Moving On Without Jesus

MOVING ON WITHOUT JESUS

John 6:14-21

S: The Presence of Jesus

Th: Prayer: A Passion for His Presence

Pr: WE ARE MEANT TO HAVE JESUS IN OUR LIVES.

?: Inductive

KW: Stages

TS: In our text today, we will reveal five stages during the event of Jesus walking on the water.

The _____ stage is…

I. PROPHET (14)

II. PRAYER (15)

III. PREDICAMENT (16-18)

IV. PRESENCE (19-20)

V. PEACE (21)

Version: ESV

RMBC 02 June 02 AM

INTRODUCTION:

ILL Notebook: Dangerous (know when to leave)

One day, a very small, sickly-looking man with thick glasses rode into a western town on the stagecoach. He was hired as the local saloon’s bartender, but the owner gave him a word of warning: "Remember, drop everything and run for your life if ever you hear that Big John is on his way to town."

Things went fine for a few months. Suddenly, a big, strong cowhand with a ghost-white look on his face burst through the swinging doors shouting, "Big John’s a’comin’! Big John’s a’comin’!" The patrons scrambled to get out the door, knocking the small bartender for a loop as they pushed by him.

The bartender gathered his senses about him and had just found his glasses when the room went dark. He put them on to see a giant of a man eclipsing the saloon doors. Riding bareback on a buffalo, using a rattlesnake for a whip, he came right through the saloon doors, splintering away the doors and doorframe! The man FLUNG the snake into the corner, KNOCKED over tables, and took his massive fist and SPLIT the bar in half as he demanded a drink. "Y-y-yes sir!" The bartender nervously handed a bottle out to the man. He BIT the top of the bottle right off with his teeth, downed the contents in one gulp, let out a belch that shattered the saloon’s mirror, ...and then turned to leave. The bartender realized he wasn’t going to hurt him, so he asked the man if he would like another drink?

"I ain’t got no time," the man roared as he got on his buffalo, rattlesnake in hand. "Big Jooooohn’s a’comin’ to town!"

1. Have you ever been afraid?

Maybe there have been some “Big Johns” in your life that have made you more than a bit apprehensive—a person that has treated you rudely or even threatened you.

Perhaps you have had some life-threatening event that you know the outcome could have been different than it was.

You know…

2. When we sense danger, it is a time for help.

When we know there is something wrong with us physically, we go to a doctor for help.

When we know that we are having trouble solving a conflict with someone, we go to a counselor for help.

When we have legal problems, we go to a lawyer for help.

When we break down on the highway, we call a tow truck for help.

But please understand this…that no matter what kind of danger we are in, help is always available.

We discovered this two weeks ago when a great crowd had followed Jesus well into dinnertime.

ILL Notebook: Miracle (loafs and fishes)

It reminds me of…

[There is] a story of a little boy who is asked what His favorite Bible story is, and he replies, “I like the one where everybody just loafs and fishes.”

Well, that’s not quite how it went!

But it was about an unending supply of loaves and fish.

Jesus took five loaves and two fish and made a feast out of them for over 5000 people.

And there was more leftover than with which they started.

Now, having given a very brief context, we come to the events immediately following.

So…

3. In our text today, we will reveal five stages during the event of Jesus walking on the water.

OUR STUDY:

I. The first stage is PROPHET (14).

When the people saw the sign that he had done, they said, “This is indeed the Prophet who is to come into the world!"”

1. The people were pumped with excitement after Jesus fed them.

Many had been following after Him out of curiosity.

Some had been following Him out of desperation, hoping that somehow He could help them in their plight.

Others were following because it was their hope that Jesus was the Messiah—someone who would save them from the tyranny of Rome.

So Jesus goes about healing, and now feeding over 5000, the people are getting pumped.

Their enthusiasm is growing, not waning.

Jesus could be the ticket.

It was starting to make sense.

So…

2. The crowd concluded that Jesus is the Prophet (Deuteronomy 18:15).

Their thought process comes from Deuteronomy when Moses says…

The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your brothers — it is to him you shall listen…