A POWERLESS GOSPEL
Matthew 14:22-36
The Set Up
V: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."
A. Jesus, throughout
the day had performed the miracles of healing.
1. His last miracle of the day was the
feeding of five thousand men, not including
women and
children with five loaves of bread and two fish.
2. Having
witness the miracles, of Jesus, the disciples were sent on a mission to the
other side of the sea to Bethsaida
a. Once we
have heard the Word of God we have a mission to put the Word
in
practice.
b. Unless we
practice the principles we have heard in the Word for ourselves,
there will be
no spiritual growth.
B. Our faith develops
as we follow God's commands.
1. The disciples
were commanded to go across the sea in a boat ahead of Jesus.
2. It is our job to prepare the way for the
Word to be heard.
3. We have to
condition ourselves for the mission ahead of us.
C. The work of the
Lord is never done.
1. The disciples
were sent to the next destination, but Jesus stayed and worked with
crowd.
2. Jesus never
slumbers or sleeps.
3. Even when we
are not conscience of Jesus, He is aware of us.
V:23. " After he had dismissed them, he went up on a
mountainside by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone."
A. While on earth,
Jesus communicated with the Father through prayer.
1. Jesus often
went off alone to pray. The mountain side was a common place.
2. We need to
find time in our day to pray.
3. Prayer works
to calm us and to reassure us in our daily activities.
B. Prayer draws us
into a closer relationship with the Father.
1. Prayer tunes
us spiritually with the Father.
2. They that
worship the Lord must worship Him in spirit and in truth.
3. When we talk
with the Father it is good to remind Him of His Word.
4. Jesus often
repeated the written Word He gave to prophets
concerning
Himself.
The Situation And The Test
V:24. " But the boat was already a considerable
distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it. "
A. I believe that God designs situations to test our faith
in Him.
1. From the
mountainside, Jesus saw the trouble His disciples were facing.
Mark 6:48
2. Notice, Jesus
sent disciples by boat in the evening time.
a. Jesus knew
the difficult situation the boat was in because of the heavy seas.
b. Jesus
waited until the early morning hours (3AM to 6AM )
to come to
the aid of
His disciples.
c. The test is
designed to see how we react in faith under trials.
3. God keeps a
watchful eye on those who follow His commands.
B. Jesus allowed his disciples to struggle with the ruff
waves buffeting the boat.
1. Jesus does not
always eliminate our problems as soon as they occur.
2. It is the
struggle that make us strong.
3. It is the
struggle that keeps us in prayer.
4. It is the
struggle that test our faith.
5. It is the
struggle that causes us to exercise our faith.
V:25. "During the fourth watch of the night Jesus went
out to them, walking on the lake."
A. Jesus knowing our
struggles, will come to our rescue in His time.
1. Jesus will do
what we can't do for ourselves.
2. Jesus comes to
us no matter where we are.
3. We are never
too far from Jesus.
B. Jesus may not come
when you want Him, but He is on time.
1. We have to
experience suffering to appreciate the work of Jesus.
2. We have to
experience suffering to know our weakness.
3. We have to
experience suffering to strengthen our reliance on Jesus.
C. You can expect a
miracle when Jesus shows up.
1. We are heavier
than water, therefore we will sink in water.
2. It is a miracle
to walk on top of water.
3. Jesus is in
control of our surrounding.
a. He took the
water and made it a platform.
4. You should
never expect Jesus to do what you can do for yourself.
A Powerless Gospel
V:26. " When the disciples saw him walking on the lake,
they were terrified. "It's a ghost," they said, and cried out in
fear."
A. The power of the Gospel is driven by faith.
1. Once we accept
Jesus as our Lord and Savior we must get rid of any thoughts of
fables, myths
and old wise tales.
2. The disciples
were still holding to their past worldly thoughts.
3. We have to
give up the world to take on the power of Christ.
B. When we lack faith
in the miracles of Jesus, we are subject to fantancy and wise
tales.
1. When they saw
Jesus walking toward on water, they couldn't recognize Him
because they
were stuck on the reality of what man can do.
