2006-08-20 - You can Follow - Matt 14 22-36

Message: You can Follow                                                 Newport Baptist Church

Scr: Matthew 14:22-36                                                     Date: 2006-08-20

Intro:  (The Disciples Version of the Story) – Guess what Peter did

Peter late for dinner the next day – disciples talking

Matt – made a fool of himself

James – Peter always showing off

Others – laughing – tried and failed, crazy, should have stayed in the boat with us!

…And now the rest of the story…
(Peter’s Version of the Story)
I was on my way to dinner with the other disciples when I ran into an old fishing buddy. I was so excited about what had happened that I had to tell somebody. I started telling him the story: “You’ll never believe what happened last night. I was in a boat with the rest of the guys at about 3:00am. The winds and the waves started to rock the boat back and forth. We were caught in the middle of a terrible storm. Then out of nowhere we saw what appeared to be a ghost. The figure was walking on water. Then we heard his voice. It was the voice of Jesus. He told us not to be afraid. So I said, ‘Master, if it is you, then tell me to come to you on the water.’ He told me to get out of the boat and come. So that’s exactly what I did. Before I knew what was happening I was actually walking on water. It was amazing! Then all of a sudden I remembered I was in the middle of a huge storm. I started watching the waves instead of Jesus. Then it happened. I started sinking under the water. Immediately I cried out to the Lord and begged him to rescue me. He reached out his hand and pulled me back up. He asked me why I ever doubted Him and encouraged me to have more faith next time. The other disciples just watched from the boat. I can’t believe they didn’t join me. Sure, I started to sink because of doubt, but at least I can say I’ve walked on water! Maybe they’ll learn from my experience and get out of the boat next time.
Explanation – The challenge to you is this: Get out of the Boat!
All of you have a choice. You can stay in the boat and criticize those who step out. Or you can get out of the boat and say that you’ve walked on water. The choice is yours!  Will you follow Jesus or will you give in to your fear, either by remaining in the boat, or by sinking?

TS – Jesus had a reason that night for sending the disciples away.  People he had fed wanted to make him a king – John 6:15 – Jesus knew that people will follow anyone who promises them the material things in life.  He didn’t want his disciples to buy into the world’s system.  So he went away to be by himself to pray, but before he did he made his disciples go on ahead in the boat – centre of the lake, 3.5 miles, 4th watch – between 3&6 am – storm had arisen – and Jesus came walking – dark, waves & wind, cloak and hair whipped by the wind.

Storm often comes in our own lives, but there are a number of things we can trust when we are following Jesus, you can follow because:

1.       He brought me here! – vs 22

a.       Why did storm come?  Because they were IN the will of God!

                                                   i.      Jesus knew storm was coming and sent them into the storm

                                                  ii.      Our safety is not based on circumstances, but on being in the will of God

b.       Two kinds of storms in the Bible

                                                   i.      Storms of correction – God’s discipline - Jonah

                                                  ii.      Storms of perfection – God helping us grow

1.       Jesus had tested them in the storm before-calm the storm-but he was in the boat that time

2.       this time the test was that he was out of the boat

                                                iii.      obedience to God does not produce smooth sailing

1.       John 16:33-Jesus promised "in this world you shall have trouble"

c.        when we obey the Lord and find ourselves in the storm we must remember that he brought us here and he can care for us

2.       he is praying for me – vs 23-24

a.       God's people are in the storm

                                                   i.      Romans 8:34-Jesus is in heaven interceding for us, praying for us.

                                                  ii.      Heb 4:15 - For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are

b.       Ill: if you knew that Jesus Christ was in the next room praying for you, wouldn't that help you overcome the storms that you're facing?  He is not in the next room yet, but he is in heaven praying for you, he sees her needs, he knows our fears, and he is in control of the situation.

3.       He will come to me – vs 25-26

a.       we often feel like Jesus has abandoned us.

                                                   i.      Psalms-David's complaint-God far away and doesn't care

                                                  ii.      knew God would rescue him

b.       God will always come

                                                   i.      Isaiah 43:2-when you pass through the waters I will be with you

                                                  ii.      may not come when we think he should, he knows when we need him the most

                                                iii.      waited until the ship was as far from land as possible, so that human hope was gone

c.        Fear is a crippler.

                                                   i.      Fear of circumstances.

                                                  ii.      People.

                                                iii.      The unknown.

                                                iv.      It holds countless Christians back.

                                                 v.      Their goliath is bigger than God! - and so live in captivity

4.       he will help me grow – vs27-29

man driving Porsche.  guy on a moped pulled up next to him, mind if I take a look inside. The man said sure. To show off a little when the light went green he pushed on the gas and his Porsche in no time was going 100, but to his surprise the man on his moped was right on his bumper, so he gunned it to 150 but still couldn’t shake the man on his moped. He finally floored it and was going over 200 miles an hour but couldn’t shake the man on his moped. So he decided to stop and ask the man how he was keeping up. But when he stopped the man on his moped slammed into him. He ran back and asked the man if he could do anything for him. He said, if you wouldn’t mind, would you unhook my suspenders from your side mirror.

