Keep Your Focus

TITLE: KEEP YOUR FOCUS

SCRIPTURE: ST. MATTHEW 14:22-33

Of all the narratives in the NT, I know of none more beloved than this narrative of Peter walking on water in this powerful text. No doubt you have heard it before, and our children know it by heart, but somehow, we never grow tired of it. If we care to listen for just a few minutes this morning, there are some great truths and lessons to be found as we consider this topic for examination – Keep Your Focus.

Focus is very critical in many aspects of our lives.

• What happens if you are playing baseball or softball and don’t heed the coach’s advice to keep your eye on the ball?

• What happens if you are dicing vegetables and get distracted?

• What happens if you are hammering in nails and lose focus on the task?

In any of those cases you are likely to mess up what you are doing at best, and at worst could actually hurt yourself and end up paying your deductible in the Emergency Room. When you are dealing with a dangerous task, whether you’re chopping with a knife or driving a car, you want to stay focused so that you can do the job well and safely.

Jesus had a powerful lesson to teach his disciples that night on the Sea of Galilee. your faith, like every other component of your life, needs focus.

• Without focus, there is no faith

• Faith’s most basic definition is trust

• But if your trust is scattered all over the place, it doesn’t actually trust in anyone or anything

• Jesus urges us, the Holy Spirit helps us keep our faith’s true focus

Let me bring you up to speed for those that are not familiar with this biblical text. The background of the story is very simple. Jesus is on the Northwestern Shore Of The Sea Of Galilee. It is late in the day and Jesus has just performed the great miracle of feeding 5000 men with five loaves and two fish. Understandably amazed and enthralled by this miracle, the people want to make him king. But Jesus, knowing that their enthusiasm is shallow, refuses them and instead goes off to pray by himself.

After dismissing the crowd, he sends the disciples on ahead to the other side of the lake, telling them that he would meet them later. Matthew in his writing tells the story this way -- “IMMEDIATELY JESUS MADE THE DISCIPLES GET INTO THE BOAT AND GO ON AHEAD OF HIM TO THE OTHER SIDE, WHILE HE DISMISSED THE CROWD. AFTER HE DISMISSED THEM, HE WENT UP ON THE MOUNTAINSIDE BY HIMSELF TO PRAY.”

He tells them to get into a boat and go to the other side of the Sea of Galilee. He was finally able to spend some time alone and in prayer. The disciples, however, didn’t have such a refreshing night.

• A storm came up and kept them from reaching land

• Fighting all night long against the wind and the waves

• They couldn’t get to the other side of the sea

• Even though Jesus told them to go, the storm kept them from obeying him

The disciples were more than likely hesitant to leave Jesus in the first place, but the force of the words written demonstrates that Jesus made them get into the boat and go. They were in God’s will and yet faced troubles that led to exhaustion and fear. In other words – Jesus led them into the storm. He was not surprised by it, He knew it was coming, yet sent the disciples anyhow.

• Storms are not designed to Destroy Us

• Storms are designed to Perfect Us

• Don’t stop Attending Church in the midst of your Storm

• Don’t stop Giving in the midst of your Storm

• Don’t Shut people out in the midst of your Storm

• It has come to make you Better not Bitter

These were experienced fishermen who were struggling to keep the boat headed in the right direction. With all their knowledge and all of their experience at sailing they were struggling to survive. Jesus was able to pour out his heart to his heavenly Father in prayer for what seems to be a rather lengthy period of time, as the next time we see Jesus and the disciples together again it is the fourth watch of the night, that is, just before dawn.

The disciples are in the boat struggling against the wind and the rain. 9 p.m -- 10 p.m -- 11 p.m -- 12 Midnight -- 1 a.m -- 2 a.m -- 3 a.m. Still the storm continues with no sign of letting up. After eight or nine exhausting hours, the disciples were stuck in the middle of the lake, dirty - drenched - chilled to the bone - weary to the point that they began to wonder if they would ever make it to shore alive.