Thank you, John. Thank you, Sherry. That is truly
what I want to do, speak the mighty works. of our
eternal King, tell of his wondrous faithfulness, sound his power
abroad." It's no wonder Paul said, who is sufficient for these
things? Huh? No wonder the prophet said, I've
spoken things too wonderful for me. Go with me now to Matthew chapter
fourteen. Matthew fourteen, and this is
a blessed story. that is, like the rest of God's
Word, is for God's people. That's who this is written for—for
the comfort and consolation of God's people. The story of our Lord walking
on the sea is more than just the story of his power, but this is the story of our
salvation. And when I say salvation, when
we talk about salvation, we're not only talking about
saving us from sin and bringing us to God, but saving us now
from distress, from, Paul said, from being cast down. David wrote
that, didn't he? Why art thou cast down within
me, O my soul? Hope in God. This message saves
us, comforts us, saves us from being cast down. Trouble. We get in trouble. We have troubles,
full of troubles. And this message, this gospel,
the Lord is our Savior from all our troubles. Not just sin trouble
with God, but all our troubles. Now, the disciples had just witnessed
the power, the Lord's sovereign power and His sovereign grace
in providing food for five thousand men plus women and children. They just saw His power, dividing
five loaves and two fishes. for thousands of persons to eat.
And they themselves ate that food. You reckon they were full
after that meal? You reckon that was the best
fish they had ever eaten and bred? Certainly was. And their bellies were filled,
and they saw His power, His sovereign power and His sovereign grace,
that is, His provisions to His people, and their bellies were
full. And so it is with God's people whenever they come with
a hungry heart And He shows us His power, shows us His sovereign
power, His sovereign glory, His sovereign grace in the Word,
does He not? And gives us this bread and this
meat of His Word, and we go away full. We go away full. But then, right afterward, we
get in a storm. When you leave this place after
hearing the good news, you think, Nothing can trouble me now. I'm
talking about God's people. Are you with me? This message
is for your comfort. You're not going to get anywhere
else. This is it. So I need to get a double portion
today. But these disciples just saw
that. I'm sure they thought we'll never doubt the Lord again. We'll
never doubt His power, His sovereign power, His grace to us. doubt
Him at all. He's just miraculously provided
for us. Here we go. And it wasn't long after that
that they got in trouble. Look at verse 22. This is that
story. Matthew 14, 22. It says that
straightway, that is, immediately after that feeding of 5,000,
Jesus constrained His disciples to get into a ship. Right after
that, he told them, constrained them, that means he gave orders
to them, get in the ship. Peter, Simon, he called him Simon. Simon, Thomas, Bartholomew, Matthew,
get in the ship. Get in the ship. Now, the thought
struck me for the first time. What ship? Where did he get the
ship? It didn't belong to the disciples.
Remember, they left their ship. Remember, when the Lord called
him, Sam, they left their father, their nets, their boats, and
everything. They left all that. Well, here's a boat, and the
Lord says, get in that boat right there. My Lord, that doesn't
belong to us. It belongs to me. The earth is
the Lord and the fullness there. Get in the ship. Like he sent
them to get that donkey for him to ride on. Go get it. You'll
find an ass tied up. That belongs to me. Well, what
if the man that owns it, he doesn't own it? I own it. I give the
orders. You go get him. Get in the ship. That's our God,
isn't it? Get in the ship. And that's the
way it is with God's people, all of God's people. he constrains
us to get in the ship. And if he doesn't, we won't.
Now, what is the ship? How many times have we considered
this ship, fellows in a ship? Didn't John say, truly our fellowship
is with the Father and with His Son? That is, in Christ, in the
worship of God, in the church, fellowship of the mystery of
the gospel. It is the constraining love of our God, the sovereign
love of our God that constrains us to get to Christ, get in the
ship. You know, this is the same voice.
Charles, this is the same person who told Noah thousands of years
before that, Come, thou and all thine house, into the ark. Same
person, yes it is, woke this planet. Did Noah go into that
ship? Did his family, did everyone
he called get into that ship? Absolutely. And so it is with God's people.
