“A Stormy Walk At Night”
Notes
Transcript
John 6:16-21
Matthew 14:22-33 is a parallel passage that we will lean on to give us some more detail.
“A Stormy Walk At Night”
Jesus sends you into the storm, and walks with you through the wind and the waves.
God leads us into the storm to prove to us that we can trust Him.
Introduction - Most of us have been in a car during a storm when the rain was coming down so hard that you couldn’t see anything in front of you. I’ve been on an interstate many times in Florida when a torrential down pour came down and blinded you to the cars in front of you.
I’ve also been in rain storms, even small hurricanes, with strong wind.
I remember heading home from working at a restaurant on the gulf coast of Florida where I grew up. Leaving the barrier island and getting on to the bridge to get to the mainland during a storm with wind. When my car got up on the top of that drawbridge the wind trying to push my car into the next lane on to incoming coming traffic.
Some storms are dangerous. Pause
Transition - Some of the most dangerous and difficult storms of life are not the physical storms with lightning, but the storms of personal difficulty.
-These are the tests and trials that strengthen our faith.
-Family problems, Marriage problems, financial strains, medical difficulties, job concerns, problems with the law...
Transition - The disciples in our passage today had both a faith problem & a wind problem.
The sea of Galilea was 700 feet below sea level. It was walled in on 3 sides by mountains - several thousand feet in the air. Down in a deep bowl.
The Sea of Galilee is shaped like an upside down pear. 8 miles wide, 13 miles long. Big freshwater lake.
When cool winds come down from the mountains and hit the warm air over the sea of Galilee and are trapped in by the walls of mountains - the Sea of Galilee can becomes violent.
Here the disciples are rowing 3 miles into the lake and get caught in this violent storm.
-You think, 3 Miles, that’s good rowing. They made progress.
-No, No it’s not. Matthew tells us they’ve been rowing since before Sundown - 7pm and that it’s the 4th watch of the night, at least 3 am.
-They’ve been rowing for 8 hours and are absolutely wiped out and stuck in the wind and waves.
-Are they experiencing a trial? Yes!!! PAUSE
I. What is a trial?
Something difficult in life that God allows sends (or allows) to train his children to depend on Him. Trials strengthen our faith.
What do we do when we encounter a trial?
-We grit out teeth & push hard. We don’t give up. We work hard.
-But one major thing is missing. We don’t cry out to God for help.
-Why?
-We have a bad habit of leaving God out until we are drowning.
-The disciples were no different.
-What is God’s purpose in the trials?
-To show us how much we need Him and drive us closer to Him.
-What is God’s purpose in the trials?
-To drag us away from the deadly snake of self-reliance.
In our passage today God overwhelms the disciples.
-He forces them to rely on Him. To come to grips with how great He is.
Have you ever been out in a boat at night with no lights?
It’s scary.
Illustration - I’ve been shark fishing at night at the beach. When you shark fish your bait is so large it is difficult to cast. Sometimes you kayak your bait out 100-200 yards. I’ve done this at night.
Kayak a large bloody bait into the ocean, through the waves, where you are by yourself 100 yards from land with a bloody bait. Every noise on the water gets your attention. Every shadow spooks you.
-The Sea of Galilee is no different at night. The Jewish people believed ghosts and demons worked in the night, in the dark.
There were no street lights, house lights, and flashlights.
In the midst of a very windy night, while the disciples had no energy left and were stuck out in a huge lake ..
Story tell,
... Jesus is going to play his biggest miracle pranks ever recorded in the Bible.
… exhausted & worried, stuck out at see , and probably bickering among themselves...
One of them notices something far off. A shadow. And tells the others, then they all see the shadow. They get worried and anxious. The shadow gets closer.
Then they all see an outline of a person - out on the water.
It keeps getting closer. There is nothing else this could be, Matthew says they thought it was -
a ghost, a spirit of someone who drowned on that lake, or maybe it was a demon.
What else could it be?
And it was walking straight at them. They tried to row faster, but like in a dream when you try to run and you can’t the ors just didn’t seem to move them.
As this Spirit approached - it scared these grown men so bad they were all yelling out loud - like a bunch of 8 year olds at a slumber party.
When does a man ever yell out loud for fear in front of his other male friends?
Never, unless he is scared witless.
Jesus, finally says, “It’s me don’t be afraid.”
What did Jesus mean “Don’t be afraid. Trust me. I am good. My intention is not to hurt you.”
Why do you trust Jesus in the midst of the storms and waves?
Because he is good.
In His goodness He is more interested in your holiness than you happiness.
Tell me Jesus doesn’t have a sense of humor.
He knew they would be scared.
-I can imagine Jesus and the 12 laughing later around a warm fire, Jesus retelling the story saying, “Hey John, you should have seen you face. I wish I had a picture of that.”
You better be glad Tom Austin wasn’t Jesus. Tom would have snuck up under the boat, come up out of the water and grabbed someone and pulled them in.
Let me tell you. Jesus had a sense of humor.
Transition - With this miracle prank that Jesus did to the disciples, he brought them to the point of realizing things were out of control and that they needed Him.
II. Fear/anxiety helps me realize my need for help.
Many times God uses fear and anxiety as the first tool to drive us closer Him.
