OK, let's turn back to John chapter
6. John chapter 6, and let's read
the text now, which begins in verse 16 and goes to verse 21. John chapter 6, verse 16. And when even was now come, his
disciples went down unto the sea, and entered into a ship,
and went over the sea towards Capernaum. And it was now dark,
and Jesus was not coming to them, and the sea arose by reason of
a great wind that blew. So when they had rowed about
five and twenty or thirty furlongs, they see Jesus walking on the
sea and drawing nigh unto the ship, and they were afraid. But
He said unto them, It is I, be not afraid. Then they willingly
received Him into the ship, and immediately the ship was at the
land where they went." Isn't that wonderful? This is an allegory. This is an allegory, a story
that represents our life through this earth. That's what this
is. Our Lord recorded this in Matthew,
Mark and John. I want to look at all three of
them. With each one, we're going to get a little bit more of the
story. They each tell something a little bit different. We're
going to get a little more of the story. We're going to understand
a little bit more of our journey through this life. After the
Lord fed 5,000 and after those men saw that miracle and they
came to the Lord and they tried to make Him king, which no man
can do. He already is King. After all that, verse 15 says,
He departed again into a mountain Himself alone. The end of verse
15. And verse 16 says, When even
was now come, His disciples went down unto the sea. The sea represents
the world in scripture. In Revelation, the Lord said,
there shall be no more sea. All right? The sea represents
the world, this earthly life. The sea is unstable. There's no foundation. Man thinks he can control it,
but it's controlling man. It really is. It's unpredictable. It rages, it's calm. It's up,
it's down. And so is this world. So is this
life. Here's a lesson for life. I'm
only 37. I need to remember this. As long as the disciples were
with the Lord, near Him, Waiting on Him. Listening to Him. Looking to
Him. They were fine. They were always
fine. Always. They were protected. They were fed. They were content. They were at rest. Always. But verse 16 says, when even
was now come, his disciples went down unto the sea. How often do we keep resorting
back to the sea? The world. We know his promises. We do. We can quote them. We know his
ability. We believe it. But for some reason,
our flesh just cannot stop returning back to the sea. Can it? It says in verse 16, When even
was now come, his disciples went down unto the sea, and entered
into a ship, and went over the sea toward Capernaum. And it
was now dark, and Jesus was not coming to them. This world is
a dark place. It's a very dark place. You know
why? It's because the light of the world is not in it. It says
Jesus was not come to them. If Christ has not come to a person,
then that person is in darkness. Darkness. This world is in total
darkness. David said, yea, though I walk
through the valley of the shadow of death. That's this walk. That's this walk. Darkness. It's
an awful thing to be in. I don't care for it. Especially
in a parking garage. It's an awful thing to be in.
We find ourselves in it all the time. The ways of it, the thoughts
of it, fellowship with it. We really do. A desire, an action,
a motive that's contrary to the word of God is full of darkness. Just full of darkness. Sometimes
our Lord withholds the light of his countenance for a while,
even to his people. Job said, when I waited for light,
there came darkness. But listen to this. It's always
out of darkness that the day star arises with healing in his
wings. Always. Always. Verse 16 says, when even was
now come, his disciples went down unto the sea. and entered
into a ship and went over the sea toward Capernaum. And it
was now dark, and Jesus was not come to them. And the sea arose
by reason of a great wind that blew." If we stay out at sea
long enough, the sea is going to arise. It's going to arise
on us. Now, what do you mean by that? What do you mean by that? And
here's why. I have to be in the world. I
have no choice. We work in the world. Thankfully
now I work in that study. But you all work in the world.
Have to be in the world. We can be in the world and not
walk with the world. Because God's people are not
of the world. No. If the Lord God will keep us
near Him, waiting on Him, listening to Him, looking to Him, we can
be in the world and not be conformed to the world. It is possible. The mindset, the desires, the
actions of this world, we cannot be conformed to it. Our Lord
said, turn over to John 17. John chapter 17. He said in verse 11, And now I am no more in the world,
but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father,
keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that
they may be one as we are one. While I was with them in the
world, I kept them in thy name. Those that thou gavest me, I
have kept. And none of them is lost but
the son of perdition, that the scripture might be fulfilled.