Christ said, My sheep. His Father has given them to
me. They hear my voice. I know them, and they come to
me. They get in Christ, get in the
ship. in the ship. Christ is that ark,
that refuge. And, you know, we've looked at
this before and it's a blessing to me. I like these old sailing
stories, you know, I read them all the time. I have since I
was a young boy. But, and if you've ever been
on a ship, anybody in here been on a ship for any length of time? Well, that is your life. If you
get on a ship, you leave shore. If you go very far from—I'm not
talking about a boat out in the pond fishing for the day. I'm
talking about a ship where you lose sight of land. Back in the old days, they'd
get on ships and go across the world and might not be back for
years. Might not come back at all. Right? When Columbus, when all
of them got on that ship, they didn't know if they were going
to come back. That's what it is with us. And we won't come to Christ unless
he constrains us with it. To leave father and mother, son
or daughter, husband and wife, all things forsaken for him,
and he becomes your life. We won't do it unless he makes
us his life. And everything then, when you
get on that ship, revolves around the ship. Have you ever been
on a ship? You wake up, you think about
the ship. You go to bed thinking about the ship. And all the time
in between, you're on this ship. And your life depends on that
ship. Your service is about the ship. And those in the ship. Are you with me? You know that Christ and His
church are synonymous You can't have one without the
other. You can't be in one without the other. Christ is the head. You can't have a head without
the body. You can't have a body without the head. They're synonymous. Get the shield. Get the shield. To love Him is
to love His brethren. To serve Christ is the only one
way we can serve the Lord Jesus Christ. Serve His brethren. serve his brethren, serve his
people. There's only one way we can be
with him. Where is he? Where is he? Where did he say
he would be? Where did he promise to be every time? Where? In the ship. Your life. This is truly going to be This
right here, you know, is all over the land. People are doing
this one time a year, and I'm not going to mention the E-word.
I already have that in the Bible. All the land, people are doing
this just one time. This is the believer's life. Why? Because this is what we're
going to do throughout eternity. Why? Because he said, we're going
to the other side. Look at it, verse 23. Get in
the ship to go before him unto the other side. You only get
in the ship because you're going somewhere. You're leaving somewhere
and you're going somewhere. Where are we going? To the other
side. Dan, we have here no continuing
city. We come to Christ because we're
leaving this place, the city of destruction. We're headed
to the celestial city, beyond Wicked Gate, like the pilgrim
before us. Get in the ship. We're going to the other side.
Will we make it? If you're in the ship, you will. To be in Christ is to go to the
other side. We have here no continuing city.
We look for another. Builder and maker is God, don't
we? Get in the ship. Go on to the other side. Verse
22, straightway, it says, He sent the multitudes away. He told His disciples, get in
the ship. Did they get in the ship, Jenny? Every one of them. He sent the multitudes away. You know the vast majority of
people that you run into have been passed by. I barely believe, I don't just
believe it, I know it so, that this little group right here
is the most blessed people in Franklin County, if not the world. Why? Because the love of God
has constrained us to come to Christ while he has passed by. In sovereignty, in justice, he
has passed by the multitudes. Many have been called, but few
have been chosen. Few have been told, come. Are you one? We ought never be sad again,
shall we? What else is there? Blessing
of blessing. Come thou and thy house in the
ship. Some of you have sons and daughters
that the Lord has brought into the fellowship, while others
have a house full of never-knowing. I know. He sent the multitudes
away. Well, he went up into, verse
23, when he sent the disciples, the multitudes away, he went
up into a mountain apart to pray when the evening was come. He
was there alone. Everything is so significant,
isn't it? The Lord Jesus Christ knew, as a man, knew all his
works from the beginning. He knew all things. He saw all things. He was omniscient. knew all things, saw all things.
Yet, he prayed all the time, Jeanette. He lived by faith and
he went and called upon the Father. Prayed. Now if he who knew all
things, listen to me now, this is Bible. If he who knew all
things, who saw all things, constantly prayed to the Father, How much more do you and I need
this to get along with our Heavenly Father and commune with Him? We know in part. We can't see
afar off set by faith. We don't know what the next moment's
coming for. How much more do we need this?
And I know for a fact, to me, And all of us, our greatest lack
is right here, and the source of all our problems. The Lord was a man of sorrow and
a quaint of grief. He had on his shoulders literally
the weight of the world. Was he downcast? Our Lord had no place to lay
his head, had no home, worked no nine-to-five job, had one
suit of clothes and a pair of shoes. Did he worry about the
next bill? Paying his taxes? Why? Committed himself. Praise God. Are you with me? If he who knew
all things did this, how much more? And so, my problem. Cast all your care upon him,
the Lord says. He careth for you. How do you
do that? Lord. Now, who was he praying for,
though? When he got up on this mountain
alone with his God, who did he pray for? Why did his problem... Troubles. He troubled himself, it says
in John 11. He troubled himself. He put himself
through trouble. Troubles weren't trouble to him,
Sammy, as they are to us, because we don't know why they come.
