Getting A New Focus On Life

GETTING A NEW FOCUS ON LIFE

Matthew 14:22-33

S: Worship

C: Jesus as Son of God

Th: A Passionate Pursuit of God

Pr: JESUS IS WORTHY OF OUR WORSHIP.

Type: Inductive

PA: How is the change to be observed?

• Confess to the truth about yourself.

• Passionately pursue God.

• Worship Jesus as the Son of God.

Version: The Message

RMBC 03 April 05 AM

INTRODUCTION:

Have you ever noticed that…

1. There are certain circumstances that can grip us with fear.

ILL Fear: Dog and veterinarian office

There was a deputy with the sheriff’s department canine division, which, one evening, was dispatched to the scene of a possible burglary, where he discovered the back door of a building ajar. He let the dog out of his patrol car and commanded it to enter and seek.

Jumping from the back seat, the dog headed for the building. After lunging through the doorway, the dog froze and backed out.

The deputy was puzzled until he investigated further. Then he noticed the sign on the building: "Veterinarian’s office."

I am sure many of us can empathize with that experience.

We have taken our dogs to the vet, and they put their brakes on saying, “I’m not going in there.”

This is, by the way, why all entrances to a veterinarian’s offices are not carpeted.

So…

What do you do when you are afraid?

Do you panic, put on your brakes, and look for a way out?

You know, I think that…

2. It is hard to keep our head during the storms of life.

When we are surrounded by unexpected circumstances that are painful and bleak, we don’t always think straight.

When it seems our world is falling apart, we can feel a certain kind of dread that causes us to be anxious and apprehensive.

As Christians, there is a solution to this.

It is this…

3. We must become alert to God’s presence.

This is just one of the many lessons we find in the story of Matthew 14:22-33…

OUR STUDY:

As soon as the meal was finished, he insisted that the disciples get in the boat and go on ahead to the other side while he dismissed the people. With the crowd dispersed, he climbed the mountain so he could be by himself and pray. He stayed there alone, late into the night.

Meanwhile, the boat was far out to sea when the wind came up against them and they were battered by the waves. At about four o’clock in the morning, Jesus came toward them walking on the water. They were scared out of their wits. “A ghost!” they said, crying out in terror.

But Jesus was quick to comfort them. “Courage, it’s me. Don’t be afraid.”

Peter, suddenly bold, said, “Master, if it’s really you, call me to come to you on the water.”

He said, “Come ahead.”

Jumping out of the boat, Peter walked on the water to Jesus. But when he looked down at the waves churning beneath his feet, he lost his nerve and started to sink. He cried, “Master, save me!”

Jesus didn’t hesitate. He reached down and grabbed his hand. Then he said, “Faint-heart, what got into you?”

The two of them climbed into the boat, and the wind died down. The disciples in the boat, having watched the whole thing, worshiped Jesus, saying, “This is it! You are God’s Son for sure!”

(from THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language

© 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson. All rights reserved.)

The first lesson we should notice is that…

1. We must get a sense of when it is time to move on.

The story preceding this is the well known miracle called “the feeding of the 5,000.”

With 5 small loaves and two fish, Jesus fed over 10,000 people, when you count the women and children as well.

And the disciples had to be amazed.

Here they were observing the power of Jesus over the material.

He did not divide food, and make it stretch.

He multiplied it.

He took it, and made more.

For the disciples, this was a tremendous victory.

It immediately gave their movement credibility and power.

But if there is one thing we must always keep in mind is that victories are set up for defeats.

When you begin to win, it is then you are the most vulnerable to lose.

ILL Personal

As a soccer coach, I know that the most likely time you will be scored on is right after you have scored.

Jesus knows that this great victory means that they must move on.

I think when Jesus told them it was time to go, and they were to take a boat to the other side, they were reluctant to do so.

Perhaps they even argued.