We’re All In The Same Boat
Mark 6:45-51
Jesus Walks on Water
45 Immediately after this, Jesus made his disciples get back into the boat and head out across the lake to Bethsaida, while he sent the people home. 46 Afterward he went up into the hills by himself to pray.
47 During the night, the disciples were in their boat out in the middle of the lake, and Jesus was alone on land. 48 He saw that they were in serious trouble, rowing hard and struggling against the wind and waves. About three o’clock in the morning he came to them, walking on the water. He started to go past them, 49 but when they saw him walking on the water, they screamed in terror, thinking he was a ghost. 50 They were all terrified when they saw him. But Jesus spoke to them at once. “It’s all right,” he said. “I am here! Don’t be afraid.” 51 Then he climbed into the boat, and the wind stopped. They were astonished at what they saw.
As followers of Jesus Christ, we have been directed/commanded the direction for our life(Verse 45-The Disciples)
Isaiah 48:17
17 “The Lord, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel, says: I am the Lord your God, who teaches you what is good and leads you along the paths you should follow.
Have these commands been enforced upon us? No it is because of our love for Christ
2 Corinthians 5:14
14 Whatever we do, it is because Christ’s love controls us. Since we believe that Christ died for everyone, we also believe that we have all died to the old life we used to live.
We should rejoice that we have been given direction-because it is right!
Psalm 119:47,86,98,172
47How I delight in your commands! How I love them! 86All your commands are trustworthy. 98Your commands make me wiser than my enemies, for your commands are my constant guide. 172Let my tongue sing about your word, for all your commands are right.
As Christians, what is our greatest commandment?
Matthew 22:38-40
37 Jesus replied, “ ‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 All the other commandments and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.”
The Church Body(Verse 47-The Boat)
1 Corinthians 12:12-13
One Body with Many Parts
12 The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up only one body. So it is with the body of Christ. 13 Some of us are Jews, some are Gentiles, some are slaves, and some are free. But we have all been baptized into Christ’s body by one Spirit, and we have all received the same Spirit.
Each part of the Body has it’s role. All of the gifts present in the Body are for the benefit of 1)The Kingdom 2)The Body itself
1 Corinthians 12:27-31
27 Now all of you together are Christ’s body, and each one of you is a separate and necessary part of it. 28 Here is a list of some of the members that God has placed in the body of Christ:
first are apostles,
second are prophets,
third are teachers,
then those who do miracles,
those who have the gift of healing,
those who can help others,
those who can get others to work together,
those who speak in unknown languages.
29 Is everyone an apostle? Of course not. Is everyone a prophet? No. Are all teachers? Does everyone have the power to do miracles? 30 Does everyone have the gift of healing? Of course not. Does God give all of us the ability to speak in unknown languages? Can everyone interpret unknown languages? No! 31 And in any event, you should desire the most helpful gifts.
Apostles-Furthering the advancement of the word and the mission
Definition-One sent on a mission. Has a message and is authorized to act on behalf of the sender. Jesus himself, was an apostle sent by God
Hebrews 3:1;2
3 And so, dear brothers and sisters who belong to God and are bound for heaven, think about this Jesus whom we declare to be God’s Messenger and High Priest. 2 For he was faithful to God, who appointed him, just as Moses served faithfully and was entrusted with God’s entire house.
Prophets-Bring Gods message to earth
Teachers-Teach the Word of God
Miracles-Show Gods power and glory. The disciples performed miracles all through the Book of Acts
Healing-Reveal Gods glory to believer and unbeliever alike
Why would God heal a unbeliever? So that they may know him
(Acts 9 Pauls conversion on Rd to Damascus)
Help others-Spiritual mentors
Administration/Organization-Getting the Body to work together
Tounges-Spiritual Laungauge
(Mark 16-Those that believe)
All of these things are “Gifts of The Spirit” or “Spiritual Gifts”
(Romans 12, 1 Corinthians 12, Ephesians 4) Not all gifts are listed above
(The Humans Body-Homeostasis)
(God knows what The Church Body needs)
1Peter 4:10-11
10 God has given gifts to each of you from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Manage them well so that God’s generosity can flow through you. 11 Are you called to be a speaker? Then speak as though God himself were speaking through you. Are you called to help others? Do it with all the strength and energy that God supplies. Then God will be given glory in everything through Jesus Christ. All glory and power belong to him forever and ever. Amen.