He knew why. He was doing the Father's will. But he troubled
himself. He put himself through trouble.
They weren't trouble to him in that sense. But we're full of
troubles. And our Lord prayed for His people.
John 17. There's one time it says the
Lord prayed for Himself. One time. When He was in the
garden, didn't He? Father, if it be possible, let
this cup pass out now. Nevertheless, not in my will,
but in Thy will be done. But the rest of the time, who
was He praying for? His disciples. Over in Mark's
Gospel it says, He saw them toiling and rowing out there on the ocean. He sent them away. Come on now,
get with me here. He says he was alone up in the
mountain, was he? He was up in the mountain and
they were out in the boat. They were separated. Were they? Was he alone then? Never. He
was physically alone, but, oh, the Father was always with me,
and I was the Father, except at Calvary. Except at Calvary,
John. That's where the Lord forsook
him, didn't He? Because He was made sin for His people there.
But when it says He was alone, that means He was physically
there by Himself. And the disciples were out there
on the ocean. He purposely sent them out there alone. Were they? No, no, no. In Mark's Gospel it says,
He saw them. How did He see them? He's up
on the mountain. There are no more. That's who this is. Thou, Lord, David said, seest
thee. God's people are never alone.
This is for God's people. Come on. This is for God's people.
Were they alone? No. He saw them toiling and rowing. Now they're out on the sea. And
verse 24 says, A ship now is in the midst of the sea. All
of these disciples were together. in trouble, tossed with waves. The wind was contrary to them. The wind was contrary. They were
tossed at me. And if you've been in a boat,
and you don't know this until you've been in one, honestly.
I've been in one, 150 miles out to sea, eight-foot waves. You go down in a swell and you
think, I remember coming out. You get up on the side and say,
I see now. Oh, I'm lost. You're lost and
found, lost and found, up and down, up and down. In the midst of the sea, sea
of troubles, in this world, Christ said, you shall have tribulation. This is a world full of troubles.
We have here no continuing city, nor do we have this smooth sailing,
you know. People say you come to Christ,
your troubles are over. Not so. Your troubles just began. The opposite is true. Before you come to Christ, you
don't have any troubles. At least you don't know you do.
You're in trouble with God and don't know it. That's why you
have peace. It's a false peace. You don't
know you're in trouble with God. You don't know you're under the
wrath of God. But God's angry with you. And then when the truth
comes, That's fear in your heart. Trouble! Sin troubles you. The Word troubles you. The world
troubles you. It says the winds were contrary
to them. Were they? Who controls the wind? I'd love to laugh at Have not
God made foolish the wisdom of this world? I love to watch.
They say, you know, it's a sign of old age when the weather channel
is your favorite channel. My wife laughs at me. You know,
that's what I turn on. I watch the weather channel.
Anybody else? Well, I don't know why I watch
it. And everything they tell you, it's never so. Honestly, and what do people
talk about that's all they talk about let's go me sunny. That's
not what I heard Well where I read where you getting information
on the internet well. I got mine over here. I got more with it
and nobody knows I Just guess since a 50% chance of rain well.
I can say that And I don't know meteorologist huh can't you there's
chance of rain today. What's your name every day? The wind They call it the jet
stream, don't they? You can't predict the wind. The
wind bloweth where it misteth. Where do we get our information?
Christ said that. He said it to a master in Israel,
a teacher, a meteorologist, an astronomist. He said, you master
in Israel don't know these things. The wind bloweth where it misteth.
You can't tell the sound thereof, where it's going or where it's
coming from. God does. God's in control of all things.
Our God is God. The winds and the waves obey
His will. These winds may have appeared
to be contrary to them, but they weren't. You think about this, folks,
believer. The winds of change in the world.
You know, things are changing, aren't they? The winds of change.
like their God, they're not given to change. They're not given to change. We worship right now the same
way the Apostle Paul did. Yes, sir. As a matter of fact,
we can go back further than that. We worship the same way that
Moses and the children of Israel did. An ark, a tabernacle, and
a high We have searched and sought and
looked for the old paths, where he is in the good way, heaven
way. And bless God, that's where we're walking. Old is better. As a matter of fact, it's the
only way. We worship God the way God said to worship, reading
his Word, preaching his Word, singing his hymns, praying unto
him. That's it. Old-fashioned, isn't
it? Yeah, but look, the world's just
changing. The winds of change in that religion is getting...
