Sermon # 1
Matthew 14: 22-23 Title:
IT'S NOT WHAT'S IN THE BOAT THAT COUNTS
Sub-title: GET OUT AND WALK ON THE WATER!
In this particular passage we have the story of yet another miracle which Jesus wrought for the relief of His friends and followers,--- 'His walking upon the water to His disciples'.
This occurs after his miracle of feeding the five thousand men with five loaves of bread and two fishes.
Jesus has now dismissed his disciples and the multitude. (the bible says that "He constrained his disciples straightway, or immediately to get into a ship, and go before him unto the other side.")
Now, John's gospel gives us a specific reason for the speedy breakup of this assembly; you see the people were so stirred, and moved with emotional gladness about the miracle of the loaves and fishes, that John tells us --- they were about to take him by force, and make him a king. (Glory to God)
So, so, Jesus -- sent the multitude away; but He didn't send them 'JUST' away, no, no -- He sent them away with a blessing; and with some parting words of caution, counsel, and words of comfort.
Jesus, constrained his disciples to go into a ship first, because until they were gone the people would not leave, and they would not have, if he had not compelled them to do so.
__ Well, you may be wondering WHY, he sent them away, and it would seem that after such a high and victorious miracle as that surely was, that Jesus would be like we are; He would want to hang around with the crowd and his disciples and go over, and over the events of the day from the beginning to the end-- with each telling getting grander and grander--- But -- NO! Not Jesus.---- He wanted to get away into the mountains to be alone with the Father.
__ Vs. 25 tells us that "He went up into a mountain APART to pray." Observe here:
(1) that he was alone; He went apart into a solitary place, and was there all alone, no disciples , no crowd, no well wishers, NO -- ONE. FRIENDS I WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT JESUS DID THIS AS AN EXAMPLE FOR US TODAY! THIS IS WHAT WE SHOULD DO, --- WE SHOULD 'WANT' TO GET ALONE WITH OUR LORD FROM TIME TO TIME; AND WE 'SHOULD' EXERCISE THAT PRIVILEDGE OFTEN.
__Listen, my sisters and my brothers, --YOU ARE NOT A FOLLOWER OF CHRIST JESUS, IF YOU DON'T LIKE BEING ALONE WITH HIM! AND IF YOU CANNOT ENJOY YOURSELVES IN TOTAL CONFINEMENT WITH HIM! -- OR WHEN YOU HAVE NO ONE ELSE TO CONVERSE WITH, -- NO ONE ELSE TO ENJOY BUT "GOD' AND YOUR "OWN" HEART -- "YOU" ARE NOT A FOLLOWER, IF YOU HAVE NO CARE TO MAKE YOUR WAY TO THE THRONE OF GRACE EVERY NOW AND THEN; -- AND HAVE A LITTLE TALK WITH THE MASTER! (O, BLESS HIS NAME).
__ And, so now, Jesus is in his solitary confinement to pray. (let me point out to you, that this was 'voluntary' solitude) And; that WAS his 'BUSINESS', in this SOLITUDE --- to pray! hallelujah.
__ Here is another example set before us, to teach us our prayers should be in 'secret', and the performance of them-- in secret--(amen) according to the rule he gave in Matthew's Gospel chapter 6:6
" Be thou,when thou prayest, enter into thy secret closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly." (Glory to God)
__So, when the disciples went to sea, their Master went to prayer!!! (O, Bless His Name)
__ Vs. 23 tells us that Jesus, was still in prayer when the evening came, (friends how many of us would stay at prayer for that long? The Word says that he was there until the morning came which was about four o'clock in the morning, (praise His Name)
__ And so, as the night came on, it was a very stormy, tumultuous, and turbulent night; but Jesus continued praying without delay,-- my sisters and my brothers -- it's so good when we find our hearts swelled with the love and joy of being with the Father- long in--- unaltered --- secret prayer (o, bless his name) Hallelujah!
