Sermon Title- “You Have the Power, Get Out of the Boat”

Sermon Subject- Step out in faith and Jesus will sustain you.

Scripture- Matthew 14:22-33

Date- 11 August, 2002  (Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost)

       IN THE MIRACLE OF THE FEEDING OF THE 5,000, IN REALITY THE 12-15,000, THE DISCIPLES LEARNED THAT JESUS HAS THE POWER TO MEET THEIR NEEDS.  IN TODAY’S STORY THEY LEARN THAT JESUS HAS THE POWER TO SAVE THEM IN A STORMY TIME OF TROUBLE.  MAY GOD CURSE THOSE WHO SEEK TO EXPLAIN AWAY THE MIRACLES OF JESUS AS NATURAL PHENOMINA.  THERE ARE THOSE WHO CLAIM THAT JESUS KNEW OF A REEF RUNNING OUT FROM THE SHORE INTO THE SEA OF GALILEE     AND THAT HE WAS WALKING IN WATER ONLY UP TO HIS ANKLES.  THE BOAT WAS JUST BEYOND THE REEF AN WHEN PETER BEGAN TO FALL, JESUS PULLED HIM ONTO THE REEF AND WHEN THE BOAT CAME AGAINST IT, PETER AND JESUS STEPPED IN.  IF WE BELIEVE JESUS IS THE SON OF GOD AND PART OF THE TRINITY, AND IF WE BELIEVE JESUS ROSE FROM THE DEAD, WHY DO WE FIND IT SO HARD TO BELIEVE THAT HE CAN WALK ON THE WATER?  IF WE BELIEVE THAT GOD PROVIDED BREAD IN THE WILDERNESS AND THAT GOD HAS GIVEN HIS SON ALL POWER IN HEAVEN AND ON EARTH, WHY DO WE HAVE TROUBLE BELIEVING THAT JESUS CAN FEED 15,000 WITH 5 LOAVES OF BREAD?  IF WE CAN NOT BELIEVE IN THE MIRACLES OF JESUS, HOW CAN WE BELIEVE IN THE RESURRECTION?  AND IF WE CAN NOT BELIEVE IN THE RESURRECTION, WHY SHOULD WE BELIEVE AT ALL?   JESUS FED THE 15,000 AND JESUS WALKED ON THE WATER.  THE AUTHOR OF THE STORIES AND 11 OTHER MEN SAW HIM DO IT AND THE INSPIRED WORD OF GOD TELLS US HE DID.  MAY THE HOLY SPIRIT HELP OUR UNBELIEF!

       THESE TWO MIRACLES CLEARLY DEMONSTRATE THE AWESOME POWER AND AUTHORITY OF JESUS CHRIST.  HE HAS AUTHORITY OVER OUR PHYSICAL, MENTAL AND SPIRITUAL ILLNESSES AND THE POWER TO HEAL THEM.  HE HAS AUTHORITY OVER ALL OUR NEEDS AND THE POWER TO MEET THEM.  AS THE CREATOR AND SUSTAINER OF THE PHYSICAL LAWS OF THE UNIVERSE, HE HAS AUTHORITY OVER THOSE LAWS AND THE POWER TO SET THEM ASIDE TO SAVE US.  JESUS HAS AUTHORITY OVER ANY AND ALL CAUSES OF STORMS IN OUR LIVES AND THE POWER TO CALM THOSE STORMS.  JESUS GOES TO THE FATHER AND RECEIVES POWER AND THEN HE STRETCHES OUT HIS HAND TO US.  IF LIKE PETER, WE WILL GET OUT OF THE BOAT AND TAKE HIS HAND, THE POWER IS OURS.  THROUGH THE HOLY SPIRIT THE POWER OF GOD FLOWS TO US IF WE WILL BUT GET OUT OF THE BOAT AND REACH FOR JESUS.  WE HAVE THE POWER.

       IF WE KNOW THESE THINGS WITH OUR HEAD, WHAT KEEPS US FROM STEPPING OUT OF THE BOAT IN FAITH WITH OUR HEARTS?   CHARLES HADDON SPURGEON, KNOWN A CENTURY AGO AS THE PRINCE OF PREACHERS, IN HIS NOTES ON THIS STORY LISTS PRIDE AND SELF-CONFIDENCE AND LOSS OF FOCUS AS THE TWO MAJOR REASONS.  IT IS PRIDE AND SELF-CONFIDENCE THAT LEAD US TO STAY IN THE BOAT IF WE FEEL WE LACK THE RESOURCES IN OURSELVES TO FACE THE STORM OR HANDLE THE TASK.  AND WE DON’T WANT TO END UP LIKE PETER, IN OVER OUR HEADS AND LOOKING FOOLISH.  HE DEFINES LOSS OF FOCUS AS NEGLECTING OUR PRAYER LIFE, NEGLECTING THE SCRIPTURES AND NEGLECTING WORSHIP.  IN DECIDING WHETHER OR NOT TO STEP OUT OF THE BOAT WE NEED TO REMEMBER THAT THE LIMITS OF OUR FAITH DO NOT DEFINE THE LIMITS OF GOD’S POWER.  THE APOSTLE PAUL UNDERSTOOD THIS WHEN HE DECLARED THAT WHEN HE WAS THE WEAKEST, HE WAS THE STRONGEST.  WHEN HIS FAITH WAS WEAK HE RELIED ON GOD WHOSE POWER MADE HIM STRONG.  ABOUT A YEAR AGO I RELATED TO YOU THE EXPERIENCE OF A MEMBER OF OUR CHARGE THE FIRST TIME SHE TOLD AN UNBELIEVER ABOUT JESUS.  HER AMAZED DESCRIPTION WAS THAT SHE TALKED FOR A LONG TIME.  SHE DIDN’T KNOW SHE KNEW SO MUCH ABOUT JESUS!  OF COURSE WHAT SHE IS TELLING US IS THAT SHE STEPPED OUT OF THE BOAT AND THE HOLY SPIRIT EMPOWERED HER.  WE HAVE THE POWER IF WE WILL JUST GET OUT OF THE BOAT.