It's gone to pot. It's gone. The old saying, it's
going to hell in a handbasket. I'm not going with it. Are you?
Let them change. They're given to change. Every
wind of doctrine. That's what the Lord said. Every
wind of doctrine. Are you going to go with it?
No, sir. The winds are contrary to us
in that sense. Let them go with the wind, not
me. Winds of doctrine, winds of opinion,
public opinion. Well, people, they don't believe
like you do. Well, some. I believe God. I believe all
things written in the prophets. And the way they call heresy
is the way I worship God. But this is new. This is modern.
They said that back in Paul's day. Well, our Lord said, in this
world you'll have tribulation. It seems like it's contrary to
you, but no, it's not. It's blowing you exactly where
He will have you. You're tossed to and fro, but
you're not alone. Verse 25, it says, And in the
fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the
sea. In the fourth watch of the night,
that's three o'clock in the morning. Who went to who? Who sought who? Who was looking
for who? I'm sure they were thinking about
him. You know they were. Where is he? Did you read that
with me? In Psalm 77? Is his mercies clean
gone? Has he left me alone? Has he
forgot to be gracious? Thomas said to Simon, he said,
Simon, we are here all alone. Where's the Lord when we need
him? I've been so long time with you
and you haven't known me." He said, I'll never leave you. But
I'm all alone. No, you're not. You never have
been. Nancy Park, Isaiah 46 says, to
your hoary head I've carried you. From the cradle to the grave. Hank Toot sets the footprints
in the blasted sand. There's one. Big footprints carrying all of
His sheep on His broad shoulders from the minute they were born.
Before that, before He formed you in the belly, He knew you
and carried you all the way home. And you're going to look back
someday and see that I was never alone, was I? I never took a
step that you didn't order and purpose. I was never in danger. Hannah, never in danger. Look unto the hills from which
cometh your help. They that are with us are more
than they that be against us. Believer, whom shall I fear,
David said, and of what shall I be afraid? The Lord is my salvation. But at 3 a.m., things seemed
real bad. I was up this morning at 3 a.m. I thought, Mindy, we both were
tossing and turning from 2. That's a sign of old age, too.
When you're young, you could sleep, I guess you could sleep
100 hours without waking up. Can't you? Mary. Joseph would just sleep right
on through the next year, wouldn't he? Teenagers, why is that? Sleep is a blessed thing. These
young bones are growing, and the best thing for them is sleep.
You've got to stretch out. Mike, you must have slept a lot. Think about it. Sleep is a blessed
thing, especially when you can't find it. if you want it and can't find
it. That was me this morning. It hurt. 3 a.m., though, things seem worse,
don't they? All the time. Every time when
you wake up in the middle of the night, for unknown reason,
you start thinking about your troubles. And things just seem
worse at night. Why is that? It's so you lie
there in the bed. This is what David wrote. Did
you pay attention as we were reading Psalm 77? He says, You've
held my eyes waking. I'm troubled. I ran in the night. My troubles
just went on and on in the night. It wouldn't cease. I couldn't
be comforted. He said, Why? Because you're
thinking about your troubles. And I'll tell you another reason
why things are worse at night. There's no sunshine. There's
something about, Barbara, there's something about that sun coming
up. Are you with me? There's something about seeing
the sun arise. It's got healing in its wings. The new day is dawning. Things
will look up. Things are getting brighter.
Enlighten our darkness. You see that, Jerry? What's that
talking about? Well, you don't have to be a
theologian to understand that. Well, let me ask you, though.
You know, while we're lying in bed at night, can't sleep, 3
a.m., what time is it in Australia? There's believers over in Australia.
Hey, you're not worried. It's the exact same time. As
though we're lying there worried in darkness, and there's believers
over in Australia. Wish me luck. It's a new day.
Everything's just fine. The Lord's on the front. There is a sunshine in light
of the sun. And we, you know, and our troubles
stem from this, lying there thinking about our troubles. That's what
David was doing in Psalm 77. He said, I was just, oh, is your
mercy clean, God? Oh, I've got this problem, I've
got that problem. And David said, now wait a minute
here. This is my infirmity. What am I doing, he said? I'm going to remember his works.
