On The Horns Of A Dilemma

"ON THE HORNS OF A DILEMMA"

Matt 14:22-33

Speaking of Horns - I like what I heard one preacher says, "A lot of preaching is Long Horn preaching". A couple of points with a lot of bull in between. I hope my message this morning will not fall into that category.

We need to see the definition of the word "DELEMMA". The dictionary says, "A situation necessitating a choice between two disagreeable alternatives.

The disciples in this story were facing a Dilemma. It is easy to trust the Lord when we are sailing on the smooth sea of life and there are no clouds in view and the sun is shining and the birds are singing. But what about the storm?

B. I see on TV that one of the Oil Companies advertises their product as "TROUBLE FREE DRIVING". It just ain’t so.

I have a better one: "TROUBLE FREE LIVING" The only problem is that just is not so either.

C. I hear preachers that say, "When a person become a child of God, He or she never encounters any trouble thereafter or never faces a storm on the sea of life? IT IS A LIE - IT JUST IS NOT TRUE.

Psa 34:19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all.

D. God never promised us we would miss the storms of life only that he would get us safely through to the other side.

T/S This passage give us a clear picture of how we are to respond when we face a dilemma. There are 8 tremendous facts about the DILEMMA the DISCIPLES FACED IN THIS PASSAGE OF SCRIPTURE.

I. THEY WERE RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE WILL OF GOD WHEN THIS DELEMA CAME.

V-22 And straightway Jesus constrained his disciples to get into a ship, and to go before him unto the other side, while he sent the multitudes away.

A. Notice the word "Constrained". That means that Jesus COMPELLED them to get in that boat and go to the other side. They were doing exactly what Jesus told (actually insisted) them to do when the Crisis came. Jesus sent them into the storm.

B. I don’t believe they wanted to go. They had just witnessed the feeding of the 5,000. Each Apostle had a basket of food (No preacher wants to leave when there is food around). That place had seen a miracle and the glory of God was all over the place and they didn’t want to leave and go anywhere.

However, while they were doing just what Jesus had told them to do - they hit a storm.

C. The Apostle Paul is a great example of this. When he was in Galatia - things was going great. People were being saved. Churches was being established. Everyone was saying, "Boy, Paul is the most wonderful preacher in the world.". Then Paul had the Macedonian Vision. Surly they will be waiting on the shore with signs "Please share the gospel with us - we need to be saved."

They dragged him outside the city and stoned him.

D. THE WINDS WERE CONTRARY. It was coming right in their face. There was strong opposition to them going and doing what Jesus had told them to do. (A REAL LESSON IN LIFE). If you go to where Jesus has told you to go there will be opposition.

The reason some people don’t have any opposition in their life is they are going the same way the devil is going.

SO THEY WERE RIGHT IN THE CENTER OF THE WILL OF GOD WHEN THE CRISIS CAME.

II. THERE DILEMMA LASTED FOR SOME TIME.

A. It was about 1 pm when Jesus put them on the boat and it was aprox. 3-4 am the next morning when he came to them walking on the water. That means that spent about 12 hours in the storm before He came and calmed it.

B. Have you ever spent 12 hours on an angry sea? First, you are afraid you might die - then you are afraid you won’t die.

My wife and I love to cruise. We have taken several cruises. Some of the folks in our church got interested in going on a cruise with us. So, . . . we put together and 7 day cruise down to Mexico. There were some of our members who said, "We are afraid to go out to sea because it will get sea sick." I told them, "Those cruise ship are so big that if you did not look out – you would think you were sitting in your living room. You can hardly feel them move."

Well, they signed up and the first night out of port, we hit a storm. People were getting sick all over the ship. Some of them said, "You lying preacher". Thank God, after the first night it was smooth sailing all the rest of the trip.