Untitled Sermon (4)

Introduction

Israel

A Land Flowing with Milk and Honey.

The Holy Land

God’s Portion

Later this Land would become the known to each of us as the 5th Gospel.

What is it about this land that is so special?

Exodus 15:13 “You have led the people you redeemed. But in your loving-kindness, You

have guided them wonderfully, To your holy land.”

Ezekiel 48:14 “None of this special land shall ever be sold or traded or used by others,

for it belongs to the Lord; it is holy.”

Holy — ‘To be set apart’

This land is different than any other land in the world.

It is the stage in which God would tell His story to a world that had rejected Him.

A. It is a common reaction of people as they walk through this land that they are

surprised how small of an area of proximity all of these stories took place.

1. On this land.

a) It is in this ancient land that we discover how geography can help every

believer to understand the scriptures better.

I. Term ‘The Fifth Gospel’

A. There are four Gospels in the Bible.

1. The fifth Gospel is the Land of Israel.

2. Which is why it is so important to travel to this area.

a) Because it will help you understand the four Gospels.

b) Pilgrimage

(1) If you are going to truly understand the scriptures and story of Christ it

is important to consider going to the place it happened.

(2) Go and investigate!

(3) Go and see!

B. Authors of the Bible want us to consider Context.

1. In many cases the writer will tell us two things.

a) WHO THE AUDIENCE IS.

b) WHERE IT HAPPENED.

2. Their reason for doing this is because it matters to understanding what is

happening.

C. So over the next Eight weeks we want to take you through the Gospels while

walking through the fifth Gospel.

I. Sea of Galilee

A. I want to take you to the Sea of Galilee which is really not a sea, but at the 2nd

lowest freshwater lake earth, 700 feet below sea level.

1. This lake is 8 miles wide and 13 miles long.

2. The storms on this lake are legendary.

a) While we were there it was difficult to comprehend how a storm on these

waters could cause much destruction.

b) However, only days before our arrival the pilot of the boat we were on,

shared how the winds had swept through the rift in the mountains and

tossed the boats around.

(1) He described it as being extremely dangerous, even in the large tourist

boats.

3. It is divided into two regions.

a) The Southern region that was home to the Herodians in the SW and the

Hellenests in the SE.

b) The Northern region that was home to the religious Jews to the NW and

the Zealots to the NE.

(1) IT WAS IN THIS REGION THAT JESUS WOULD MOVE TO AND

PERFORM MUCH OF HIS MINISTRY.

(2) THIS REGION WAS ALSO A HOTBED OF REVOLUTIONARY TALK

AND PLANNING.

(a) Many other leaders had tried to lead a rebellion but they had failed.

(b) However, those failures had not quenched their desire to throw out

the Romans and their corrupt puppet kings of Israel.

4. The Sea of Galilee was such an important part of the New Testament

narrative.

a) So many experiences took place around the Sea of Galilee that it was also

called ‘The Sea of Miracles’.

B. Miracles and Stories of this place!

1. Jesus preached his first sermon in Capernaum.

2. He also preached the Sermon of the Mount overlooking the sea.

3. He would have fed the 4000 and 5000 people on these shores.

4. He calmed the sea while traveling across the sea in a boat.

5. He cast the demons in the demon possessed man.

6. He told the fisherman to cast out their nets on the other side of their boats

and they caught so much fish their boats began to sink.

7. People who were blind, lame, deaf, and lepers were all healed on by this lake

or in the towns on the shores of this lake.

C. When you stand on these shores you are overwhelmed with the impact that was

made in the culture of these cities, by the impact of One Man named Jesus.

Walking On Water!

I. This true story of Jesus walking on water is recorded in Matthew 14, Mark 6 and

John 6.

A. This was not an illusion.

B. It wasn’t ancient lore.

C. There was not physics explanation for how it happened.

D. It was a demonstration of God’s authority over creation, and the power of

the that authority operating in Jesus.

1. It got the attention of the disciples and everyone who would hear about it.

II. The story really begins at a the high point of Jesus Ministry in the region of Galilee.

A. He has been ministering in the synagogues throughout the Galilee area and has

really made three ministry trips.

B. Now He has just heard that John the Baptist has been beheaded by Herod and

his heart is heavy.