2. They had
witness the miracles of Jesus, yet they could not apply it to their
situation.
a. They knew
the power of Jesus but could not apply it to their lives.
b. Mar 6:51 implies that the disciples were not
impressed by the miracles of the
previous day.
c. It is our
faith in Jesus that empowers our lives.
3. Without faith,
we can be terrified by what we cannot understand.
1. It is faith
in Jesus that comforts us in fearful times.
2. We have to
learn that what is impossible for man is possible for God.
The Encouragement
V:27. " But Jesus immediately said to them: "Take
courage! It is I. Don't be afraid."
A. Jesus has a way of making us realize who He
is.
1. Faith in
Jesus comforts us in our fears.
2. Faith in Jesus gives us the courage to
face the problems of today.
3. God has not
given us the spirit of fear, but power, love and sound mind.
B. There are times
when Jesus reacts to our needs immediately.
1. When our
lives are in danger, Jesus may encamp His angels around us.
2. Jesus can
change any circumstance into our favor.
Testing Jesus
V:28 "Lord, if it's you," Peter replied,
"tell me to come to you on the water."
A. God will answer when you ask in faith.
1. We have to
be prepared to accept God's answer to our prayers.
2. We are
encouraged to test God's Word.
3. Peter heard
the Word of the Lord but express his lack of faith with "If".
a. If we
trust the Word, there is no if.
b. If limits our power to act.
c. If says
we need a sign to be sure.
d. If says
if we don't get the answer we want,
maybe the Word is not true.
B. "IF"
expresses a weakness in our faith.
1. If says, I got
to have a sign to believe in Jesus.
2. If says, I
know what you did in the past, but can you help me now.
Faithless Gospel
V:29 "Come," he said. Then Peter got down out of
the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus."
A. You have to be
careful what you ask for, God may grant your request.
1. Jesus walked
on water, but can we do the same?
2. Peter stepped
down on the water which had became a road way.
3.The body is
heaver than water, so Peter should have sunk immediately.
a. Peter was
walking on the miracle works of the Lord.
b. Jesus was
holding him up, so he should have realized that the impossible
was made
possible.
4. We should
realize that every day of our lives, we are walking on the miracles
of Jesus.
B. To enjoy the miracles of Jesus, we have to step
down out of pride.
1. To have peace
in our lives we have to walk toward Jesus.
2. To have
continued success in our lives we have to walk toward Jesus.
V:30. " But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and,
beginning to sink, cried out, "Lord, save me!"
A. Sometimes we let
our ("BUT") get in the way of our confidence in Jesus.
1. The
"but" can be our personal situations.
2. The
"but" can be our doubts.
3. The
"but" can be our weak faith.
B. When Peter
considered his circumstances, the impossible for the world, became
impossible for
him.
1. I have been in
a small boat in the Gulf of Mexico with 10 foot seas.
a. The boat
drops 10 feet from level, then rises 10 above level.
b. For example, if Peter was in a 10 foot swell,
he was walking 10 feet above sea
level.
2. Peter took his
eyes off Jesus and the present circumstance took control of his
mind.
3. We will always
face circumstances, but we don't have to react to them in fear.
4. Peter was
walking above the problem, until he considered the problem.
a. Peter
reacted to the waves even though the waves were not affecting him.
b. His
emotional reaction to the waves caused him to sink.
c. The emotion
he reacted to was fear.
5. Fear is normal,
but trust in Jesus over rules what is normal for man.
C. The one thing
positive about Peter was he immediately called on Jesus when he
was in trouble.
1. Jesus is the
problem solver and the trouble shooter.
2. Faith in the
power of prayer is important for believers.
The Solution
V:31. " Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and
caught him. "You of little faith," he said, "why did you doubt?"
A. The key problem
with Peter in this situation was doubt.
1. The solution
to doubt is to reach for Jesus.
2. Immediately in our distress, Jesus extends his
hand to help.
B. When we are
obedient to Jesus, He is always on the move toward us.
1.God will not
put us in a situation that He is not in control of.
