Another Miracle!

Psalm of the Day: Psalm 137

Psalm 137 ESV

By the waters of Babylon, there we sat down and wept, when we remembered Zion. On the willows there we hung up our lyres. For there our captors required of us songs, and our tormentors, mirth, saying, “Sing us one of the songs of Zion!” How shall we sing the Lord’s song in a foreign land? If I forget you, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget its skill! Let my tongue stick to the roof of my mouth, if I do not remember you, if I do not set Jerusalem above my highest joy! Remember, O Lord, against the Edomites the day of Jerusalem, how they said, “Lay it bare, lay it bare, down to its foundations!” O daughter of Babylon, doomed to be destroyed, blessed shall he be who repays you with what you have done to us! Blessed shall he be who takes your little ones and dashes them against the rock!

Scripture Reading: Psalm 46:8-11

Psalm 46:8–11 ESV

Come, behold the works of the Lord, how he has brought desolations on the earth. He makes wars cease to the end of the earth; he breaks the bow and shatters the spear; he burns the chariots with fire. “Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!” The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah

Sermon

Good Morning Church! I was glad when they said to me let us go and worship in the house of the Lord!

There is an apocryphal story that I really love about some pastor somewhere. In this story the Pastor has a passion to preach the gospel. SO week after week, Sunday after Sunday this pastor is faithfully preaching the Gospel to his People, he is proclaiming the life death Resurrection and ascension of Christ. He is proclaiming the completed work of the cross and the weight and value of that in the lives of all hearts that would receive it, he was preaching the GOSPEL. And one Sunday he was approached by some member of his congregation. “We love you pastor, but just so you know, we are all Christians here, we have moved past the gospel and need some more mature teaching.” and the pastor responds: “If you really think that, then I must preach the Gospel even more”. For we never move past needing these precious truths in out hearts and souls minds and lives!

I bring this up because if we have the wrong attitude towards Matthew, we are in danger of sounding a lot like this congregant. OK Matthew, we get it. Jesus performed ANOTHER incredible miracle, Jesus spoke in ANOTHER parable, Jesus healed another person, he taught again, we get it! But each and every miracle, each and every parable, each and every thing that Matthew included into his Gospel is important. He put it here under the direct inspiration of the Holy Spirit, it is given to us as a gift, it is part of what we have been given so that we have “all that we need for life and Godliness”. So yes, we are looking at ANOTHER miracle, and this one is another one that you have heard before, you are familiar with it, but it is important!

So with that being said lets read our passage for today, Matthew 14:22-33, Jesus walking on water

Matthew 14:22–33 ESV

Immediately he made the disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds. And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, but the boat by this time was a long way from the land, beaten by the waves, for the wind was against them. And in the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea. But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, “It is a ghost!” and they cried out in fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.” And Peter answered him, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me.” Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased. And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”

These are the words of the Lord for us this morning! Lets begin with a word of Prayer!

PRAY

It tells us about CHRIST

Who he IS

What he deserves

THEN

It tells us about US

the nature of LIFE

The nature of FAITH