1. So he and his disciples head to a solitary place near Bethsaida and when

they arrive there is a crowd of people there waiting.

C. Matthew 14:13-14 TLB“As soon as Jesus heard the news, he went off by himself

in a boat to a remote area to be alone. But the crowds saw where he was

headed and followed by land from many villages. So when Jesus came out of the

wilderness, a vast crowd was waiting for him, and he pitied them and healed

their sick.”

D. When they arrive to the place where they went for retreat and recovery they are

met with hurting people.

1. Jesus had compassion on the people.

a) Jesus and the disciples were grieving

b) Jesus and the disciples were tired

c) Yet they performed many miracles

(1) They dealt with their pain by ministering to the pain of other

people.

(2) They took an offensive position

2. Jesus was becoming a celebrity.

a) Why not?

(1) The stories of what he said and the miracles he had done spread from

town to town and village to village.

(2) They were in awe of His power and authority

(3) They were also dumbfounded by the sacred cows that he seemed to

disregard.

b) Jesus was no longer someone people were just hearing about.

(1) He had become the leading candidate for a potential messiah.

3. The Messiah

a) Their idea of the Messiah had strayed far from the Biblical and Ancient

writers definition of the Messiah.

b) They were looking for the Messiah to a level beyond the Romans.

(1) They wanted to be the hunters.

(2) They wanted the Ancient glory days of King David to be restored back

to the land of Israel.

c) Jesus was their man!

(1) He was likable

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E. Matthew 14:15-21 “ That evening the disciples came to him and said, “It is

already past time for supper, and there is nothing to eat here in the desert; send

the crowds away so they can go to the villages and buy some food.” But Jesus

replied, “That isn’t necessary—you feed them!” “What!” they exclaimed. “We

have exactly five small loaves of bread and two fish!” “Bring them here,” he said.

Then he told the people to sit down on the grass; and he took the five loaves and

two fish, looked up into the sky, and asked God’s blessing on the meal, then

broke the loaves apart and gave them to the disciples to place before the people.

20 And everyone ate until full! And when the scraps were picked up afterwards,

there were twelve basketfuls left over!(About five thousand men were in the

crowd that day, besides all the women and children.)”

1. Once this took place there was no doubt that Jesus was their man.

a) The frenzy grew beyond a few revolutionaries.

b) Now even those who were doubters are seeing the potential.

c) The mob mentality has grown to a point that Mark says, “That the people

were going to forcibly make Him King.”

2. This atmosphere was so charged that even the disciples had gotten caught

up in the dialogue.

I. Jesus Shifts The Atmosphere!

A. Rather than stirring up the crowd Jesus steps in and sends the people home.

1. Jesus didn’t want to be known as a Revolutionary.

a) Man is constantly trying to give names to God that He is not.

b) In turn, we often struggle to accept the names that He is.

2. They only saw Jesus as a mere man that came to fight the earthly battles that

they were fighting.

a) Rather Jesus was far more than a man.

b) He needed them to know He was God, and He came to defeat the enemy

they didn’t even realize was far worse than any Roman Soldier.

3. He came to defeat Death!!!

a) Their Death

b) Your Death

c) My Death

B. The Disciples have just been part of this incredible miracle of feeding the 15,000

people, along with all the other miracles they have seen and done.

1. Now they can see the handwriting on the wall that this is truly the

revolutionary Messiah they had been waiting for.

a) He is going to to conquer.

b) They are going to be right there with Him.

2. They are being encouraged by the crowd.

a) To the point that they had stopped following the direction of Christ.

b) They were being led by the praises of Men!

C. Jesus aware of what is taking place, ‘Makes His disciples get into a boat and

push out to sea’

1. They don’t want to leave.

a) They are loving the notiarity.

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b) They are loving the Praise.

c) They are loving the possibilities that lie ahead.

2. Jesus has to gather them together and make them get into the boat.

a) Keep in mind!

(1) They are already tired.

(2) They had been in ministry all day.

(3) They had served 15,000 people.

(4) They were emotionally tired from the news of John the Baptists death.

b) Now they are rowing in a boat at night.

D. Matthew 14:22 “Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go

on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd.”

1. The Disciples Obeyed Jesus!

a) Obedience Presents Divine Opportunities and Protection!

