note: You’re familiar with the story.

Note: Jesus constrains his disciples to get into a shop and to travel to the other side to Bethesda.

Note: It was a long day of ministry.

Note: They were tired.

Note: They sent the people away.

Note: Jesus doesn’t go with them on the ship, instead, Jesus goes to a mountain to pray.

Note: In the evening. A great storm arises.

Note: Jesus, who is in the mountain, is looking at them on the sea toiling and fighting the storm.

Note: They don’t get very far because the wind is contrary to them.

Maybe that’s how you feel in your life today.

You feel like you can’t go forward because you have so many things fighting against your efforts.

Maybe you’re tired today!

Note: About the fourth watch of the night, which is between 3-6 am.

Note: So they are in this storm for a while.

Note: They aren’t winning the battle at this point.

Note: Jesus leaves the mountain, and He approaches His disciples walking on the sea.

Note: We notice an expression in our Bible that isn’t found in any of the other Gospels.

Note: He would have passed by them.

Note: Except they acknowledge Him, thinking that He was a spirit.

Note: Jesus talked with them.

Note: Jesus reassured them.

Note: Jesus comforted them.

Note: When Jesus got into the ship, the storm ceased, and they reached their destination without the toiling and fighting the storm.

Note: There is no doubt that Jesus made the difference in their life.

Note: I want us to consider a verse now in Ruth chapter 2.

Note: Ruth asks Naomi for permission to glean the farmer’s fields so that they would have food to eat. This was according to the law that God established in Leviticus 19 for His people. God had given the farmers the harvest, and had given laws to care for the poor people of the land.

Note: So Ruth stepped out by Faith. She trusted God’s Word.

Note: She sought for someone who would show her grace.

Note: God lead Ruth to Boaz.

Ruth 2:19 “And her mother in law said unto her, Where hast thou gleaned to day? and where wroughtest thou? blessed be he that did take knowledge of thee. And she shewed her mother in law with whom she had wrought, and said, The man’s name with whom I wrought to day is Boaz.”

Note: Notice that expression in verse 19. He that did take knowledge of thee.

Note: This brings us to Proverbs 3:1–7 

Note: The Word Acknowledge means to have a special kind of recognition. To pay attention to.

Note: We are to acknowledge God and He will direct our paths.

Note: Like the blessing of Boaz Acknowledging Ruth.

Note: Like the help the disciples received when they acknowledged the Savior.

Note: We too find grace and are blessed when we acknowledge God in our lives.

Note: But what does it all mean?

Let’s dig into this further.

‌I. A Reliance

Note: Trust in the Lord.

Note: How much are we to trust the Lord?

Note: With all our heart.

Uncle Oscar was apprehensive about his first airplane ride.

His friends, eager to hear how it went, asked if he enjoyed the flight.

“Well,” commented Uncle Oscar, “it wasn’t as bad as I thought it might be, but I’ll tell you this. I never did put all my weight down!”

Note: The Bible says that we can put all our weight down. Trust God will ALL your heart.

Note: The KEY word here is trust.

‌A. Our Commitment

Note: Why does one trust God with all their heart?

Note: God is worthy of our trust.

Note: God is utterly trustworthy.

Note: His Character makes it impossible for Him to lie.

Note: His love saturates all that He does – that He is never unkind.

Note: God doesn’t make mistakes.