Walking on Water
Notes
Transcript
Fear to Faith
Fear to Faith
We all have fears
fears can be related to not fully trusting in Jesus.
Fear is a God designed emotion
It can protect us
but it can paralyze us.
Even when we know what we are doing
or feel completely comfortable
a storm can arise and we
face fear.
Fear can be stated as:
FEAR=
FALSE EVIDENCE that APPEARS REAL
yet some times the Fear comes even when we are doing
the Right thing in the Right Time.
its like our guard is down and smack right in our face
JESUS KNOWS US
JESUS WILL TAKE OUR FEARS TO FAITH
JOHN 6:16-21
Lets read our verses for Today:
John 6:16–21 (ESV)
16 When evening came, his disciples went down to the sea,
17 got into a boat, and started across the sea to Capernaum. It was now dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them.
18 The sea became rough because a strong wind was blowing.
19 When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and coming near the boat, and they were frightened.
20 But he said to them, “It is I; do not be afraid.”
21 Then they were glad to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat was at the land to which they were going.
We are Jesus’s Disciples
We seek to obey
We go off on our in to life
and many times we have
an I GOT THIS ATTITUDE
We start to go before we pray, before we make sure that Jesus is with us
and then when trouble arise, our first reaction is FEAR
Yet Jesus is ALWAYS THERE to assure us that HE IS RIGHT THERE
in FACT it is JESUS who comes to us!!!
and that we should not be afraid.
Fear is banished in the Name of Jesus
REVIEW:
last week we heard about the Feeding of the 5000
and we ask a lot of WHY questions.
and i admit that it was fun to sit in your seats and take notes.
It is an amazing story that Jesus feeds all those people
Showing us that Jesus does what He says
that He provides and maybe even that in the midst of our
lives
Jesus knows what we need and when we need it.
To me the most amazing part of the verses on the Feeding of the 5000
is the very end of the verse
John 6:15 (ESV)
15 Perceiving then that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, Jesus withdrew again to the mountain by himself.
This is the verse that takes us to the door of our verses today.
Probably too many times in the last few years i have thought about my statements about this verse and many of our churches today.
Jesus just hosted an amazing event, he feed 5000 to 20000 people with a few loafs and two fish.
Then instead of collecting information cards, or performing an altar call or inviting them back next week
He WITHDRAWS
It is never about Him, but doing the work of the Father.
Friends --- Jesus would have been fired or a least written up in many churches today.
I am sure that Jesus gave the disciples instructions when He withdrew to the mountain.
he commands them, sends them
Go over to Capernaum
Jesus needed to connect with His Father
Jesus knew that wanted an EARTHLY King again
--- even after the lessons of Saul in the Old Testament
They already had a KING ---- KING JESUS.
Likely part of the reason that Jesus withdrew was that He knew the
HEARTS OF THE PEOPLE
they were willing to FORCE THE ISSUE
to start a REBELLION, CROWNING JESUS KING and Dare the Roman Authorities to respond
They wanted to force the situation
BUT JESUS demonstrates a yielding to GOD’s TIME
to the GREATER GOOD
This is a BIG EVENT, followed by a rather HUGE intention of the CROWDS
But our Scriptures written by John take us to a small event
that displays a
PERSONAL struggle in each of US...
Fear in Us
Fear in Us
we all know that voice inside of us
that Flight reflect
that “WHAT IN THE WORLD AM I GOING TO DO”
that is the world
Our Verses are about OUR JESUS
We all have fears
and fears can be related to not fully trusting in Jesus.
Fear is a God designed emotion
It can protect us
but it can paralyze us.
Many of the Disciples were fisherman, so they were not unfamiliar with the Sea of Galilee
I would also supposed that Jesus sent them at this time to go and to meet Him on the other side.
it is DARK — so it is later in the evening
they are being obedient
and then a STORM COMES UP.........
Have you been in this place
you are being obedient to the LORD
living your life right
and then....
......a storm comes up and you are AFRAID.
Trust and Fear
Trust and Fear
Jesus sent them
it was a testing situation
Dark, late, storm coming
Jesus knows
the key to LIVING OUR LIFE IN CHRIST is Trust
Jesus knows
Jesus walks out and comes to them in their time of FEAR
Jesus and Arnold Palmer
Jesus and Moses are out playing golf one day. When they come to the 14th hole, which is a particularly nasty 310 yard, par 4, with a water hazard in front of the green.
Moses leads off, and drives a beautiful shot straight down the fairway, laying-up 10 yards short of the water hazard.
Jesus steps up to the tee, and tells Moses, “I’m going for the green. I saw Arnold Palmer make this same shot last year”. Moses advises Jesus he’ll never make the green, and to lay-up short.
Jesus tells Moses, “No, I saw Arnold Palmer make this shot, and I know if he can do it, so can I”.