And now come I to thee, and these things I speak in the world,
that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves. I have given them
thy word, and the world hath hated them, because they are
not of the world, even as I am not of the world. I pray not
that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou
shouldest keep them from the evil. They are not of the world,
even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them through thy truth. Thy word is truth." Thy word
is truth. Now back over to John chapter
6, verse 16 says, And when even was now come, his
disciples went down unto the sea, and entered into a ship,
and went over the sea toward Capernaum. And it was now dark,
and Jesus was not come to them. And the sea arose by reason of
a great wind that blew. So when they had rowed about
five and twenty or thirty furlongs, and that's eight or nine miles,
they see Jesus walking on the sea, and drawing nigh unto the
ship, and they were afraid." Afraid. That's how we spend most
of this life. Afraid. They didn't understand what the
Lord was doing. What is that? I've never seen anything like
that before. That's not the way I would do it. Afraid. I don't know what he's doing
and I'm afraid. Verse 20 says, But he saith unto
them, It is I, be not afraid. He spoke to them. They heard
his voice. That's why I come here. That's why I show up. I'm here
to hear Him speak to me. I just need to hear His voice.
Verse 21 says, Then they willingly received Him into the ship, and
immediately the ship was at the land, whither they went. Alright,
now let's go a little deeper into the story and turn to Mark
chapter 6. Mark chapter 6. Verse 43 and 44, ìThey took up
twelve baskets full of the fragments of the fishes, and they that
did eat of the loaves were about five thousand men.î This is the
same account. Verse 45 says, ìAnd straightway
He constrained His disciples to get into the ship and to go
to the other side.î before unto Bethsaida, while he sent away
the people." He put them in the ship. He put them in the ship. They went down to the sea, but
the reason they went down is because God told them, you go
get in that ship and you go to the other side. He put them there. He told them to. You know, if he would have only
known that that storm was coming, if he would have only known, he knew the storm was coming.
He sent the storm. He sent them on purpose into
the sea, on purpose. Our Lord said, we are not of
this world, But here's the truth of the matter. We are necessarily
in it. We're in it. And the reason we're
in it is for God's particular purpose. Nothing that God does
is without a necessary purpose. Nothing. Everything that happens
to you has to happen to you. That's an awesome statement.
Everything that happens to you has to happen to you. It has
to. That's a comforting statement.
Now, we said this morning that our Lord could have wadded everything
up and cast it in the lake of fire and been done with it. He
could have also created us and not allowed the fall to take
place easily. He could have just skipped sin
easily, skipped trouble, skipped all
this turmoil. He could have caused us to be
born, day one, with Him in sinless glory. But He didn't do it that
way. Therefore, we know that we must
go through this storm. We must. Now look at verse 45
here in Mark 6. It says, In straightway he constrained
his disciples to get into the ship and to go to the other side
before unto Bethsaida, while he sent away the people. And
when he had sent them away, he departed into a mountain to pray. We just read over in John 17,
our Lord said, I am no more in the world. I'm no more in the
world. Where is he? Our God is seated
in the heavens. That's where he is. He's on his
throne in his kingdom on top of Mount Zion. That's where he
is. What's he doing up there? Daily
making intercession for us. That's amazing. Verse 46 says,
and when he had sent them away, he departed into a mountain to
pray. This is what our Lord said over
in John 17. We didn't read it, but he said, I pray for them. I pray for them. Do you think he really does? You think he really does? He's praying for you. He is praying
for you. Do you think it's effectual? Verse 46 says, When He had sent
them away, He departed into a mountain to pray. And when even was come,
the ship was in the midst of the sea, and He alone on the
land. There's a great gulf that separates
God and everything else. Everything else. There is no
God beside Him. Verse 48 says, And He saw them. He saw them. Not just the ship in the distance.
They were 8 or 9 miles out. Not just a little ship on the
horizon. He saw them. He saw the men. He saw their
thoughts. He saw their fears. It says,
He saw them toiling in rowing. Toiling means tortured, pained
in rowing. That's our lot in this life.
It really is. We are trying to get to that
place of rest, but it is not going to happen in this life.
We just keep rowing, and keep rowing, and rowing. You've been
rowing a long time, haven't you? Rowing, and rowing, and rowing,
and rowing. Verse 48 says, And he saw them
toiling and rowing, for the wind was contrary unto them. And about
the fourth watch of the night, he cometh unto them walking upon
the sea, and would have passed them by. Our Lord waited till
the fourth watch. They went out at the evening,
and then it became dark, and He sat there watching them. He
went up into a mountain to pray, and He watched them until the
fourth hour of the night, the fourth watch of the night. Our Lord is omniscient, and that
means He knows everything. Our Lord is omnipotent and that
means He can do anything. He's all powerful. Our Lord is
omnipresent and that means He's everywhere at the same time.
