Worship Service – August 9, 2020

Jesus Walks on the Water

22 Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. 23 After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, 24 but the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it.

25 During the fourth watch of the night Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. 26 When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear.

27 But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”

28 “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.”

29 “Come,” he said. 30 Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”

31 Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”

32 And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. 33 Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”

This is the word of God for the people of God. Thanks be to God.

As we have seen in the last few weeks with hurricane season beginning , it is so important, so crucial to prepare ahead for the storm… so vital to have the resources we need when we are caught in a storm.

In this story in the Gospel of Matthew, the disciples of Jesus didn’t have Doppler Radar… or 24-hour weather coverage, or the resources we use today.They get caught in a frightening storm out in the middle of the Sea of Galilee.

As the disciples are “rowing against the wind”… scared, tired, frustrated, drained, depleted… Christ comes to them in an incredible way… “Walking on the Water!!”

Isn’t it fascinating that the presence of Christ is often most visible and most welcome when we are caught in a storm and rowing against the wind?

Remember this amazing story with me. It’s a miracle-story, but it is also a parable-story. It’s like a “Parable Acted Out.”

Christ comes to us in powerful and dramatic ways… bringing – help and strength, peace, confidence and victory.

Remember the context of the story… Jesus has just finished feeding the multitude with the five loaves and two fish. He has sent the crowd away,with their bellies full.

Now, he must feed himself, not with food for the body, but food for his spirit. He sends the Disciples ahead by boat to their next destination… while he goes up on a mountain to pray.

In prayer and meditation, in thought and quiet time alone… he will again commune with his heavenly Father to recharge spiritually in preparation for the new challenges which he will soon face. A lesson we all need to take note of.

Now, the disciples are out on the Sea of Galilee… without him. The New Testament seems determined to call this famous lake a “sea.” Again and again, the writers call it “The Sea of Galilee.”

Actually, it’s more like a lake. In Hebrew, there is no distinction between the words “sea” and “lake”, since the word “yam “is used to describe any large and wide body of water. The Sea of Galilee, is only about 8 miles wide and only some thirteen miles long… but regardless of its small size, it could “kick up” a large-sized storm… and could indeed be quite treacherous.

Winds could quite quickly come up from nowhere around those hills and stir up the waves into a fury of rage and storm. In such a storm, the lake took on the threat of a big sea… and people on the water needed to be very, very careful.

Crossing the lake could be easy task if the winds were with you, and your sails were turned to catch it. But if there were no wind, then you would have to row!

You would have to put your muscle into it. Even then, the task (though not as pleasant as sailing)… would have been manageable enough.

However, on this occasion in Matthew’s Gospel, the disciples find themselves facing a number of difficult obstacles. Not unlike the storm we face today in this pandemic.

1. First of all, it is night-time… and consequently visibility is a real problem for them. They’re out there in the dark.

2. Not only that, but also it is cloudy because of the storm which is brewing and they can’t see the stars or follow them, so they are having trouble getting their sense of direction.

3. Add to that the fact that the wind of the storm is not with them, but against them, so their sails are useless.

4. And on top of all of that,… not only do they have to row the boat but they are rowing against the wind. They are rowing into the face of the storm.

They are not getting anywhere, not making much head-way. The writer puts it like this: “They are buffeted by the waves.”

There, they are… out there in the storm… being tossed to and fro… making no progress… tired, frustrated, drained, depleted, scared to death, confused and probably a little ticked off at Jesus for sending them out there… can’t you just hear them saying….

Can you identify with their plight? Can you relate? Don’t we all have moments like that… when we feel stormed over and worn out? The storms and pressures and troubles of this world lash against us… and our Lord doesn’t seem to be around.

But, then look what happens…

The Lord sees their dilemma. He is aware of their plight… and he goes straight toward them. He has been close by all along… closer even than they realized… and He comes to them. He comes to help them. He comes to save them.

Through the wind, the storm, the danger, the chaos, the disorder, the disruption… He comes to them!

That’s the way He comes to us, isn’t it? He comes sometimes when we least expect Him… and most need Him. He comes in the dead of the night… in the thick of the storm. That’s when He comes most vividly.

Now, look at the remarkable courage of Simon Peter here: “Lord, if it’s You, he says, let me come to You on the water.”

Christ says “Come”… and Peter, too, walks on the water… for a moment, but then his eyes go back to the winds and the waves and fear takes over… and he begins to sink. That’s when Jesus reached out His hand and caught him. And as they get into the boat, the storm subsides, the winds stop and there is calm.

