What Are You Looking At

Matt 14:22-32 NLT - 22 Immediately after this, Jesus insisted that his disciples get back into the boat and cross to the other side of the lake, while he sent the people home. 23 After sending them home, he went up into the hills by himself to pray. Night fell while he was there alone. 24 Meanwhile, the disciples were in trouble far away from land, for a strong wind had risen, and they were fighting heavy waves. 25 About three o’clock in the morning[b] Jesus came toward them, walking on the water. 26 When the disciples saw him walking on the water, they were terrified. In their fear, they cried out, “It’s a ghost!” 27 But Jesus spoke to them at once. “Don’t be afraid,” he said. “Take courage. I am here!” 28 Then Peter called to him, “Lord, if it’s really you, tell me to come to you, walking on the water.” 29 “Yes, come,” Jesus said. So Peter went over the side of the boat and walked on the water toward Jesus. 30 But when he saw the strong wind and the waves, he was terrified and began to sink. “Save me, Lord!” he shouted. 31 Jesus immediately reached out and grabbed him. “You have so little faith,” Jesus said. “Why did you doubt me?” 32 When they climbed back into the boat, the wind stopped.

If you will, ponder with me for just a few moments on this thought, “What Are You Looking At?

I think we can all agree that right now the United States is in a state of confusion, turmoil and unrest. To put in simply, we are in a storm, a storm of epic proportions.

On Mar 16, a gunman in Atlanta shot and killed 8 people, 6 of Asian descent and then just 6 days later another gunman went into a supermarket and shot and killed 10 people. In a matter of 6 days the lives of 16 families have been changed forever. We’re in a storm.

The corona virus has now taken the lives of 561,166 Americans and cases are beginning to spike again, but some states are open for business. Some of those same states have yet to fully open access to the vaccine to halt the spread of the virus, but they have opened their states for people to have and attend super spreader events. We’re in a storm.

It’s necessary to be informed, but, if you watch or listen to a steady stream of news, you’ll find yourself in a depressed state because of all the bad news that is being reported. In a 30-minute broadcast you get 28 minutes of despair and 2 minutes of what’s dubbed a human-interest story of good news. I’m not suggesting you completely stop watching the news but what I am suggesting is you temper it with something good, something encouraging, something enlightening, something edifying, something relaxing, something that brings you joy. What are you looking at?

Our text begins, Immediately after this, Jesus insisted that his disciples get back into the boat and cross to the other side of the lake, while he sent the people home.

The “after this” the text is speaking of is the account that Jesus had just performed the miracle of feeding the more than 5,000 people with 2 fish and five loaves of bread and there were leftovers. The people got so excited they wanted to forcibly take him and make him their king, but that was not his mission. You must stay focused on your mission, because people will try to place you into the mold, into the box they think you belong in, not the one you were made for.

So to keep this from happening, Jesus sent his disciples away and sent the people home. After sending them home, he went up into the hills by himself to pray. Night fell while he was there alone.

Jesus needed some alone time with his Father, so he went to pray. Sometimes you just need to take a moment for yourself, to get away and spend some time with the Father. Talking and listening to Him. Time to recharge and renew. Time to evaluate or reevaluate, time to receive your next assignment. Jesus had just performed a miracle and yet another was on the way.

While Jesus is off to himself praying, the text says, Meanwhile, the disciples were in trouble far away from land, for a strong wind had risen, and they were fighting heavy waves.

Anybody ever felt like God sent you into a storm? You were obedient, you know God sent you to do this, whatever “this” is but after you got in it, after you got far away from land a strong wind of opposition came.

The people who were cheering you on and saying they would help, have left you, (whoosh, the wind tosses you this way, but you fight)

the investors have pulled their funding, (whoosh, the wind tosses you that way, but you fight),

the city came and shut you down (whoosh, the wind swirls around you like a hurricane). But you continue to fight.

And then just when you think you can’t fight anymore, just when you think you’re about to go under, in the wee hours of the morning something happens, for the disciples it was this… “About three o’clock in the morning Jesus came toward them, walking on the water.”

Right in the midst of your storm Jesus shows up. Your help is here, your Savior has arrived. But you’re so devasted and distracted by the storm you don’t recognize that your help has arrived. Your so distraught you see your help as more trouble and now you’re even more afraid.

“When the disciples saw him walking on the water, they were terrified. In their fear, they cried out, “It’s a ghost!” When you’re afraid your thinking is clouded, you can’t see clearly, and you will cry out strange things. The man the disciples had been

· traveling with,

· sleeping beside,

· eating with,

· learning from,

· the man they had just left

was coming toward them but because they were looking at the storm, because they were afraid they didn’t recognize him.

Sometimes God sends you a blessing and because you’re looking at the stumbling block, you can’t see it.

Sometimes God sends you an answer and because you’re looking at the problem, you can’t see it.

Sometimes God sends you a miracle and because you’re looking at the mess, you can’t see it.

Sometimes God sends you a revelation and because you’re looking at the restriction you can’t see it.

What are you look at?

You’ve got to be able to not only say with your mouth, but you’ve got to get it in your spirit that you will lift up your eyes to the hills from whence cometh your help and know in your soul that all of your help comes from the Lord, which made heaven and earth. Stop looking down in shame and look up in victory.