The Body can heal itself through prayer. We are to always pray for each other
James 5:13-16
The Power of Prayer
13 Are any among you suffering? They should keep on praying about it. And those who have reason to be thankful should continually sing praises to the Lord.
14 Are any among you sick? They should call for the elders of the church and have them pray over them, anointing them with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And their prayer offered in faith will heal the sick, and the Lord will make them well. And anyone who has committed sins will be forgiven.
16 Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and wonderful results.
The Church must come together to worship and pray for each other
Hebrews 10:25
25 And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage and warn each other, especially now that the day of his coming back again is drawing near.
Galatians 6:2
2 Share each other’s troubles and problems, and in this way obey the law of Christ.
Our Lives/Our Journey-The Lake(Verse 47)
James 1:5-8
5 If you need wisdom—if you want to know what God wants you to do—ask him, and he will gladly tell you. He will not resent your asking. 6 But when you ask him, be sure that you really expect him to answer, for a doubtful mind is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. 7 People like that should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. 8 They can’t make up their minds. They waver back and forth in everything they do.
Don’t doubt God when he answers a prayer
Don’t doubt God when he opens a door for your
Don’t question God when he closes a door
The Middle of The Lake(Verse 47)
Turning point of our lives or crisis
Deuteronomy 4:31
30 “When those bitter days have come upon you far in the future, you will finally return to the Lord your God and listen to what he tells you. 31 For the Lord your God is merciful—he will not abandon you or destroy you or forget the solemn covenant he made with your ancestors.
God will not abandon you. He will help you at the turning point
Jeremiah 3:21-22
21 Voices are heard high on the windswept mountains, the weeping and pleading of Israel’s people. For they have forgotten the Lord their God and wandered far from his ways.
22 “My wayward children,” says the Lord, “come back to me, and I will heal your wayward hearts.”
“The Middle of The Lake.” We can either turn around and go back or press forward.
(Verse 48) 3 am is the darkest part of the night. This is when it is the easiest time to give up. This is when we could simply stop rowing and coast along with the tide. If we are coasting, it means we are making no effort to head in any direction. He sees that we are in trouble. He sees that we cant go on. This is when Jesus comes to meet us. At our darkest hour, in our biggest storm, he comes to quiet the storm.
Matthew 8:23-27
Jesus Calms the Storm
23 Then Jesus got into the boat and started across the lake with his disciples. 24 Suddenly, a terrible storm came up, with waves breaking into the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. 25 The disciples went to him and woke him up, shouting, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!”
26 And Jesus answered, “Why are you afraid? You have so little faith!” Then he stood up and rebuked the wind and waves, and suddenly all was calm. 27 The disciples just sat there in awe. “Who is this?” they asked themselves. “Even the wind and waves obey him!”
You may think you can’t go on-God gives us strength and courage to endure
Psalm 18:32
32God arms me with strength; he has made my way safe.
Psalm 27:1
1The Lord is my light and my salvation—so why should I be afraid? The Lord protects me from danger—so why should I tremble?
Psalm 56:3
3But when I am afraid, I put my trust in you.
The Storms of Life(Verse 48)
We will face storms in our lives
John 16:33
33 I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”
Facing storms builds character
James 1:2-4
Faith and Endurance
2 Dear brothers and sisters, whenever trouble comes your way, let it be an opportunity for joy. 3 For when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. 4 So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be strong in character and ready for anything.
God will reward us for enduring these storms
James 1:12
12 God blesses the people who patiently endure testing. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.
God is with us during the storms
Psalm 34:17
17The Lord hears his people when they call to him for help. He rescues them from all their troubles. 18The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those who are crushed in spirit. 19The righteous face many troubles, but the Lord rescues them from each and every one.
(Illustration)
The early American Indians had a unique practice of training young braves.
On the night of a boy’s thirteenth birthday, after learning hunting, scouting, and fishing skills, he was put to one final test.