I'm going to remember by his grace that he's God. I need to remember how he brought
his people all the way. What am I staying awake for?
He's up. You know, the sun that we need
so never goes down. We say that, the sun's gone down.
No, it doesn't, Robin. It never goes down. The sun's
always right where it is. We're the ones in darkness, turned
away from it. The sun is right where it's always
at, and it will remain that. That's our Lord. He remains the
same. Therefore, you sons of Jacob.
Oh, you've got the God of Jacob. Go to sleep. Bless you, God. I tried to, you
know, think good thoughts. And I began to think about every
one of you. I started in the A's. I'm just telling you, this is
what our Lord and start thinking about it when you woke up almost slept too long
woke up later than usual and I rested refreshed there's another
problem pretty soon you know we think about our troubles there's
people who have a lot worse trouble And started asking the Lord,
bless them, he'll bless you. That's right. He's the example,
the premier example. But he went unto them walking
on the sea. He's the master of the sea,
willows his will obey. His way is in the sea. He plants
his footstep on the sea and rides upon the storm. He literally
walked upon that sea. I utterly despise the way people
use that and make fun of it today. Mock God. I hate it. Don't you ever say anything to
that effect. But this actually happened. The
Lord Jesus Christ actually walked upon that sea. Why? Because all
things are under his feet. Our trouble, John, Psalm 38 says,
My iniquities have gone over my head. You love that Psalm,
don't you? You cry with David, My iniquity,
my sin is ever before me. My iniquities are gone over my
head. I drowned in sin. He's above it. He walks upon it. He's got your
sin, Kelly, under His feet. He will subdue all things unto
us. Your sins are under His feet. Our sins that go over our head
are under His feet. Our troubles, He said, be of
good cheer. I have what? Overcome the world. I'm drowning in trouble. Not him. And we're in him. You know, our Lord, as a man,
went through trouble, as we said, and yet he walked by faith. The
same God, same faith. Now, I thought about this. Sometimes
he took a boat, didn't he? Sometimes he got in a ship with
them, didn't he? Sometimes he used means, didn't
he? But he didn't need them. He didn't have to have them.
You see, this is our God. This is the difference between
our Christ and their Christ. You know, He uses means. He does.
He often uses means. He doesn't have to. He doesn't
have to. He's Lord over all. All things
are under His feet. It says He walked upon the ocean
and the sea. And the disciples saw Him, verse
26, and they were troubled. They say it's the Spirit. It's a spirit, and they cried
out for fear. Spirit? Who's the head of all principalities
and powers and spirits? In Psalm 8, what does Psalm 8
say? You read that before? Thou hast put all things under
his feet. Things in the sky, things on
earth, things under the ocean, everything, every spirit is under
his feet. Principalities and powers. are
under his feet, under his sovereign dominion. Nothing, nothing is
of its own but it's of the Lord. Everything, all under his feet. And they were afraid. They saw
something, an apparition, a spirit, they thought. And they cried
out for fear. And so do we. We don't know what it is we're
seeing. Quite often we see things happen and we cry out for fear. And who do they cry out to? The same way as in the past,
Lord, we cry to the Lord. Verse 27, and straightway, immediately,
Jesus spoke unto them. He spoke unto them. What did
He say? Be of good cheer. Fear not. Be of good cheer. Why should
I? Somebody recently was complaining
about their job. And you know somebody said that's
why they call it work. I mean it's called work isn't it. Who in here enjoys work besides
me? This work. It's work. It wouldn't be called work if
it was fun. And it's for one purpose, to earn money and pay
your bills and so forth. You've got to do it. Didn't God
tell Adam that you're going to earn your bread by the sweat
of your brow? Well, I sweat. I work so hard. You may have
got to work while there's twelve hours in a day. The Lord said,
that's what it's supposed to be. That's the way it's going to
be. He said, what if I didn't have this job? Well, if you didn't
have that job, you'd have another job, but you'd have to work.
Hey, the grass isn't greener. It's going to be work. Until
the day you retire, then your troubles will go. Then you die. Then what's it all for? All that
you've worked for. But that's the way it is. work. And I thought about this person.
I know this person. They're one of the most blessed
persons I know. And I thought, well, you know, the Lord has
been so good to us, just so good to us. I'll be honest with you, I'll never
complain. But we do. And the Lord knows our pain.
He knows. He knows. He remembers we're dusks. They
feared. They were troubled. They complained.
David complained. He said, I poured out my complaints.