(1) The disciples didn’t want to leave.

(2) The disciples had been fisherman and understood the work it would

take to get across the Lake at night.

(3) They didn’t want to do it.

b) Jesus insisted.

(1) They obeyed Jesus even they didn’t want to or know why they needed

to.

c) When we obey God’s word, God’s direction, and God’s commands we are

opening the door to Divine opportunity in our life.

(1) God wants to reveal to everyone of us Who He Is so that He is able to

draw out of us who we are.

2. The people loved Jesus for what He could do for them.

a) The disciples needed to know who He really was so that they would no

longer get caught up in their pointless and futile pursuits.

b) He needed the disciples to recognize that Jesus was not a revolutionary

leader he was the Son of God.

c) Jesus also wanted to show them who they were.

(1) They were not called to revolutionaries.

(2) They were called to be Christ to the World.

A. Jesus Intercedes For Them!

1. Jesus Sees You!

2. Matthew 14:23 “…he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray.”

a) Jesus sent them off on the sea alone but he was not far from them.

(1) He was there interceding for them.

3. These story really illustrates the current state of the church.

a) You may feel like God is not near you!

(1) That you are alone.

(2) You are out on this sea by yourself.

(3) Where is God?

b) The Bible says that Jesus is interceding for you.

(1) You have not rowed out of his sight.

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(2) Mark 6:47-48 “ Later that night, the boat was in the middle of the lake,

and he was alone on land. 48 He saw the disciples straining at the

oars, because the wind was against them.”

(a) The Eyes of God are on you!

(b) Jesus Sees you!

4. Our obedience to God’s direction will always lead to protection and blessing.

a) The disciples had to face what they were going to face in order to

recognize and see the truth.

5. Jesus is praying for you right now!

E. The Disciples encounter a storm.

1. Why is this happening to me?

a) Didn’t Jesus know this would happen.

b) Why am I going through this?

c) So many questions we ask because we want to understand the WHY.

2. First we must trust, that if I am on the sea and a storm comes up I will not

encounter it alone.

a) Through that storm I will be presented with a divine opportunity to

discover something about God and in turn something about myself.

b) Which is why James declares to consider it pure joy when you face trials

of any kind.

(1) We are already overcomers.

(2) We already know we will overcome.

3. The Disciples are already tired.

a) It has been a long day and now night.

b) They have to row this boat about 8 miles to where Jesus wanted them to

go.

4. Now they have to face a storm.

a) Storms on Galilee are legendary.

b) As fisherman they recognize that this is very dangerous.

(1) They could die.

(2) They are likely thinking that they could very possibly die.

(a) If only Jesus had come with them.

(b) Than maybe he could do something about this.

5. Matthew 14:24 “The boat was already a considerable distance from land,

buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it.”

a) They were in the middle of the Sea of Galilee.

(1) Straining at the oars.

I. Jesus Shows Up!

A. Matthew 14:25-26 “ Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the

lake. When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a

ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear.”

1. Around 4 am in the morning, the disciples look out in the distance and see

this image of a man walking on the water.

a) Now to you and I that image is freaky enough.

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a) But to fisherman this is a sign that Ghosts of Fisherman

past who have drowned in the lake have come to take you.

(1) It was a sure sign of death.

(2) They are freaking out.

(3) Just as you might be if you were in this boat.

b) They were as good as dead.

2. There will be times when the Savior will show up in your life and your

initial reaction will be fear.

a) Listen to the words of Jesus.

3. Matthew 14:27 “But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I.

Don’t be afraid.”

a) Fear Not!

b) The bible says, “Fear not” 356 times.

(1) Once for every day of the year.

4. In order to rescue the disciples Jesus demonstrates an incredible act of love

and power to rescue them.

B. Jesus walks on water!

1. He overcomes the impossible to Step into their boat.

a) Nothing can keep Christ from coming to you when you call for him.

2. In That Moment three things happened:

a) 1st—The disciples took their eyes off the storm and put them on

Jesus.

b) 2nd—The disciples realize that Jesus is not a Revolutionary Human

Messiah or great prophet like Elijah, He was God.

(1) They recognize He is something other than human.