He was placed in a dense forest to spend the entire night alone.
Until then, he had never been away from the security of the family and tribe.
But on this night, he was blindfolded and taken several miles away.
When he took off the blindfold, he was in the middle of a thick woods, in pitch black darkness and he was terrified.
Every time a twig snapped, he visualized a wild animal ready to pounce.
After what seemed like an eternity, dawn broke and the first rays of sunlight entered the interior of the forest.
Looking around, the boy saw flowers, trees, and the outline of a path.
Then to his utter astonishment, he beheld the figure of a man standing just a few feet away, armed with bow and arrow.
It was his father.
He had been there all night long....
God watches over us even when we don’t know it
(Late for work?-Car wreck in front of you)
(Didn’t get job a plant?-plant caught on fire following month)
When we face storms in our lives, we must ask God 2 questions
-Teach me what I need to learn from this
-Rescue me from this
Bethsaida-Our Destination(Verse 45)
Bethsaida was the disciples destination. We have a destination also-HEAVEN
Luke 18:18,22,23
18 Once a religious leader asked Jesus this question: “Good teacher, what should I do to get eternal life?”22 “There is still one thing you lack,” Jesus said. “Sell all you have and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” 23 But when the man heard this, he became sad because he was very rich.
Why did Jesus tell the man this? Because it tells us we will have to give up everything important to us to follow him and get to heaven.
Coming to Christ is free, staying with him and going to heaven will cost you.
This doesn’t mean we have to come to him in perfect condition. We can come just as we are.
Heaven rejoices when a sinner repents
Luke 15:7
7 In the same way, heaven will be happier over one lost sinner who returns to God than over ninety-nine others who are righteous and haven’t strayed away!
As members of The Body, we will see the New Heaven
2 Peter 3:13
13 But we are looking forward to the new heavens and new earth he has promised, a world where everyone is right with God.
Revelation 21:1
21 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the old heaven and the old earth had disappeared. And the sea was also gone.
The beauty of the world is Gods daily picture for all of us both believer and unbeliever
Psalm 19:1-4
1The heavens tell of the glory of God. The skies display his marvelous craftsmanship.
2Day after day they continue to speak; night after night they make him known.
3They speak without a sound or a word; their voice is silent in the skies;
4yet their message has gone out to all the earth, and their words to all the world. The sun lives in the heavens where God placed it.
The Wind-Opposition(Verse 48)
As followers of Christ we will face opposition
Luke 10:16
16 Then he said to the disciples, “Anyone who accepts your message is also accepting me. And anyone who rejects you is rejecting me. And anyone who rejects me is rejecting God who sent me.”
Who will oppose us?
Family, Friends, The World, Other Denominations or Religions
We should not hate those who oppose us
Proverbs 10:12
12 Hatred stirs up quarrels, but love covers all offenses.
Rowing-Our efforts(Verse 48)
We are not saved by our own efforts, we are saved by Gods grace alone
Ephesians 2:8,9
8 God saved you by his special favor when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. 9 Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it
Because we are saved we should do great works, we don’t do great works in order to be saved
Ephesians 2:10
10 For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so that we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.
James 2:14,17
14 Dear brothers and sisters, what’s the use of saying you have faith if you don’t prove it by your actions? That kind of faith can’t save anyone. 17 So you see, it isn’t enough just to have faith. Faith that doesn’t show itself by good deeds is no faith at all—it is dead and useless.
Our works will be judged
1 Corinthians 3:13-15
13 But there is going to come a time of testing at the judgment day to see what kind of work each builder has done. Everyone’s work will be put through the fire to see whether or not it keeps its value. 14 If the work survives the fire, that builder will receive a reward. 15 But if the work is burned up, the builder will suffer great loss. The builders themselves will be saved, but like someone escaping through a wall of flames.
As followers of Jesus Christ we are all in the same boat with the same destination-Heaven. We must work together to reach our destination. At our darkest hours Jesus will come to us to quiet the storms we face. God watches over us and protects even when we cannot see him. He will make it possible to reach our destination. It is up to us however, to begin the journey.