Didn't he? I complained, and then I realized
I shouldn't be complaining. Where? Where'd he get that pen?
It's in the sanctuary. By way is in the sanctuary. I
forgot who God was. I forgot who I was. I forgot
who was on the throne. I forgot what all this was about
until I came to the sanctuary. I came to the tent and then I
remembered. I said, I was a fool. It sounded like Psalm 73, doesn't
it? How could I have been like a
dumb beast? My old dog Abner, he didn't think
a message was full until I said something about it. He doesn't
have any trouble sleeping. On the contrary, he wakes us
up snoring. And that's going to end real
soon when he goes outside to stay. Oh, he just falls asleep
and snoring. Why? He's not worried about that. Be of good cheer. It is I. What is? Yeah, but it's the Lord. Eli, isn't that exactly what
Eli said? It's the Lord. Isn't that what Job said? It's
the Lord. David came home and his whole
family and home was burned to the ground. His family was gone.
He didn't know if they were dead or alive. He says he encouraged
himself. He comforted himself in his God. It's the Lord. And bless God,
he saw them again, Hannah, he saw them again. Look, is this,
could this be of the Lord? All things are. You'll see him
again. Just a short time, just a little
time, just a moment, a quick little eye, you'll be changed.
And those that have slept before us, you're going to see them
again. It's the Lord. Be of good cheer. It's I. Who's I? I am. What? That I am! Peter. Well, if it is. Oh, Peter. Aren't you glad the
Lord wrote about Peter? Put him in there. I can't relate
to John, but I can sure relate to Simon. Peter said, Lord, if
it is, be thou. What do you mean, if? He didn't upbraid him, Peter,
but he says, "'Bid me come unto thee on the water.'" Now, Peter
and the Lord said, "'Come.'" Here's another instance. Whenever
the Lord says, "'Come,' you come." Over whatever obstacles, insurmountable. You'll pick up your family and
move where the gospel is. Insurmountable trouble. No sir.
When he says, "'Come,' you come.'" I can't walk on it. I can't do this. I've got it.
I'll drown. He got out of that boat. He literally
got out of that. Can you imagine? This is a real
story. This really happened. He got
out of that boat. Stan, this amazed me when I really
thought about it. He got, where did he get that? It wasn't in Peter to do it.
No man can. This is the working of God's mighty power, giving
him such absolute confidence and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ
that he ventured upon a deep sea. What was scaring him to
death, Nancy, before that? He got right in. He stepped out
of the boat, his place of safety. He renounced his former refuge.
Where was he headed? To Christ. Do you see it now? Huh? There's people in here that
have been, you know, in that rocking boat called religion.
Oh, you're lying. And Him and Christ are the true
Christ, the sovereign Christ. You all can stay here. I'm getting
to Christ. Well, you'll die. No, I'm just
going to be crucified again. You see that picture? Peter, you're a fool. Don't do
that. Peter wasn't just trying to walk
on water. Are you with me? He wasn't just
trying to walk on water. Rebecca, he wanted to get to
Christ. He was looking at Christ. Honestly,
he had his eyes fixed on the Lord Jesus Christ. He said, I'm
scared to death. Look, my Lord. And he headed
out. Barbara, he headed out. And bless
God, he walked on the water. He did. Stretch out your hand. I can't. Stretch it out. Tell
him he did. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ
and thou shalt be saved. Here's a young rebel. Hates God, hates his parents.
Well, you can't do anything for him. He's a hopeless cause. Oh,
did you say hopeless? Yeah, we've tried all our lives.
It's impossible. Did you say it's impossible?
With who? Us. Bring him to me. What? He's a wild ass. You can't ride
him. What? Didn't bump, didn't hump up,
just shrunk down. Did he? That old ass didn't hump
up, he shrunk down. Lowered his head and went exactly
where the Lord told him. Peter had his eyes on Christ and came. But he's a man. And being a man, he's liable
to fall. He did. And where'd this trouble? Why did he fall? Right. He looked down. He looked around. I can't do
this. I'll never make it. I can't make it. I was hopeless with me. It always
was. Say, a man can't walk on water. Never could, never can, can't
do it. He quit looking at Christ. He
thought, I'm a goner. He saw everything around him.