___ Vs. 24 And now the disciples have found themselves in a tough situation. their ship was in the midst of that storm, being tossed with waves; and the wind was very fierce. The disciples had just gotten into the middle of the sea at about the time the storm arose. (My brothers and my sisters, I want you to know that life dosen't play favorites, amen, because you may be going right along with the wind at your back and about to reach the port in record time; when all of a sudden you come in contact with --- A STORM--- Yes, and it could be the storm of sickness, a storm of brokenness or depression, a storm of fear, or sadness, despair, loneliness, laziness, foolishness, worldliness, wickedness, the storm of temptation, adultery, lieing, cheating, stealing, sexual misconduct, the storm of drug abuse, spousal abuse, parent abuse, selfishness, murder , destruction, rejection, disillusionment, discouragement or the storm of the death of a loved one, hallelujah, YES, I WANT YOU TO BE ADVISED THAT AFTER A LONG CALM--- DON'T BE FOOLED BECAUSE A STORM IS COMING YOUR WAY-- YOU BETTER EXPECT IT, YOU BETTER GET READY FOR IT BECAUSE 'IT IS' COMING, (GLORY TO GOD)
___ So, now, the disciples were (WHERE JESUS HIMSELF, HAD SENT THEM) and there they have met with this storm. (Jesus WILL send you right in the middle of a storm) BUT THAT SHOULD NOT BE SO STRANGE FOR THOSE OF US WHO ARE DISCIPLES OF CHRIST -- IT SHOULD NOT BE STRANGE TO MEET WITH STORMS IN THE WAY OF OUR DUTIES TO HIM AND FOR HIM, (HALLELUJAH) IT SHOULD NOT SEEM STRANGE TO BE SENT OUT TO SEA-- EVEN WHEN THE MASTER HAS SEEN THE STORM UP AHEAD; (O BLESS HIS NAME) BUT LET US NOT TAKE HIS REQUEST OF US UNKINDLY (HALLELUJAH), BECAUSE YOU SEE FRIENDS, THIS IS A DIVINE PLAN WHICH HAS BEEN DESIGNED BY CHRIST HIMSELF, SO AS TO MANIFEST HIMSELF IN YOUR LIFE WITH ALL THE MORE WONDERFUL GRACE TO YOU AND FOR YOU (O PRAISE HIS NAME, HALLELUJAH) (so let's see what happens next)
___ Well, I'm sure that the disciples were feeling a great bit of discouragement at this time because they did not have Jesus with them as they had at other times when the storms of life were raging; but friends, did you know that over our lives we have many 'little' storms to go through, and The Lord allows them to prepare us for what lies ahead. (Hallelujah)
___ He is even preparing someone today-- right this instant for something in your future that you can't handle right now. (O, Praise His Name) You see Jesus uses us (His children, His disciples) in the lesser difficulties at first, so as to train us to be able to stand when the really big storms come. ( Glory to God)
___ It's like a child just learning to walk, first you nudge him along to get him to crawl and not be afraid; and then when he feels assured that you're right there with him he will begin to take a few wobbly steps while holding onto the table, next, after much coaxing he's able to learn to trust that the father will not let him fall; finally, he realizes that if only he would cry out to the father to reach out to him and tell him to walk on the water, he would not be afraid-- to come to Him. (Bless the Name of the Lord)
___ So, the lesson here is, that Jesus Christ trains us in stages-- to learn how to live by faith. Even when the winds are blowing in our lives, even when things seem to be contrary to the word of God; and you're tossed with wave after wave (especially after being ordered by the Master to go to the other side) no, no, no my, brothers and my sisters, we should MAKE THE BEST OUT OF A BAD SITUATION AND CONTINUE FORWARD, EVEN THOUGH TROUBLES AND DIFFICULTIES MAY DISTURB OUR DUTY;--- WE MUST NOT LET THEM DRIVE US FROM IT!!!! Because if we do that, we won't have a testimony; and God will get no glory. Bless His name. Remember what I said to you in the beginning; It's not what's in the boat that counts --- Get out and walk on the water! (To God be the glory)
___ There may be one out there at this time who has just read this sermon message and you feel like you have not trusted in the Lord with your life, your very existence, and there may be others who have believed that the word of God is just a fairy tale for children-- and that those bible stories are just that--- STORIES--- well I'm here to tell you and to prove to you with all that's within me-- that it's not a fairy tale. It is the real truth straight from heaven. The word of God tells us that God is not a man that He should lie, it tells us that He cannot lie-- His word is true. My sisters and my brothers don't continue to be deceived by satan-- he "is" the father of all lies. So, I'm pleading with you, I'm begging you to give your heart to the Lord right now while you have a chance and while you have time. Tomorrow might be to late. Won't you accept him into your heart right now. He says to you:
20 "Behold, I stand at the door and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.
21 To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I overcame, and am set down with my Father in His throne.
Revelations 3:20-21
___ My sister--- my brother, what are you waiting for? With an invitation like that, how can you refuse to get out of the boat-- and go to the other side? He's waiting for you. He's calling out to you, He's knocking on the door of your heart--- open the door and let the Son of God come in.
Let us pray:
___ Dear heavenly Father, thank you for these words of wisdom and teaching. Thank you most especially for those who did not harden their hearts and opened the door to let you into their lives to be the ruler and teacher. O, God we just want to thank you and we ask that you hold tightly to their hands until they reach the other shore. In the matchless name of Jesus Christ our Lord and our Savior, I pray. Amen.
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AND NOW PART TWO IN OUR SERIES
IT'S NOT WHAT'S IN THE BOAT THAT COUNTS
GET OUT AND WALK ON THE WATER
PART B. THE APPROACH JESUS TAKES
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