Sermon Nuggets Tues April 15, 2008
Theme- Walk on Water
Verses John 6:16 When evening came, his disciples went down to the lake,
17 where they got into a boat and set off across the lake for Capernaum. By now it was dark, and Jesus had not yet joined them.
Mark 6:45-48 Immediately Jesus made his disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd.
46 After leaving them, he went up on a mountainside to pray.
47 When evening came, the boat was in the middle of the lake, and he was alone on land.
48 He saw the disciples straining at the oars, because the wind was against them. About the fourth watch of the night he went out to them, walking on the lake. He was about to pass by them,
THE LORD SEES
We remember that other Gospels help us see the whole picture. Jesus and the disciples had a very busy day, they were looking to relax and then a multitude descended upon them. As we mentioned last week, Jesus feeds the 5,000, more probably, 20,000 people. Jesus is trying to reveal to His disciples who He is and His care for them. Jesus is now ready to give them a mid-term examination. See what they learned. He compels them to get into the boat while He goes to the hills to pray.
As the disciples obeyed Christ they found themselves in the midst of a rip snorting storm. They knew they were in danger; there they were in the middle of the night and fighting for their lives. Sometimes we are in trouble because we obey the Lord. In the distress of their lives they were in a panic situation. There was a time, which John does not record but is in two other gospels, when Jesus was asleep in the boat and called the winds and the waves to be still. It is good to have Jesus in the boat, but now He wasn’t in the boat. I think lesson one is; Jesus can do miracles, He is from God. Lesson two; Jesus will protect and keep you. Lesson three; as they saw in the boat, He was able to do it. Another lesson of faith is feeding the multitude, He can provide. Now he is stretching them further to understand he does not have to be in the boat for them to trust. He can even be out of their sight but realize that they are not out of His sight.
The Lord sees our distress. The Lord sees what is happening. The disciples were unaware of the fact. When Jesus was in the hills praying I am sure He was praying for them. I am sure because of the prayers that we have recorded in the 17th and 18th chapters of John when Jesus prays often for his disciples, interceding on their behalf. Scripture teaches us that Jesus is now interceding on our behalf also. Isn’t that good to know? He sees us in our distress. He knows what we are going through. He does see our insecurities, fears and problems that face us. We have gone thru deep waters, most of us, and we can testify that he is there, but what about the ones that are going to face us or the ones that some of you may feel like you are in right now? Can you take comfort in the test of faith that if you have accepted Jesus and seeking to make him Lord of your life, He sees and knows all that is going on even when others may misunderstand?
When Martin Luther was in the throes of the reformation and the Pope was trying to bring him back to the Catholic Church, he sent a cardinal to deal with Luther and buy him with gold. The cardinal wrote to the Pope, “The fool does not love gold.”
The cardinal, when he could not convince Luther, said to him, “What do you think? The Pope cares for the opinion of a German boor? The Pope’s little finger is stronger than all of Germany. Do you expect your princes to take up arms to defend you – you, a wretched worm like you? I tell you No! And where will you be then?”
Luther’s response was simply, “Where I am now, in the hands of Almighty God.” Luther knew the Lord saw his situation and the threats of man did not move him.
Pastor Dale