But we serve an awesome God, a God who will not leave you there in your fear. The Scripture goes on to say, “But Jesus spoke to them at once. “Don’t be afraid,” he said. “Take courage. I am here!” Understand, God will not leave you to languish in your fear, when you listen, you’ll find that He’s here and He’s telling you, don’t be afraid of this storm, it is not here to destroy you. He’s telling you take courage, be brave I’m here. I haven’t left you; I will never leave you or forsake you. You don’t have to worry, you don’t have to fret, you don’t have to be afraid. I’ve got you, whatever the trial, whatever the test, whatever the storm.

I speak to the wind and the waves and they obey me. Surely you know I can speak to your situation and when I speak it must obey? But maybe you’re like Peter and you need proof. “Then Peter called to him, “Lord, if it’s really you, tell me to come to you, walking on the water.” Maybe you’re like me, from the Show Me state of MO and you need a demonstration at times. Praise God that he is long suffering because the answer came, “Yes, come,” Jesus said. So Peter went over the side of the boat and walked on the water toward Jesus.”

How many of you started the race but you started it like you were running a sprint when in fact it was a marathon? You started the race, and you were so excited because you knew you heard clearly from God and you knew you were on the right path. But then…then the wind began to blow, then the opposition began to come, then the doubt began to creep in, then fear began to take over and before you knew it, you found yourself in the middle of a full-blown storm, you found yourself like Peter, sinking in the depths of the sea.

“But when he [Peter] saw the strong wind and the waves, he was terrified and began to sink. “Save me, Lord!” he shouted. Peter took his eyes off Jesus and began to look at the storm. He saw the what the wind was doing to the water, he saw the waves thrashing around him and now he went past being afraid, he was terrified, and he started to sink.

• When the naysayers speak against you

• and trouble assails you

• and difficulties weigh you down.

• When danger is all around

• When leaders abandon you

• When friends walk away

• When you’re sinking under the pressure,

you can rest assured if he did it for Peter, He’ll do it for you.

What did he do, I’m so glad you asked, “Jesus immediately reached out and grabbed him.” When what you’re looking at is your storm, instead of Jesus, when what you’re looking at begins to overwhelm you, and you turn your attention to that and take your eyes off Jesus, things will begin to fall apart, you will begin to sink. Cry out and know Jesus is still right there to grab you and if you fall he is there to catch you, put you back on your feet and put you back in the race, he’s there to set you back on your course.

But Jesus had a message and a question for Peter, “You have so little faith,” Jesus said. “Why did you doubt me?”

How’s your faith? Do you have little faith, where the storm around you can draw your attention away from Jesus, away from what you asked God for, away from your mission and your message?

I’m here to tell you today, don’t ever doubt God.

• Don’t doubt his power,

• don’t doubt his strength,

• don’t doubt his knowledge.

• don’t doubt his presence.

• don’t doubt his provision.

• and most importantly, don’t doubt his love.

God loved us so much that he sent his only begotten Son to save you and me from our sins. He sent His Son to die for us. Sin required a sacrifice, it required blood and the blood of the animals didn’t last.

But when Jesus came, and the hour had come for him to complete his mission…

• when they whipped him all night long,

• when they mocked him,

• when they snatched out his beard,

• when they taunted him,

• when they placed a crown of thorns on his head

• when they placed him on the cross, a death reserved for the vilest of criminals

• when they drove the nails in his hands

• when they drove the nails through his feet

• but then, oh then they did something that changed everything - they lifted him up.

• They didn’t know that he had said if I be lifted up from the Earth, I’ll draw all men unto me.

• They didn’t know they were just a part of God’s plan

• They didn’t know that they were looking at the Savior of the world.

What are you look at?

• Could it be that you’re looking at God and didn’t even know it?

• Could it be that God is showing you the way but you’re too spiritually blind to see it?

• Could it be that God has answered your prayer, but you missed it because it’s not the answer you wanted.

• Could it be that God has intervened in your circumstance, but you don’t know it because you were too afraid to continue.

• Could it be that God has already moved on your behalf, but you were too terrified to keep moving forward?

What—are—you—looking—at?

Keep your eyes on Jesus, because when you do, you will see a miracle. Because the story doesn’t end with Jesus taking Peter’s hand… “When they climbed back into the boat, the wind stopped.”

You don’t have to stay in the storm, get back in the boat.

• When you get in the boat, the wind will stop.

• When you get in the boat, your enemy will turn back.

• When you get in the boat, your haters will leave you alone.

• When you get in the boat, you’ll get new investors.

• When you get in the boat, you’ll look back and wonder how you got over.

• When you get in the boat, you’ll make it to the other side of through.

Is there anybody that wants to get in the boat with Jesus? This particular boat is the boat of salvation and if you’d like to get in, pray this prayer with me…

Lord, I confess I am a sinner, please forgive me for my sins, I believe that Jesus is the Son of God, that he died for my sins, was buried and rose again. I believe he ascended back to heaven where he now sits at the right hand of the Father interceding on my behalf. I ask you now to come into my heart, I give you my life. In Jesus name I pray amen.

If you got in the boat of salvation, welcome to the family. Find a Bible teaching, Bible preaching church in your area where you can get to work for God. If you’re in the Douglasville, GA area, we’d love to have you join our family. We are preparing to move back into in person worship, stay tuned, but until then we pray you continue to join us online. To get the schedule of our services and how to join us on zoom, or if you’d like to support our ministry financially, go to our website at www.lovechristianctr.org where you’ll find all the information and how to connect with us.

What are you looking at? If it’s not Jesus I urge you to change your focus, stay on your journey and keep your eyes on our Savior.

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