And, oh, look at this, folks. It kept saying immediately, straightway,
immediately, verse 21. He cried, verse 30, Lord, save
me. And immediately Christ stretched forth his hand. They say, they
say, there Jesus has no hands, but they're, oh, aren't you glad
our Lord Jesus Christ has hands? Huh? Aren't you glad he has an
arm that's not too short? Well, that's exactly what the
scripture says, doesn't it? His arm is not short. Peter went
back. Peter started going back. Well, there Jesus is. He's not
too short. So here it reads for me. Oh,
I can't. I can't. Oh, I tried, but couldn't
save him. That's their Jesus. I tried,
and he couldn't really beat it. Just, if he'd just... Knocked
my Christ. His arm is not short. He's got
long arms. He's got big hands. Grabbed Peter. He grabbed ahold of Peter. And those big arms that pulled
him up to him. You're not gonna die, Peter.
I'm on. I'll not let you go or. I told
you I'd never let you. I told you it was me. What do you reckon Peter was
doing? Wasn't he? And where does salvation depend
on? Him holding Christ? No, no. They're in my hands. They're
in my Father's hands, greater than I. No man shall pluck them
out of my hands. Oh, boy. My, my. They came into the ship, got
back to the ship, didn't they? Got back in the ship, and the
wind ceased. Christ is with us. The wind ceased. In here. The wind, the world,
opinion, all that just ceased. This place of refuge where Christ
is promised to be. Just all troubles and winds and
waves. You're not tossed right now,
are you? Man, you're not tossed to and fro. You ain't got trouble
in the world right at this moment. Right at this moment. But I haven't
either. But we're going to both leave
this place. And a big old wave is going to
hit us in the face. Isn't it? Oh, the Lord's left me. Oh, no, he hasn't. Oh, no, he
hasn't. Remember, would you remember?
Next time you wake up, this is what I'm going to try to do.
When I wake up in the night, I'm going to try to remember
the work the Lord works about. Remember this story. And the
Lord will bring this back to remembrance. And they came into
the ship and they worshiped Him. Oh, Peter, Simon led the worship. Who was singing the loudest?
Who was singing the loudest in that boat? They started worshiping
the Lord. Who sang the loudest? Who laughed the loudest? Who'd lead us in prayer? I'd
just love to!" You see, only after trials and trouble, when
the Lord delivers you, the Lord delivered them out of them all,
the Scripture says. That's when you really worship.
That's what trials are for. Trials strengthen our faith.
Now, I'll close with this. In Crossfield, Tennessee, right
now, Last week, Bill Carruthers, a
leading man, a right-hand man of that congregation, a leading
man. I've known him ever since I've
been there. Just one of the dearest men you've ever met, like Stan
or Joe Parks or somebody. Indispensable for that work.
Last week he took a fall. and. Pretty serious. And. But he seemed to get OK
and it was in service Wednesday night. Friday. He dropped in. Fifty eight years old. Know his wife well. Daughter. Just. I just can't be just like one
of these men here, be like one of our men. And that church is
devastating. Brother Don Bell had to leave
Fairmont, West Virginia. He was preaching there in a conference,
had to leave to go home to comfort his blessed wife and that whole
church. But Don is crying his eyes out all the way home. You
know he was. Who did that? Fifty-eight? That is young. It's
the Lord. And I guarantee you they are
worshiping the Lord right now in Crossfield, Tennessee. What
else are they going to do? They're worshiping like they
haven't worshiped in a long time. It's the Lord. It's the Lord. Well, be of good cheer. In the world you shall have turbulence.
I've overcome it. You look to me, just keep your
eyes fixed on me, because I am the Lord. You're God. Keep your eyes fixed on me. Those
waves are flattened out like fondant. Brother John, we want to sing
that hymn, Love Lifted Me. What hymn, what number was that?
441. Let's sing the first and the
second verse. And on the chorus sing, Christ lifted me. All right,
Jerry. I was sinking deep in sin Far
from the people's shore Very deeply stained within Sinking
to rise no more But the master of the sea Heard my despairing
cry From the waters lifted me Now say, am I? Cries lifted me Christ lifted
me when nothing else could help. Christ lifted me. Christ lifted me. Christ lifted me when nothing
else could help. Christ lifted me. All my heart to Him I give, ever
to Him I sing. In His blessed presence live,
ever His praises sing. Love so mighty and so true, merits
my soul bestow. Faithful, loving servant to Him
belong. Pride lifted me, pride lifted
me. When no one else could help,
pride lifted me. Pride lifted me, pride lifted
me. When no one else could help,
pride lifted me. Lift it with me Alright