Tuesday, August 13, 2013

IN.FIN.8, part 6

Here is the message from Sunday past. Enjoy!


IN.FIN.8 part 6
“Peter and Jesus walking on water”
Sunday, August 11th, 2013-MRWC

 

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            We are well over half way through our look at 8 of the greatest Bible stories forever told.

            I’ve heard from several of you remarking at how you’ve enjoyed hearing some of the most famous stories taken from the Bible; stories from the lives of Joseph, Moses, David, Esther and Daniel.

            Each of these stories is leading up to the greatest story forever told… have you noticed that in the sermon video?

            All of the stories that Pastor Mike and I have been, and will share with you this summer, lead up to the Main Event of the Bible: the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. 

            This by all accounts, is the Greatest Story forever told, and we will begin our journey down that path starting next Sunday.

            This morning, we will be looking at another one of the all-time favorite Bible stories as chosen by many of you, and actually this has to be one of my favorite Bible stories as well.

ILLUSTRATION- I remember reading this story in the winter of 2010.

            I had read this particular passage several times before, but it was during the winter of 2010 that it became a part of my faith experience with the Lord.

            As I read the passage that day, I wept openly. I sensed in my spirit that I was to take a step of faith and get out of the boat…

            Now that I have some of you hooked, I would like to unpack the 6th greatest story forever told, and it can be found in Matthew chapter 14.

            Just to give you a little context, Jesus had just preformed a miracle at Bethsaida by feeding 5000 men—plus woman and children—with only 5 loaves of bread and two fish.

            After everyone had enough to eat, Jesus instructed His disciples to gather up all of the leftovers, and there was “…twelve basketfuls of broken pieces…left over.” (Matthew 14:20, NLT2)

            After Jesus had fed the crowd, He told His disciples to get into the boat and cross to the other side of the lake, so He could send the people away.

            We’ll pick up our story in Matthew 14:23: “After sending them home, he went up into the hills by himself to pray. Night fell while he was there alone.

24 Meanwhile, the disciples were in trouble far away from land, for a strong wind had risen, and they were fighting heavy waves.

25 About three o’clock in the morning Jesus came toward them, walking on the water.

26 When the disciples saw him walking on the water, they were terrified. In their fear, they cried out, “It’s a ghost!”

27 But Jesus spoke to them at once. “Don’t be afraid,” he said. “Take courage. I am here!”

28 Then Peter called to him, “Lord, if it’s really you, tell me to come to you, walking on the water.”

            29 “Yes, come,” Jesus said.

So Peter went over the side of the boat and walked on the water toward Jesus. 30 But when he saw the strong wind and the waves, he was terrified and began to sink. “Save me, Lord!” he shouted.

31 Jesus immediately reached out and grabbed him. “You have so little faith,” Jesus said. “Why did you doubt me?”

32 When they climbed back into the boat, the wind stopped.

33 Then the disciples worshiped him. “You really are the Son of God!” they exclaimed.” (Matthew 14:23-33, NLT2)

After Jesus had dismissed the crowd, He went off by Himself to pray.

He wanted to spend time alone with the Father after a busy day of ministry, and possibly spend some time mourning the beheading of John the Baptist.

The disciples were alone in the middle of the Sea of Galilee fighting the wind and the waves.

As a result of where it is located, cool winds frequently rush down the steep cliffs and mountainous peaks surrounding the sea of Galilee and unexpectedly stir up violent storms on the warm surface of the lake, making it very susceptible for the perfect storm, such as the one described for us in this passage. (with help from NNIBD)

So you have some seasoned fisherman, along with a tax collector, and the rest of Jesus’ disciples in a boat, that’s being blown and tossed by the wind and the waves, and all of a sudden they look off in the distance and saw something that terrified them:

About three o’clock in the morning Jesus came toward them, walking on the water. 26 When the disciples saw him walking on the water, they were terrified. In their fear, they cried out, “It’s a ghost!”” (Matthew 14:25-26, NLT2)

ILLUSTRATION- More than once, I have woken up at 3 AM and thought I’ve seen- or at the very least heard—something in the house.

            Because I’m the man of the house, I have the responsibility to do the mainly thing, so I wake up my wife and ask her to go and check it out, telling her that I’ve seen something.

            Most of the time, she will tell me that I need to stop watching action movies before going to bed and she’ll reassure me that nothing is there, and I can—and should—go back to sleep.

            I understand how the disciples felt. They’ve been up all night fighting against the wind and the waves and now they think they’ve seen a ghost, and they do what any self-respecting man would do: “I want my mommy!”

            Hearing their cry of fear, “Jesus spoke to them at once. “Don’t be afraid...Take courage. I am here.” (Matthew 14:27, NLT2)

            Some scholars have said that the verse could also be translated: “Take courage. The I AM is here…”

            You may know that the Name I AM was only reserved for God Himself, so what Jesus was saying to His disciples that night on the Sea of Galilee was “Don’t be afraid; God is here!”

            After hearing Jesus confirm His identity, Peter springs into action: “Lord, if it’s really you, tell me to come to you, walking on the water.”

29 “Yes, come,” Jesus said. So Peter went over the side of the boat and walked on the water toward Jesus.

30 But when he saw the strong wind and the waves, he was terrified and began to sink. “Save me, Lord!” he shouted.

31 Jesus immediately reached out and grabbed him. “You have so little faith,” Jesus said. “Why did you doubt me?” (Matthew 14:28-31, NLT2)

My initial response after reading these words is “really Peter?”