He is in no hurry. He's everywhere at the same time. He is in no hurry and neither
should we be. He's in no hurry, and neither
should we be. What if the disciples, walking
around with Him, following Him place to place, what if the disciples,
not waiting on the Lord, would have constantly been running
out ahead of Him and saying, we'll meet you there. Running to do the next thing. We would think, what fools. Total
fools. How do they know what the next
move is? Well, maybe that needs to be a life lesson for me. The Lord is in no hurry. Neither
should we be. He will move in His appointed
time of purpose. Until then, He waits and so should
we. Turn with me over to Isaiah chapter
30. Why does the Lord wait? Isaiah chapter 30. Isaiah 30 verse 18 says, And therefore will the Lord wait,
that He may be gracious unto you. And therefore will He be
exalted, that He may have mercy upon you. For the Lord is a God
of judgment. Blessed are all they that wait
for Him." Wait for Him. The longer He waits, the more
we desire Him. You know that? The longer He
waits, the more thankful we are when He does come. I mean, it's
like that just in the flesh, in the world. If you have everything
you want right now, you appreciate none of it. None of it. The more glory we give Him when
He does come, the longer He waits. And He will come. He will. Back over to Mark 6. Verse 48
says, And he saw them toiling and rowing,
for the wind was contrary unto them. And about the fourth watch
of the night he cometh unto them, walking upon the sea, and would
have passed them by." I love that. He was walking on the sea and
he would have just passed them on by. Why would He do that? Do you ever get worried that
the Lord might pass you by? What does that make you want
to do? It makes me want to cry out,
pass me not, O gentle Savior. Don't pass me by. This is what
our Lord said. Ask and you'll receive. If He would not make as though
He was going to pass me by, would I ever ask? It is great grace
and mercy that He would make as though He would pass me by. make me afraid, make me call.
Verse 49 says, But when they saw him walking upon the sea,
they supposed it had been a spirit, and cried out, for they all saw
him and were troubled. And immediately he talked with
them, and saith unto them, Be of good cheer, it is I, be not
afraid. The Word of God comforts, and
it calms, and it soothes, and it relieves our fears, and it
causes us to be of good cheer. Nothing, honestly, makes me happier
and more full of cheer than the Word of God. Really. Verse 51 says, And He went up
unto them into the ship, and the wind ceased, and they were
sore amazed in themselves beyond measure, and wondered, For they
considered not the miracle of the loaves, for their heart was
hardened." The miracle of the loaves had
just happened a couple of hours ago. It wasn't a long time ago. They left the feeding of 5,000
and the Lord said, now get in the ship. Just a few hours ago. Already their heart was hardened. How many times has the Lord amazed
us in any given morning? We read something in the Word
or we hear something in a message and created great faith in Him. And by that afternoon, total
unbelief. Just total unbelief. Go over to Psalm 107. I've been told it's okay if I
take more time, so let's go. Psalm 107. This is us. Verse one says, Oh,
give thanks unto the Lord for he is good, for his mercy endureth
forever. Let the redeemed of the Lord
say so, whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy, and
gathered them out of the lands from the east and from the west,
from the north, from the south. They wandered in the wilderness
in a solitary way. They found no city to dwell in.
Hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted in them. Then they cried
unto the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them out of
all their distresses. And He led them forth by the
right way that they might go to a city of habitation. Oh,
that men would praise the Lord for His goodness, for His wonderful
works to the children of men. For he satisfieth the longing
soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness, such as sit
in darkness, and in the shadow of death, being bound in affliction
and iron, because they rebelled against the words of God, and
condemned the counsel of the Most High. Therefore he brought
down their heart with labor. They fell down, and there was
none to help. Then they cried unto the Lord
in their trouble, and He saved them out of their distresses.
He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death, break
their bands in sunder. Oh, that men would praise the
Lord for His goodness and for His wonderful works to the children
of men. For he hath broken the gates of brass, and cut the bars
of iron in sunder. Fools, because of their transgression,
and because of their iniquities, are afflicted. Their soul abhorreth
all manner of meat, and they draw near unto the gates of death.
Then they cry unto the Lord in their trouble, and He saveth
them out of their distresses. He sent His Word and healed them
and delivered them from their destructions. Oh, that men would
praise the Lord for His goodness and for His wonderful works to
the children of men. And let them sacrifice the sacrifices
of thanksgiving and declare His works with rejoicing. They that
go down to the sea in ships, that do business in great waters,
these see the works of the Lord and His wonders in the deep.