See what happened. Immediately, when Jesus saw His friends in trouble, His own problems were set aside; the moment for prayer was past; the time for action had come. He forgot himself and went to the help of His friends.

All of what happened there, we will never know. But, what we do know is that He came to them… and their storm became a calm. With Him beside them, nothing matters more!

It is the simple fact of life, a fact which has been proved by countless thousands of men and women in every generation…

… That when Christ is there:

Now, with all this as a backdrop for our thinking, let me underscore three important lessons for us.

I. FIRST OF ALL, WE ALL GET CAUGHT IN THE STORMS OF LIFE.

It’s a fact… that life has its storms. Life is not an easy ride across a smooth flat plateau. It gets bumpy sometimes. We all know that too well.

There are mountain-tops and valleys. Things don’t always go just as we want them to go.

Sometimes, the winds blow against us.

Sometimes, we feel overwhelmed.

Sometimes, we have to “row against the wind.”

Recently, a man came to me looking for help. He was deeply troubled. You could tell it by looking at him. He looked worn and weary,his face was drawn, his eyes were tired, his expression was sad and his shoulders were slumped over as if he were carrying a heavy load.

Then, almost as if on cue, he said it: “I’m scared, worried exhausted, depleted. I feel like I’m carrying hundred pound weights on my back all the time. I need help.”

When he said that, he expressed what many people are feeling these days. Tremendously difficult problems “weigh down” upon us and threaten to crush the life out of us.

Think of it… inflation, depression, pollution… crime, fear, anxiety… grief, heartache, pressure, stress… we had just as well admit it. Life, for many people today, has become a strained and somber business. They feel heavy-laden, cast down, burdened. They feel like they are: caught in a storm and rowing against the wind.

Our reading in Romans 10:13 reminds us , “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

Now, here is a place (the scriptures tell us) where faith can help. We can cast our burdens on the Lord and He shall sustain us. If we will keep rowing… and look to him with the eyes of faith… He will come to our aid, He will come with strength and peace and confidence.

II. SECOND, WHEN WE ARE IN THESE DIFFICULT STORMY SITUATIONS CHRIST COMES TO US IN SPECIAL WAYS.

If I were to ask you to recall those moments in your life when you felt God’s presence most . There might be a few who would recall a worship experience, or a few who would remember a joyous event or a victorious moment, but most of us would remember how God came to us in a storm situation.

When we are caught in the storm, God comes in special ways to bring strength and help and hope.

I’m reminded of the story of a man who once came to a farmer and asked to be taken on as a hired hand. “What can you do?” the farmer asked him. The man replied: “I can sleep when the wind blows.”

The farmer thought that was a strange answer, but he needed a worker so he hired him. Soon after, the farmer went away on a trip. A couple of weeks later, the farmer returned home one night and went to bed. But, a storm came up. Winds were whipping and blowing. The farmer woke and heard the winds and he remembered – the broken barn door – the weak place in the fence – and, loose boards on the roof of the Chicken Coop.

Concerned about his livestock, he got up and went out into the storm to check on them and what do you think he found? The barn door, the fence, the chicken coop, had all been repaired… The animals were all safe and the hired worker was sleeping soundly. Then the farmer remembered what he had said: “I can sleep when the wind blows!” He could sleep because he had prepared ahead for the storm!

Can you sleep when the wind blows? Have you prepared as Paul taught us in Romans 10:9? “That if you confess with your mouth Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved.”

III. THIRD… WHEN OUR EYES ARE FIXED ON CHRIST, WE CAN DO INCREDIBLE THINGS… AND WHEN WE TAKE OUR EYES OFF HIM… WE SINK.

Simon Peter looked at Christ… and he walked on water. He took his eyes off Christ and looked at the waves, got scared and he began to sink.

Years ago,I heard a story told about a little girl who was so excited because her dad was going to take her to see the movie “Snow White.” Someone said to the little girl.“But, won’t you be scared of the wicked witch?”“No,” she said. “When the witch comes on I won’t look at her… I’ll just look at my father!!”

That’s the way it works, isn’t it? When we fix our eyes on him, we can do incredible things.

We need to remember and do what we are taught in the Psalms 105:1-5. “1.Give thanks to the Lord, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done.

2. Sing to him, sing praise to him; tell of all his wonderful acts.

3.Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice.

4.Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always.

5.Remember the wonders he has done, his miracles, and the judgments he pronounced,”

In His Service,

Pastor Joe