Mark 6:45-52, John 6:15-21, Matthew 14:22-32
“Immediately Jesus made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, while He sent the multitudes
away.”
The attempt to find rest
and quiet-time continues for Jesus and His disciples. After the events of sending
out the disciples to evangelize the cities and towns on their own, the murder of John the Baptist, and the throng of people
who followed and aborted Jesus attempt to be alone, He now makes the quiet time happen.
There is occasion when
we need to make things happen in our own lives and other times, as the case here with the tired and distraught disciples,
when we need to let Jesus make us do what He would have us do. We need to totally surrender to His command. On this occasion Jesus made His disciples get into the boat.
Are you in Jesus boat this morning? The disciples had to physically get into the boat as Jesus commanded; today we need
to physically do what Jesus tells us to do as well. It is by grace we are saved
but we have to physically accept that grace by repenting and being baptized. Have
you climbed in Jesus’ boat this morning?
“And when He had sent the multitudes away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray. Now when evening came, He was alone there.”
Not only did Jesus send His disciple
away but He also sent the crowds away. Then He goes up on the mountain by himself
to pray. How many of you ever play solitaire on the computer or with a deck of
cards? It is something you do by yourself.
We too should find solitaire time that we can spend in prayer with our heavenly Father.
How much time to you spend in solitaire prayer? Our Savior praying alone
in the mountains is one of the most beautiful scenes that I can picture.
“But the boat was now in the middle of the sea, tossed by the waves, for the wind was contrary. Now in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went to them, walking on the sea.”
Remember it had not been
that long ago when the Master of the sea and the storm had quieted these same waters.
Sometime between 3:00 am and six in the morning, Jesus came walking on the water to the boat.
“And when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, ‘It is a ghost!’ and they
cried out for fear.”
Have you ever seen a ghost? Think about being out in a small boat in a storm in the wee hours of the morning and
you look up and there is something walking toward you on the water. That would
be troubling. They cried out for fear.
“But immediately Jesus spoke to them saying, ‘Be of good cheer! It
is I; do not be afraid.’”
Physical health, death, foreclosure,
loss of job, relationships, etc.
It is I; do not be afraid.
Just as in the hour of
need for those disciples on the stormy Sea of Galilee, Jesus will be there for you as you face the storms of your life.
Hear him say: “It is I; do not
be afraid.”
“Come
to Me, all you who labor and are
heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take
My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle
and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your
souls.” Matthew 11:28-29
“Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me.”
Isaiah 41:10 “Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed for I am your God. I will
strengthen you, yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”
“It is I; do not be afraid.”
In the film series, "Focus on the Family,"
The author shared a story about a 5-year-old African-American boy who will never be forgotten by those who knew him. A nurse
with whom I worked, Gracie Schaeffler, took care of this lad during the latter days of his life. He was dying of lung cancer,
which is a terrifying disease in its final stages. The lungs fill with fluid, and the patient is unable to breathe. It is
terribly claustrophobic, especially for a small child.
This little boy had a Christian mother
who loved him and stayed by his side through the long ordeal. She cradled him on her lap and talked softly about the Lord.
Instinctively, the woman was preparing her son for the final hours to come. Gracie told me that she entered his room one day
as death approached, and she heard this lad talking about hearing bells. "The bells are ringing, Mommie," he said. "I can
hear them."
Gracie thought he was hallucinating
because he was already slipping away. She left and returned a few minutes later and again heard him talking about hearing
bells ringing. The nurse said to his mother, 'I'm sure you know your baby is hearing things that aren't there. He is hallucinating
because of the sickness."
The mother pulled her son closer to
her chest, smiled and said, "No, Miss Schaeffler. He is not hallucinating. I told him when he was frightened -- when he couldn't
breathe -- if he would listen carefully, he could hear the bells of heaven ringing for him. That is what he's been talking
about all day."
“It is I; Do not be afraid.”
“And
Peter answered Him and said, Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.
So He said, ‘Come.’ And when Peter had come down out of the
boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus.”
Learning to swim in the creek as a young boy.
We are living in a time when we need to get
out of the boat.
Some are so comfortable in their boats that
the world is crumbling all around them. That is what is happening today. We are so comfortable that we do not have the desire or motivation to get out of the
boat to save drowning children; children drowning in the abuses and sins of the world.
We need courageous people to step out of the
boat in these days of change; people who know that the Lord will be there with them.
Those who are assured they will hear:
“It is I; Do not be afraid.”
Some of the last words that we have in Scripture
that Jesus told his followers are; “teaching them to observe all things that
I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
Matt. 28:19
“But
when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, Lord save me.”
It is when times turn to storm that man will
often turn to the Lord. We are in a storm and we need to listen for those calling
for the Lord. “Lord save me.”
“And
immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, ‘O you of little faith, why did you doubt?’”
It is I; do not be afraid.
“And
when they got into the boat, the wind ceased. Then those who were in the boat
came and worshipped Him, saying, ‘Truly You are the Son of God.’”
It is I; do not be afraid.
As we have ushered in
the year 2009 with change, doubt, and uncertainty, let each of us be reinforced to know that no matter where the Lord takes
us, He will be with us.
“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” Hebrews
13:8
As we face the challenges of life,
as we face the necessity of change, as we stand with courage, as we face the sin of our own lives, as we do the Lord’s
will, let us listen for the words, “it is I; do not be afraid.”
It takes courage to come before the
church.
We change by repenting and turning away from evil and sin and turning toward God and bringing forth
fruits worthy of our repentance. Acts 2:38 “Repent, and let every one of
you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ…”
Ø
Baptism – the
process of immersion, submersion, and emergence
Ø Jesus command in Matthew 28:19; “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of
the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit…”
Ø Acts 19:5 “When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.”
Ø Romans 6:3-4 “Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His
death? Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just
as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.”
Ø Galatians 3:26-27 “For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.
For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.”
Ø Colossians 2:12 “…buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him through faith in the
working of God, who raised Him from the dead.”
Ø 1st Peter 3:21 “There is also an antitype which now saves us – baptism (not the removal of the
filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God), through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.”
Ø
Acts 22:16 “And
now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord.”