2. God will not
put us in a situation that will not help us grow in Him.
C. The purpose of
this test was to point out the weakness in the faith of the disciples.
1. They did not
understand the miracles that Jesus did the day before.
2. Everyday is a
day that Jesus does miracles in our lives.
3. When we realize
that Jesus is waiting to do a miracle for us, we will be quick to
call on Him.
4. Christians
should never doubt the power of Jesus.
The Effect Of Trusting Jesus
V:32. " And when they climbed into the boat, the wind
died down."
A. In John 6, the
text says that when the disciples received Jesus in the boat, the boat
was
immediately on land.
1. Faith in
Jesus solves our problems.
2. Faith in
Jesus put us where we need to be.
B. The disciples
was headed to the other side with doubt about Jesus.
1. They
struggled because of their doubt.
2. When they received
Jesus in their heart they were immediately where they
needed to be.
C. With Jesus in
our hearts, we are always where we need to be.
1. Our
circumstances has nothing to do with our position in the Lord.
2. Our faith has
everything to do with our success in life.
Our Response To Jesus
V:33. " Then those who were in the boat worshiped him,
saying, "Truly you are the Son of God."
A. Our worship of
Jesus ought to be continuous.
1. Our worship
ought to begin before we get to Church,
2. We worship Jesus
not because of what He does, but because of who He is.
B. The boat became
their place of worship.
1. Jesus inhabit
our worship.
2. We have to
come to the conclusion that Jesus is Truly the son of God.
God's Work Is Continuous
V:34. " When they had crossed over, they landed at
Gennesaret."
A. The work of the
Lord is never done.
1. There is
always someone who need to hear a Word from the Lord.
2. We are always
in a state of growth.
a. We grow as we travel with the Lord.
b. As we
travel with the Lord we will encounter different situations
that will
require us to continue to grow.
3. We must
remember that a miracle is a miracle no matter how difficult the
situation
may seem.
B. The problem is not how big the situation is, but how big
your Jesus is.
1. The problem is
not how many problems you have, but how many times you
are on your
knees in prayer.
2. The problem is
not who is against you, but the God that is for you.
C. We are always crossing over into another situation where
we need to call on God.
1. God gives us
hope so we can give others hope.
2. To much is
given much is required.
3. Our
relationship with Jesus requires us to draw others into a relationship with
with Him with
our testimony.
The Mission
V:35. " And when the men of that place recognized
Jesus, they sent word to all the surrounding country. People brought all their
sick to him."
A. Where ever we go,
others ought to recognize the Jesus in us.
1. Our testimony
is important in the lives of others.
2. The Word we
spread about Jesus will cause others to spread the Word.
3. The hope we
express about Jesus will draw others to Him.
B. We live in a world
with people that are sick and in need of a Word from the Lord.
1. There are
different type of sicknesses.
2. Lack of
knowledge of Jesus is a sickness.
3. Lack of trust
in Jesus is a sickness.
4. Lack of love
for others is a sickness.
5. Lack of
physical health is a sickness.
6. Lack of mental
health is a sickness.
7. All sickness
are under the control of the Lord.
C. We are empowered
with the Word to heal the sick.
1. We can do all
thing through Christ who strengthens us.
2. Nothing is
impossible for God.
V:36. "And begged him to let the sick just touch the
edge of his cloak, and all who touched him were healed."
A. All those who
comes to Jesus in faith are healed.
1. Jesus always
remarked to those who came to Him; " their faith made them
whole."
2. Wholeness in
the Lord does not always mean a physical healing.
3. Wholeness is
in Jesus is spiritual.
4. Wholeness in
Jesus has heaven as it's destination.
B. We touch Jesus with our eagerness to get to
Him.
1. We touch Jesus
with our needs in prayer.
2. We touch Jesus
with our faith in His power to heal.
3. We touch Jesus
with our praise and worship.
4. We touch Jesus
with our obedience to His Word.
JESUS IS PRESENT IN OUR LIVES TO MAKE US WHOLE
Rev. M. Mitchell,
Asst Pastor of GMBC
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