       I WOULD ADD A THIRD REASON.  AS THIS STORY ILLUSTRATES, EVEN WHEN WE ARE FOLLOWING JESUS’S INSTRUCTIONS AND DOING OUR BEST TO FOLLOW HIM, IN FACT PERHAPS BECAUSE WE ARE FOLLOWING HIM, STORMS WILL HIT US.  FOLLOWERS OF CHRIST ARE PERSECUTED EVERY DAY OF EVERY WEEK OF EVERY YEAR.  IN ADDITION, WE ARE HIT BY STORMS OF LIVING- SERIOUS ILLNESS AND ACCIDENTS, A MARRIAGE GOING BADLY, CHILDREN GOING ASTRAY AND FINANCIAL DIFFICULTIES.   WE ARE NOT RISK TAKERS AND WE HATE AND FEAR STORMS.  MAYBE WE NEED TO STAY IN THE BOAT. WE NEED TO DO IS TO VIEW LIFE WITH GOD AS ARTHUR ASHE, THE TENNIS GREAT, VIEWED IT.  WHEN HE CONTRACTED AIDS FROM A BLOOD TRANSFUSION, HE WAS FREQUENTLY ASKED IF HE CRIED OUT, “WHY ME?”  HE RESPONDED HE DID NOT.  HE SAID THAT ON WINNING AT WIMBELDON IN 1975 HE DID NOT CRY OUT, “WHY ME?”  AND IF HE DID NOT CRY OUT, “WHY ME?” ABOUT HIS BLESSINGS, HOW COULD HE CRY OUT ABOUT HIS ADVERSITIES?  AND IT IS IN OUR ADVERSITIES THAT JESUS COMES TO US SAYING, “BE NOT AFRAID.  IT IS I”.  IN FACT A BETTER TRANSLATION OF THOSE WORDS IS, “BE NOT AFRAID.  I AM”, JUST AS GOD TOLD MOSES AT THE BURNING BUSH, “TELL THEM THAT I AM HAS SENT YOU TO THEM”.  JESUS IS DECLARING HE IS GOD AND WILL COME TO US TO CALM OUR STORMS.  AS SOON AS JESUS STEPPED INTO THE BOAT, THE STORM CEASED TO BE.  HOW CAN WE GROW AND STRENGTHEN OUR FAITH IF WE NEVER TEST IT AND PUT IT TO USE?  WE HAVE THE POWER, JUST GET OUT OF THE BOAT.

       WHERE DOES JESUS WANT YOU AND ME TO GET OUT OF THE BOAT?  WHERE DOES HE WANT US TO LEAVE OUR COMFORT ZONE BEHIND?  WHERE DOES HE WANT US TO STEP OUT IN FAITH?  MAYBE IT’S TO FINALLY TALK TO THAT FRIEND OR CO-WORKER OR RELATIVE ABOUT COMING TO CHURCH AND ABOUT OUR FAITH.  OR MAYBE IT’S TO STEP UP AND TEACH SUNDAY SCHOOL.  PERHAPS IT’S TO SIGN UP FOR ALPHA OR INVITE SOMEONE TO COME TO ALPHA OR MAYBE TO HELP PUT ON THE ALPHA COURSE.  BECAUSE TWO PEOPLE HAVE RECENTLY STEPPED OUT OF THE BOAT MAYBE IT’S TO SIGN UP FOR COMPANIONS IN CHRIST.  MAYBE IT’S TO INVITE SOMEONE TO TAKE THE WALK TO EMMAUS OR TO TAKE THE WALK YOURSELF.  MAYBE IT’S TO BE MORE FAITHFUL IN ATTENDING WORSHIP AND SUNDAY SCHOOL.  AND FINALLY, MAYBE IT’S TO SET ASIDE TIME FOR A MORE ACTIVE PRAYER LIFE AND FOR STUDY OF GOD’S WORD.  WHATEVER IT IS, JESUS IS STRETCHING OUT HIS HAND TO US SAYING, “BE NOT AFRAID. I AM”, AND IS READY TO GIVE US THE POWER IF WE WILL GET OUT OF THE BOAT.

       OUR STORY HAS A WONDERFUL ENDING.  IT CLOSES WITH THE DISCIPLES WORSHIPING JESUS.  READ THE 4 GOSPELS CLOSELY AND YOU WILL FIND THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THEY WORSHIP JESUS.  THEY HAVE WATCHED JESUS TEACH, HEAL AND SAVE OTHERS.  BUT NOW THEY ARE THE ONES WHO ARE SAVED, AND THEY WORSHIP HIM.  AND THEN HE GAVE THEM THE POWER AND THEY GOT OUT OF THE BOAT AND SERVED HIM.  WE ALSO HAVE THE POWER.  LET’S GET OUT OF THE BOAT AND SERVE HIM.       AMEN.