So Jesus tees up the ball, hits it, and watches it land in the middle of the water hazard. Jesus turns to Moses, asking him to please part the waters so he can retrieve his golf ball. Moses parts the waters, allowing Jesus to retrieve his ball.
Jesus comes back to the tee, and tells Moses, “I’m going to try it again. If Arnold Palmer can make this shot, I know I can too”. Jesus tees up his golf ball, hits it, and again watches it land in the middle of the water hazard. He turns to Moses, and asks him to part the waters so he can retrieve his golf ball. Moses says OK, and parts the waters, so Jesus can retrieve his golf ball again.
Jesus comes back, and once again tees up the ball telling Moses he can make the shot, because if Arnold Palmer can do it, he can too. Moses tells Jesus, if he hits the ball into the water this time, he’s not going to help him get it back.
Jesus takes a mighty swing, and watches the ball fall just short of the green, once again landing in the water. He turns to Moses, and asks him to part the waters, and Moses tells him no, he had to retrieve the ball on his own. So Jesus walks out onto the water searching for his golf ball.
About this time, the follow-on foursome approaches the 14th hole, and sees Jesus walking on water. One of the foursome asks Moses who the guy walking on water thinks he is! Jesus Christ?
Moses responds, “no, Arnold Palmer”
Just listen to verse 20 and let it settle in a few moments
20 But he said to them, “It is I; do not be afraid.”
In times of FEAR, we must rest in this verse.
Faith over Fear
Walking on Water
Walking on Water
There are people who argue and seek to diminish this event.
Jesus was walking in the shallows the boat was not that far off
BUT that is not what the SCRIPTURES Say
The Sea of Galilee is not a tiny lake
at the Northern end where Jesus is
it is about five miles across.
The Disciples were out in the middle
at night
in the middle of the storm
they were skilled fisherman
and they were afraid so image the storm!!
I love the fact that the Bible tells us
Jesus walked
Jesus didn’t run
Jesus was in control
this is a great comfort for us
When we are in crisis
Jesus is in CONTROL
HIS TIMING IS PERFECT
HE IS IN CONTROL OF ALL THINGS
Jesus will take our FEARS and TURN THEM IN TO FAITH
IT IS I
IT IS I
Have you ever had one of those GOD moments
where you Felt, heard and experienced GOD
when you thought all was lost and then
and amazing thing happens
You have a moment where you realize it had to be JESUS.
IT HAD TO BE, because nothing else can explain it.
I suggest if you have been walking with Christ
your answer is Yes.
Jesus came to you and you heard a version of
IT IS I
Peter takes a Walk
Peter takes a Walk
Peter is on that boat
He experience Fear,
Sees the authority of Jesus
He experiences Faith
He Fears again
and is reminded Who Jesus is?
one of our parallel verses in the Gospel is matthew 14
as we learned last week John the Baptist has just beheaded
the disciples came and took the body of John to be buried
They go and tell Jesus
Jesus withdraws in a boat to be alone
The crowds hear of this and they follow Jesus and gather to hear Him
Jesus performs the miracle of feeding the 5000 plus
Then Jesus makes them get in a boat and row out to cross to the other side
A storm comes up and the disciples are terrified
They see Jesus walking on the sea and assume it is a ghost.
they believe it can not really be Him
But Peter calmed by the Words of our Lord
Experiencing Faith over Fear
then....
asks Jesus to command Him to come to Him
Amazingly
Peter steps out of the boat
Matthew 14:29–33 (ESV)
29 He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus.
30 But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me.”
31 Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”
32 And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased.
33 And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”
Peter believes in Jesus enough to ask HIM
Peter believes enough to step out
and Peter experience first hand the power and authority of Jesus over ALL THINGS
Yet Peter takes his eyes off of Jesus
and sees the wind again.
He gets scared again
I tend to picture a simple version of the scene
The disciples obey and start to row
a major wind and storm arises and they are afraid
Jesus comes walking across the water
and they don’t believe at first
The winds calm
the fears calm
Peter is amazed and emboldened
Steps out and walks on water
takes His focus off of Jesus
and a new fear is realized.
Jesus for the second time in a few minutes
Saves Peter
Rebuking him
Oh thee of little Faith
It is Faith over Fear always
Informing him that it was his lack of faith and trust in the Power of Christ.
in the end --- Jesus gets in the boat, and the Disciples worship Him
Praising that HE IS THE SON OF GOD
Then the boat moves immediately to the shore.
Conclusion
Conclusion
We see miracles every day
We have fears every day
We experience Faith over Fear
and Fear over Faith
We must chose.....
we tend to get confident in our abilities instead of fully focusing on HIS STRENGTH
Jesus commands us to GO
to row through Life
and storms will come
the message today is
that Jesus is the KEY
the KEY TO PEACE in Storms
May you live your life Daily
in Faith over Fear
hearing the very Words of our Lord
IT IS I, do not be afraid
lets pray.