As Christians we are suppose to operate in supernatural power, by faith, not by sight.

a.       the point of the storm

                                                   i.      their faith needed to grow - some day Jesus would leave

                                                  ii.      they would face many tests - had to learn to trust Jesus even when he wasn't present - when it looked like he didn't care

b.       Peter wanted to grow

                                                   i.      usually criticize him for sinking

                                                  ii.      should honor him for incredible demonstration of faith

                                                iii.      anybody can sit in the boat and watch, but it takes a real faith to leave the boat and walk on water

c.        why did he sink

                                                   i.      he took his eyes off Jesus - he looked at the circumstances-wind and waves

                                                  ii.      great faith ended up as small faith

                                                iii.      the difference is this - great faith sees only one way, obedience and trust in God, while small faith sees many paths

                                                iv.      when God calls great faith is being willing to get out of the boat and follow him no matter what storms surround you.

d.       Lord save me!

                                                   i.      Peter cried out when he was starting to sink not once he was drowning – shortest prayer in the Bible (may be)

                                                  ii.      Ill - little kids at the river

e.        Storms are not easy, but are necessary

                                                   i.      teach us to trust Jesus alone

                                                  ii.      teach us to obey his word no matter what

                                                iii.      Faith is not believing in spite of evidence, but obeying in spite of consequence

                                                iv.      It’s interesting: the storm was nothing new. It didn’t suddenly spring up. But, at a certain point, he took his eyes of Jesus and onto the storm  - and he sank

5.       he will see me through – vs 30-32

Jesus was so much more than just a ruler, or a magician, able to conjure up food when needed. He is LORD over all. I think sometimes we tend to focus just on certain aspects of the Lord – we pray, God fix this here, feed me there – and we put Him in a box of our own making and own need.

Instead we need to let Him out of the box –How big is your God?” Is He big enough to do something amazing, totally unexpected? Are we big enough to go with the flow, no matter how crazy it seems? I’m not talking about doing anything unscriptural or against the character of Jesus as revealed in the Bible to us – but is God big enough to handle our problems? You bet He is.

a.       Jesus says come, and one word does the job

b.       even as God created the world with a word so the words of Jesus are filled with power. 

c.        Hebrews 12:2-he is the author and perfector of our faith

d.       we may fail, but God will succeed

e.        Peter and Jesus walked on the water together and went to the ship

Conclusion – vs 33

the disciples saw the power of Jesus in walking on the water, in calming the storm, in rescuing Peter, in taking the boat to the shore.  After he calmed the first storm, the disciples said "what manner of man is this" now they understood, "truly you are the son of God"

Don’t miss this, Peter had walked away from the boat… Jesus reached out his hand… and they walked back together, not out of the storm, but back to the boat.

Ill- The Barcelona Olympics of 1992 provided one of track and field’s most incredible moments.

-          Britain’s Derek Redmond had dreamed all his life of winning a gold medal in the 400-meter race, and his dream was in sight as the gun sounded in the semi-finals at Barcelona. He was running the race of his life and could see the finish line as he rounded the turn into the backstretch. Suddenly he felt a sharp pain go up the back of his leg. He fell face first onto the track with a torn right hamstring.

-          Sports Illustrated recorded the dramatic events: As the medical attendants were approaching, Redmond fought to his feet. "It was animal instinct," he would say later. He set out hopping, in a crazed attempt to finish the race. When he reached the stretch, a large man in a T-shirt came out of the stands, hurled aside a security guard and ran to Redmond, embracing him. It was Jim Redmond, Derek’s father. "You don’t have to do this," he told his weeping son. "Yes, I do," said Derek. "Well, then," said Jim, "we’re going to finish this together."

-          And they did. Fighting off security men, the son’s head sometimes buried in his father’s shoulder, they stayed in Derek’s lane all the way to the end, as the crowd gaped, then rose and howled and wept.

-          Derek didn’t walk away with the gold medal, but he walked away with an incredible memory of a father who, when he saw his son in pain, left his seat in the stands to help him finish the race.

-          That’s what God does for us when we place our trust in Him. When we are experiencing pain and we’re struggling to finish the race, we can be confident that we have a loving Father who won’t let us do it alone. He left His place in heaven to come alongside us in the person of His Son, Jesus Christ. "I am with you always," says Jesus to His followers, "to the very end of the age."

My friends, you can follow Jesus, wherever he leads, because you know that even in the storm, he brought you here, he is praying for us, he will come to us, help us grow and see us through.  Invitation & Prayer –