Little faith and second thoughts
Matthew 14:13-31
It’s not uncommon to have total faith men. For example faith in a doctor’s skill, a airline pilots ability to safely and professionally perform his duties.
Just think about the possibilities of a man with unlimited confidence in God.
God wants us to be victors, not victims; to grow, not grovel; to soar, not sink; to overcome, not to be overwhelmed.
William Arthur Ward (1812-1882)
Matt 14:13-31 NIV
(After hearing of John death)
13 When Jesus heard what had happened, he withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place. Hearing of this, the crowds followed him on foot from the towns. 14 When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick.
15 As evening approached, the disciples came to him and said, "This is a remote place, and it’s already getting late. Send the crowds away, so they can go to the villages and buy themselves some food."
16 Jesus replied, "They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat."
17 "We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish," they answered.
18 "Bring them here to me," he said. 19 And he directed the people to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people. 20 They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. 21 The number of those who ate was about five thousand men, besides women and children.
22 Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd.
23 After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, 24 but the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it.
25 During the fourth watch of the night Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. 26 When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. "It’s a ghost," they said, and cried out in fear.
27 But Jesus immediately said to them: "Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid."
28 "Lord, if it’s you," Peter replied, "tell me to come to you on the water."
29 "Come," he said.
Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. 30 But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, "Lord, save me!"
31 Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. "You of little faith," he said, "why did you doubt?"
Life application
1. The disciples had not only witnessed a great miracle they participated in it. (feeding 5000)
2. Troubles, obstacles, cause us to change our focus from God, to the trouble around us.
3. We refocus on God, desire to use our faith, then see troubles, obstacles, and lose our focus again. We can become paralyzed with again fear.
Many fall victim to faithless worry!
Doubt, second thoughts, and small faith prevents us from seeing and thinking about, higher interests and duties.
Not simply that it pains us, but that it injures us.
Jesus does not advise freedom from anxiety merely on its own account, that we may have the satisfaction of being at peace.
He sees that worldly anxiety fills the mind and heart,-and so keeps out thoughts of the great purpose of life.
The Lord has helped us.
1 Samuel 7:12
God is with you wherever you go. On land or by sea, day or night, you never can be alone. It is impossible to journey out of your Father’s dominions (Ps. 139:8). You may dwell here or there, or you may live in a mansion or a hovel, and still you will be in your heavenly Father’s great house. His house is enormous. In My Father’s house are many mansions. (John 14:2).
God will provide all necessary things. You have had some hard pinches. You have suffered the bitterness of widowhood, or you are poor and the supply you receive is scant. Still, you are alive. Your food has been given to you and your water is sure (Is. 33:16). Your clothing is worn but not worn out. Thus far the Lord has helped you (1 Sam. 7:12). Jehovah-Jireh has been your song; the Lord has provided.
Little birds in the winter morning sit on bare branches and sing. Snow covers the ground, and they cannot tell where their breakfast will come from. Still, they sing and God provides. Seldom do you see a sparrow that died of hunger; generally, the birds of heaven are fed. Jesus said, Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they. (Matt. 6:26).
He has not, and He will not, let you want. Take His words as your assurance, Trust in the LORD, and do good; dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness. Delight yourself in the LORD, and He shall give you the desires of your heart. (Ps. 37:3¡V4).
The Power of Faith
Matthew 8:26 NIV
26 He replied, "You of little faith, why are you so afraid?" Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm.
Matthew 14:31 NIV
31 Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. "You of little faith," he said, "why did you doubt?"
When once a saint puts his confidence in the election of God, no tribulation or affliction can ever touch that confidence. When we realize that there is no hope of deliverance in human wisdom, or in human rectitude, or in anything that we can do . . . this is the finest cure for spiritual degeneration or spiritual sulks.
Oswald Chambers (1874-1917)
I. FAITH.
1. Its existence.
"If ye have faith." These words imply uncertainty.
Many people have much religion, but no faith.
They have a creed, but not faith.
They do not really and actively trust God.
Faith begins in us when we put our belief into action.
2. Its smallness.
It may be but as a grain of mustard seed. It is sad to think of its being so minute; certainly there is no virtue in its meagreness. Yet even a small faith may do great things if it is indeed a real faith.
The great question is not - How many things do we believe? but - How firm is our grasp upon the objects of faith?
3. Its life.
The mustard seed is better than a grain of sand. It is alive, and therefore it can grow. The living faith will not be always small. But even while it is small it is capable of wonderful. possibilities.
II. THE WORK OF FAITH.
Our confidence in Christ does not make us lazy, negligent, or careless, but, on the contrary, it awakens us, urges us on, and makes us active in living righteous lives and doing good. There is no self-confidence to compare with this.
Ulrich Zwingli (1484-1531)
1. An active work.
Christ here speaks of what faith does, and the author of the Epistle to the Hebrews recites achievements of faith (Heb 11.).
Faith not only affords shelter in trouble, it is an inspiration for service.
The man of faith is the man of action, for he has within him a fountain of energy.
It is, therefore, an utter mistake to suppose that "believing" is to be instead of "doing."
Faith is given to enable us to do great things which we could not accomplish without it.
2. A great work.
This small faith is to accomplish grand results. The mustard seed is to remove a mountain.
What it teaches is that faith can accomplish stupendous achievements, such as the strongest men’ would fail in attempting without it.
3. A work of removing difficulties.
The forerunner of Christ was to lower mountains in order to prepare the way for the King (Isa 40:4).
There are many hindrances in the path of Christian work. Some of these seem to be insuperable.
Sultans frown on the gospel; empires bar their gates against it.
But faith, working by prayer, has removed many such a mountain of difficulty, and it will do so again.
Does our faith inspire Confidence, and Purpose?
When Dr. Will H. Houghton was pastor of Calvary Baptist Church in New York City, a glib-tongued salesman came into his study and offered him some oil stocks that he said would make him a fortune. Dr. Houghton looked at the man and said in substance, "If this stock is as good as you say, why aren’t you rich? You come in here in a shabby suit, with shoes run down at the heels, and expect me to believe you represent a going concern? I suggest you get into some line of work that produces representatives who inspire more confidence in their product."
Look backward with gratitude and forward with confidence.
Believers eventually become achievers.