Jesus had just shown up at the exact location where you and the other disciples were in the middle of the night, not in a boat, but walking on the water, and you have the audacity to say “Lord, if it’s really you…” (Matthew 14:28, NLT2)

But then I have to look within and ask myself how many times I’ve said the very same thing to Jesus: “Lord, if it’s really you…” (Matthew 14:28, NLT2)

ILLUSTRATION- A few moments ago, I told you about this passage being pivotal in my life in 2010 and how I felt God asking me to take a step of faith.

            What I didn’t tell you was at that time; I was the pastor of the Havelock Wesleyan Church and had been for 7 years.

            I had enjoyed a fruitful ministry, I had seen lives changed for Jesus, and had taken the church to a better place, but after reading this particular passage, I felt the Lord asking me to get out of the boat and resign as pastor of HWC.

            I wrestled with this decision for a few weeks, and I literally remember myself asking: Lord: are you sure?

            After talking with my wife and the DS at the time, David LeRoy, I had made the decision to step out of the boat and resigned as the pastor.

            For several weeks after that decision, I wrestled with doubt.

        I wondered if I had made the right decision, after all, my kids were born in Havelock, I developed some of the deepest friendships in Havelock, I had seen God at work in Havelock.

            I was, like Peter, scared of taking that next step, the step that comes with getting out of the boat.

            Is there something the Lord has been asking you to do, but up until this point you’ve neglected to do it either because you were scared or you didn't really know if it was the Lord speaking to you?

            Look with me for a moment at John chapter 10. This is Jesus speaking: “I tell you the truth, anyone who sneaks over the wall of a sheepfold, rather than going through the gate, must surely be a thief and a robber!

2 But the one who enters through the gate is the shepherd of the sheep.

 3 The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep recognize his voice and come to him. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.

4 After he has gathered his own flock, he walks ahead of them, and they follow him because they know his voice.

5 They won’t follow a stranger; they will run from him because they don’t know his voice.”

            7…“I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep.” (John 10:1-5, 7, NLT2)

            Jesus is reminding us that He is the One who leads His sheep, and the sheep know the Master’s voice because they spend time with the Shepherd.

            In reality, most of us are good hearers; we generally don’t have any trouble hearing the Voice of the Shepherd.

The problem arises in being a doer. Remember what James, the bother of Jesus teaches us? “Application makes all the difference

            What we should be doing instead of asking: “Lord, is it really you?” is saying “Lord, help me do…”

ILLUSTRATION- I learned in 2010 that God can be trusted and because I stepped out of the boat, I am able to serve God here, as the pastor of MRWC.

            What is it that God is asking you to do?

            Tithe?

            Serve?

            Pray?

            Whatever He is asking you to do, I want you to know that God can be trusted to help you do whatever it is He is asking to you do.

            The question is will you do what God wants? Remember, and this is the key thought of this sermon: “If you want to walk on water, you’ve got to get out of the boat.”

            David wrote in Psalm 37: “Commit everything you do to the Lord. Trust him, and he will help you.” (NLT2)

            The message of the 6th greatest story forever told is not that Peter walked on the water—as awesome and as cool as that would have been; or even when Jesus calmed the storm.

The message of this passage is what the disciples did when Jesus and Peter got back into the boat.  

            Look again at verses 32&33: “When they climbed back into the boat, the wind stopped. 33 Then the disciples worshiped him. “You really are the Son of God!” (Matthew 14:32-33, NLT2)

            After all the evidence had been given to them: the miracle of the feeding of the 5,000, the miracle of the leftovers, the miracle of Jesus walking on the water, the miracle of Peter walking on the water and the miracle of Jesus calming the storm, the disciples came to the conclusion that Jesus was God’s Son and they worshipped Him as such.

            Have you arrived at this conclusion? Can you, like the disciples say to and of Jesus: “You really are the Son of God!” (Matthew 14:33, NLT2)

            Several of you have! You have made this declaration and you are living into this truth, while other people still have yet to make this declarationà you have heard about Jesus, but you’ve yet to make Him your own.

            So here’s what I am praying will happen today, first of all, if you have not made a decision for Jesus as of today, I’m not going to pressure you, or guilt you into making a decision. 

            What I am going to ask is for you to ask Jesus to show up in your life.

        I want to give you a prayer you can pray this week—or when you’re ready: “Lord: if it’s really you, show up in my life….”

And then I want you to watch what Jesus does in your life, and then I want you to tell someone what happened when Jesus showed up in your life.

That’s the first thing I’m praying will happen, is for someone who doesn’t know Jesus personally, to pray Lord: if it’s really you, show up in my life...”

The second thing I’m asking is for those of us who follow Jesus, those of us who claim Jesus as our Lord and Saviour to say: “Lord: help me do…

When you’re praying this, you’re asking Jesus to help you take that step of faith that He has been asking you to take.

You’re asking Jesus to help you get out of the boat and do what He wants you to do.

So there it is, my friends, the message and the challenge. Some of us are going to say: “Lord; if it’s really you” and others of us are going to say: “Lord: help me do

The band is going to come back and lead us in our closing song, and we’re going to take just a few moments and follow the example of the disciples and worship Jesus.

As we do, I want you to be free to begin praying one or both of these prayers: “Lord; if it’s really you” and “Lord: help me do

If you would like to come to the front and pray, please feel free, you won’t be alone, someone will pray with you.

 
 

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