I had, this is, every time I read that I think about this, I saw
a show on TV, deep sea fishing, these guys were commercial fishing
and the ocean was, it was just, waves were just rolling over
the deck of this massive ship. And they had camera guys out
there and they're showing people sliding on the deck and getting
sloshed and washed. And a guy gets up and he shakes
himself off and a big wave is rolling in. He said, he looked
right in the camera and he said, you say you don't believe in
God, come out here. These that go down into the ships
that do business in great waters, these see the works of the Lord
and His wonders in the deep. For He commandeth and raiseth
the stormy wind, which lifteth up the waves thereof. They mount
up to the heaven, they go down again to the depths, their soul
is melted because of trouble. They reel to and fro and stagger
like a drunken man, and they're at their wit's end. Then they
cry unto the Lord in their trouble, and he bringeth them out of their
distresses. He maketh the storm a calm, so
that the waves thereof are still. Then are they glad, because they
be quiet. So he bringeth them unto their
desired haven. Oh, that man would praise the
Lord for his goodness, for his wonderful works to the children
of men. He does it over. He does it over. He does it over. He does it over. They had just seen him feed 5,000
people with five loaves and three fish, three small fish. And a
few hours later, total unbelief. Go back to Mark 6. Verse 52 says, For they considered not the miracle
of the loaves, for their heart was hardened. And when they had
passed over, they came into the land of Gennesaret and drew to
the shore. And when they were come out of
the ship straightway, they knew Him." Our Lord is so good to
keep reminding us. He always tells us immediately,
it is I. Be not afraid. It is I. Be not afraid. The money's out. It is I. I make rich. I make poor. My health is taking a turn for
the worse. It is I. Be not afraid. Whatever it is that is happening
to you, we each have a thing in life. Everybody's going through
something. Whatever it is that is happening
to you, it is Him. Be not afraid. Whatever it is. He tells us constantly, continually,
immediately. Sometimes it just takes our hard
hearts a while to catch on. 2 They considered not the miracle
of the loaves, for their heart was hardened. And when they had
passed over, they came into the land of Gennesaret, and drew
to the shore. 3 And when they were come out
of the ship, straightway they knew him, and ran through that
whole region round about, and began to carry about in beds
those that were sick, where they heard he was. 4 And whithersoever
he entered into villages, or cities, or country, they laid
the sick in the streets, and brought him that they might touch,
if it were, but the border of his garment. And as many as touched
him were made whole." Now let's look at some final details in
Matthew 14. Some very final details. Just
turn with me quickly over to Matthew 14. Matthew 14 verse 21 says, And
they that had eaten were about five thousand men, besides women
and children. This is the same account. 22 And straightway Jesus constrained
His disciples to get into a ship, and to go before Him unto the
other side, while He sent the multitudes away. And when He
had sent the multitudes away, He went up into a mountain apart
to pray. And when the evening was come,
he was there alone. But the ship was now in the midst
of the sea, tossed with the waves, for the wind was contrary. And
in the fourth watch of the night, Jesus went unto them, walking
on the sea. And when the disciples saw him
walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit. And they cried out for fear.
But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer,
it is I, be not afraid. And Peter answered him, and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come
unto thee. What a request! in the middle
of absolute adversity. What a request! That's the greatest
request a sinner could possibly make in the middle of absolute
turmoil and trouble. Lord, if it be Thou, bid me come unto
Thee Lord, if you're using this to
pull me back, draw me nearer. Lord, if my only relief in this
is going to be found in your sheltering wing, let me draw
nigh unto you. Verse 29, And he said, Come. That's the gospel. Good news. Come. You're able to. He walked on
the water for a little while. Till his flesh creeped in. I will accept you. Come. Come unto me, all you that labor
and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Verse 29, He said,
Come. And when Peter was come down
out of the ship, he walked on the water to go to Jesus. But
when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid and beginning to
sink. He cried, saying, Lord, save
me. That's the greatest prayer a
mortal man has ever prayed. That is the greatest prayer a
mortal man has ever prayed. The effectual prayer of a righteous
man availeth much, that's an effectual one. Lord save me. Verse 31, And immediately Jesus
stretched forth His hand, and caught him, and said unto him,
O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt? That's speaking
to me. That's speaking to me. Whatever the Lord has to put
us through to cause us to come to this realization, Lord, you're
all I need. That's what he was saying. Lord,
save me. You're the only one who can. I'm dying. I don't need my money. I don't
need my health. I don't need anything. You're
all I need. Whatever the Lord has to put
us through to cause us to come to that realization is the greatest
thing that has ever happened to us. You know that? It's miserable,
but it is the greatest thing that has ever happened to us. Lord, whatever it is, let me
hear you say, it is I. Be not afraid. Be not afraid. I hope the Lord will bless that. Let's stand together.