Friend can I ask you … What trial is in your life that is causing fear or anxiety that God is asking you to trust Him with?
Many times it takes complete anxiety, fear before we will cry out to God.
-The problem is this, God is not our immediate go to.
-He’s second choice. -He’s our second thought.
Illustration -
-First thing in the morning we look for our coffee.
Something to help us engage. Something to strengthen us.
-Water is our second choice.
-When you wake up in the morning, your first thought should not be, “Coffee”
Instead it should be, “Hey God ...”
Hey God … I give you this day.
Hey God … I love you.
Hey God … will you help me with this problem today.
Our first thought must be God.
When our faith fails to drive us to God, God will use fear to drives us to Him.
Sometimes through our meltdown God prepares us to receive help.
Illustration - 4 through 6 year olds go through the “I can do it.” stage
You try to help them put on clothes. “I can do it.”
Do you need help in the bathroom. “I can do it.”
Let me butter your toast. “I can do it.”
I don’t need help.
In our passage, the disciples are stuck in a boat, in a storm, they are exhausted from rowing for 8 hours, they see a ghost and are yelling in fear … this situation has melted down.
It is through our fearful meltdowns that God prepares our hearts to receive help.
“Fear helps me see my need for God.”
Transition - We see 3 amazing miracles in this passage.
Remember that Jesus’ miracles are how He proves He is God and How He proves His words are eternally true.
III. Jesus’ mightily works in the lives of His disciples.
First ...
A. Jesus shows His power over what they are fearful of.
The wind and the waves have the disciples stuck.
What does Jesus do? He shows his authority over what they are fearful of Jesus tiptoes right across the water.
- Jesus’ denies the properties of matter.
Ever since elementary school we were taught about matter being a solid, liquid or a gas.
-Here, we have a solid (Jesus body) being supported by a liquid.
-Impossible, But nothing is impossible with God.
-Jesus says, Are you afraid of going under this wet stuff?
-I got this wet stuff. I created this wet stuff and it does what I want it to.
Jesus shows His power over what they are fearful of.
B. Jesus shows that He can give them strength over the trial.
How, Peter walks on the water.
Matthew 14:28 - 29, Tells us that Peter looked at Jesus and asked to be commanded to walk out Read Matt 14:28-29
“28 And Peter answered him, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” 29 He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus.”
-Everyone bags on Peter because He sank.
-But look at Peter’s success in 2 areas
a. First, Peter knew a miracle could only happen by the command of God.
b. Peter not only walked on water, but made it all the way out to Jesus.
Peter did something no person in the History of the world ever did. Peter walked on water.
Fear spoiled His faith.
-My friends, Fear is one of my greatest struggles.
-Fear is a great struggle of most people.
-Fear is an enemy of faith.
Jesus proved He can help/cause His children to overcome impossible trials.
Jesus shows that He can give them strength over the trial.
Summary - Jesus has done 2 miracles in our passage to prove that He is the Son of God. Not only did He walk on water. He made a common sinful man walk on water.
Now Jesus does another miracle. John tell us.
C. John 6:21, Jesus proves His power over time, energy, physics.
21 Then they were glad to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat was at the land to which they were going.
The disciples had 3 problems
-They had been on the water 8 hours and were stuck. Problem of time.
-Energy. They were worn out and couldn’t overcome the power wind and waves. Energy.
-Physics, There boat was just not made for the task they were asking it do. Physics.
-They go from being miles away from their destination to arriving. immediately.
-Human kind has not been able to invent a plane that can travel the speed of light.
The crew of NASA's Apollo 10 moon mission reached a top speed of 24,000 mph.
BUT the disciples went the speed of light.
They blinked, they were at their destination.
How? Jesus is Lord over the physical laws of the universe.
IV. Why can we respond in faith during trials?
Because of what the disciples realized.
John 6:33, Truly you are the Son of God.
A. Trust Jesus is God.
-He is powerful over nature and all of my life problems.
-If Jesus can make the water under his feet support his weight on every step...
-Then He can sustain me in any and all trials I go through in life.
-He is God
Transition - Not only is Jesus God, but He is good.
B. Believe that Jesus is good.
-He wants what is best for you and His glory.
-James 1:2-3 NEW LIVING TRANSLATION
2 Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. 3 For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow.
-God sends and allows trials in your life so your faith will grow.
-When the Joseph of Genesis who was sold into slavery by his brothers, through terrible trials he became the Prince of Egypt, he met his brothers again - instead of killing them on the spot - how did He respond?
Genesis 50:20 As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good.
Lean into this, I don’t want you to miss this ...
-In God’s diving goodness He led His disciples into the storm and He has led you into the storm.
Transition
V. Close
Jesus, Hebrews, went under trials. He was perfected, made ready for death by what He suffered.
8 Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered. 9 And being made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him,
Simply stated, Jesus was made ready to die for your sin through trials and trusting the Father.
Jesus, the spotless lamb was made ready to pay for your sin on The Cross by the painful trials He went through for you.
Jesus was only able to die and be raised to life again, because of the great trial of the Cross.
Through Jesus trusted His Father in the trials.
-My friend, what difficulty is God calling for you to give to him right now?
-Will you trust Him?
-Will you surrender this trial to Him?
-If you are not saved, will you trust Him as your Savior?