(2) Many would say this is when they realized He was God!

c) 3rd—Jesus is able to do exceedingly and abundantly more than

anything you could ever ask or even imagine.

(1) God is not limited to the standard laws of Nature.

(2) He supercedes natural laws.

II. Jesus Calls Out of Peter the Supernatural!

A. Matthew 14:28-29 “ “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on

the water.” “Come,” he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the

water and came toward Jesus.”

1. Lord if it is you?

a) This statement is a crazy statement to me.

(1) Lord if it is you call me out on the water in the storm.

b) It is actually an incredible question however.

(1) “Lord, if it is you.”

(a) We often ask this question and do not do it.

(2) This is so crazy, how do I know that this is God telling me to do this.

(a) How?

(b) How do I know?

2. There was something in Peter that was being drawn out of Him when He saw

Jesus walking on water.

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a) There is a scripture in the Bible that records a statement of Jesus.

(1) “Greater Things you shall do than what I have done.”

(a) We know that he is saying in greater measure.

(b) Even then what Jesus did was incredible.

(2) Greater is He in me, than he that is in the world.

(a) Many Christians live with this mindset that Demons operate in more

power than they possess or do.

(3) Jesus need to get the disciples to recognize who they were so that

they could walk as He walked with the Holy Spirit!

3. When you meditate on the incredible things Jesus has done and hear about

the unbelievable miracles that the Holy Spirit has performed; it will call out of

you the supernatural.

a) The devil will try to separate you from that deep calling.

(1) You are not like them.

(2) You are not holy enough.

(3) You are not righteous enough.

(4) You are not good enough.

(5) You are not……..

b) Yet something keeps calling you to something supernatural.

(1) God is able to help us walk in the supernatural.

(2) Walk by faith and not by sight.

B. Christ is Calling You Out Of Your Boat!

1. Most people would like to say, “Hey don’t rock my boat.”

a) Your definition for this life, is not God’s definition for this life.

b) I promise you, if you trust God you will enjoy His far more.

C. Motivation of Peter’s Heart

1. When Peter got out of the boat everything else disappeared and his focus

was on Jesus.

a) His faith was strong.

b) He operated in the supernatural.

c) Peter was walking on water.

2. When Peter put his attention on the Storm.

a) He sank.

b) Matthew 14:30 “But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning

to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”

III. Jesus Never Allows The Storm To Overtake You!

A. Peter was distracted by the Wind and Waves.

1. It is easy to do.

2. It is easy to begin listening to the voices around us that speak fear and death

to us.

a) Tell you every bad thing that happened to a person they knew.

b) Family of origin belief systems.

(1) We can’t be generous because we won’t have enough if we do.

B. Matthew 14:31 “Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You

of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”

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1. If a little faith can walk on water.

a) If a little faith can move mountains.

2. What could huge and abundant faith do?

C. Again showing Peter and the rest of the disciples that each of them were near

His grasp.

1. They are not far from His reach!

2. When they step out of the boat they are still within the safety of His reach and

grasp.

IV. Jesus Got In The Boat!

A. Matthew 14:32-33 “And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down.

Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son

of God.”

1. It is in this part of the story that the scriptures reveal the purpose of this

experience.

B. Peace is always found in the presence of Jesus and not in the absence of

Storms.

1. People of peace are people who walk in peace even when everything around

them is falling apart.

2. Because they recognize that Jesus is with them.

3. The scriptures say, “Peace that passes understanding.”

V. Final Lesson:

A. We are living in a cultural mindset that when things get difficult we jump out of

the boat.

1. Big moves Do Not Always probe Great Faith!

a) There are many times it takes greater faith to stay put.

b) When God is not telling you to move.

Conclusion

I. Mark 6:51-52 “Then he climbed into the boat with them, and the wind died down.

They were completely amazed, for they had not understood about the loaves; their

hearts were hardened.”

B. Week after week I try to take the scriptures and ask questions of the text, sharing

what I believe the Holy Spirit has shared with me.

C. This week I would like for you to do that with this text found in Mark 6.

VI. Question: What was it about the loaves that they did not understand because

their hearts were hardened?

A. Don’t run looking for people to communicate their take to figure it out.

1. Pray about it.

2. Study it.

3. Meditate on it.

4. Ask God about it.