ROWING BUT NOT GOING
Mark 6;45 -52
Mark 6:45 And straightway he constrained his disciples to get into the ship, and to go to the other side before unto Bethsaida, while he sent away the people. 46 And when he had sent them away, he departed into a mountain to pray. 47 And when even was come, the ship was in the midst of the sea, and he alone on the land. 48 And he saw them toiling in rowing; for the wind was contrary unto them: and about the fourth watch of the night he cometh unto them, walking upon the sea, and would have passed by them.
49 But when they saw him walking upon the sea, they supposed it had been a spirit, and cried out: 50 For they all saw him, and were troubled. And immediately he talked with them, and saith unto them, Be of good cheer: it is I; be not afraid. 51 And he went up unto them into the ship; and the wind ceased: and they were sore amazed in themselves beyond measure, and wondered. 52 For they considered not the miracle of the loaves: for their heart was hardened. (KJV)
To be in this kind of situation is a horrible situation to be in.
Not backslid, not given up on the Lord,
Not throwing in the towel.
BUT REALLY, NOT MAKING ANY HEADWAY FOR TOWARD GOD.
I’ve been there. We all go through these times in our lives.
It seems like we pray about it, you listen to the preaching, you read books about it, and you’ve tried to figure it out, AND YOU STILL SEEM TO BE STUCK
AND YOU ARE TRYING TO SERVE THE LORD.
Spiritually, it seems like you are aching to move up and go on with the Lord.
And right now maybe you’re troubled about it, maybe you feel like you are in God’s will, but there are some problem areas, some situation that is holding you back, and you just can’t seem to go on for the Lord.
YOU ARE ROWING, BUT NOT GOING ANYWHERE.
THAT’S WHAT I WANT TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT TODAY.
First, we need to look at the background of this verse of scripture.
On this particular day, the Lord had gone into a desert place, and he had been preaching and teaching and training and ministering and healing them.
And after a long day, he went away across the sea of Galilee to rest with his disciples.
The people saw where he was going, and they ran around the lake, and met him at the other side.
And the Bible says that he was moved with compassion for them and he began to minister to them.
Later that day, evening was coming on, and the disciples came to him telling him to send the crowd away, for they were hungry, and there was no food.
Andrew brought a young man forward, who had packed his lunch.
All he had was a couple of fish and a few biscuits.
Jesus told the disciples to have the crowd sit down in groups, that he was going to feed them from the boys lunch box.
He blessed the food, and he broke it, and handed it to the disciples telling them to feed the people.
That is important to note, he blessed the food and brake it, but as the disciples began to distribute the food, it multiplied.
The miracle came from the Holy Spirit, but it was manifested through the hands of the disciples!
Thousands of people where fed, and there were 12 baskets left over.
And the people rejoiced!
I mean they shouted!
Can you imagine if this happened out here on our Church lawn?
They’d hear the shouting in town!
Now anyway, you get the picture.
Jesus had taught them.
He had preached to them.
He had healed the sick, and then they had all just witnessed one of the greatest miracles, and filled their bellies from the miracle.
Get this picture…
THEY’VE ALL GOT THE VICTORY.
IT WAS A WONDERFUL CHURCH SERVICE!
But then Jesus says to his disciples, get in the boat and row to the other side, and I will meet you there. I need to stay here and disperse the crowds, and pray for awhile.
Now, did the Lord know that a storm was going to blow up in the middle of the night?
YES, HE DID. HE IS OMNISCIENT, AND HE KNOWS EVERYTHING.
AND THE LORD...SENT THEM INTO THE STORM!!!
Knowing what was going to happen, he sent them into the storm.
You see, Jesus was going to test their faith.
The Lord knew that anybody could shout and have faith when you are looking at a miracle...
Anyone can shout when the Holy Ghost is moving...
But how good is it when the church service is over.... and the Spirit’s not moving, and there is nobody to sing and nobody to preach and nobody to lay hands on you....
HOW GOOD IS YOUR FAITH THEN?
Well, the Lord says get in the boat and go across, knowing what is going to happen.
He was going to try their faith.
I wonder today… can we all be faithful in the middle of the storm?
There have been many storms that I’ve been through, AND I’LL BE HONEST WITH YOU.... I DIDN’T MAKE IT!
I’M BEING HONEST.
THERE HAVE BEEN TIMES I DIDN’T MAKE IT.
THE LORD PUT ME IN A TRIAL OF MY FAITH, AND I JUST DIDN’T MAKE IT THROUGH.
That is the reason why I wanted to talk with you about this today.
The disciples got in the boat, not knowing what was going to happen, and headed for the other side of the Sea, and Jesus went unto the mountain to pray.
I want you to know something.... KEEP THIS IN MIND THROUGHOUT THIS MESSAGE…
Although he was on the mountain, and they were on the sea, which is eight miles across...THEY NEVER LEFT HIS MIND OR SIGHT!
NOT ONCE!
HE KNEW WHERE THEY WERE.
HE KNEW WHO WAS PICKING UP THE OARS.
HE KNEW WHO SAT WHERE, AND HE KNEW WHEN THE STORM BLEW UP
HE WAS WATCHING THEM WHILE HE WAS PRAYING TO THE FATHER.
HE HAD THEM ON HIS MIND.
And sometimes we think the Lord doesn’t know what we are going through.
It seems like the storms are so strong and the temptation is so heavy, and the problems are so severe that God certainly doesn’t know where we are or what we are going through.
But I want to tell you something this morning....
IT DOESN’T MATTER IF THERE IS A PACK OF DEMONS ALL AROUND YOU...THE LORD STILL KNOWS WHERE YOU ARE, AND WHAT YOU ARE GOING THROUGH.
IF YOU’LL JUST KEEP THAT IN MIND... GOD KNOWS WHAT I AM GOING THROUGH.
HE KNOWS WHAT THE DEVIL IS BRINGING AGAINST ME.
HE KNOWS WHAT IS HAPPENING IN MY SOUL.
YOU SEE, THE LORD IS ALWAYS LOOKING, AND HE IS ALWAYS FAITHFUL TO US!
But I wonder today, are we always faithful to him?
"God has not called us to be successful...
but he has called us to be faithful."
That means in the middle of the storm, God says, "I want you to be faithful to me, no matter how bad it gets,
how severe it may be,
BE FAITHFUL TO ME! HOLD ON TO ME!"
So, there they are...
I want you to get this....
THEY ARE IN GOD’S PERFECT WILL!
Not his permissive will, but in God’s perfect will.
Jesus himself told them to get in the boat and go.
So, there they were, in the center of God’s divine will, and a storm blows up.
I want you to understand something today...
Although you are in the center of God’s will, and living right, filled with the Holy Ghost.... YOU WILL STILL FACE TRIALS!
1Pet 4:12 Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:
1Pet 4:13 But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy. (KJV)
He said, Don’t think it strange when the devil comes against you.
People say, well, I’ve been having a lot of trouble lately; I guess I’ve drifted away from God… I guess I’ve backslid.
NO YOU HAVEN’T!
You are going to be tempted and tried.
You’re going to have it hard sometimes.
He said, Know that you are going to be ...but rejoice in as much as you are partakers in Christ’s sufferings and as he was tried and as he was tempted, so are you.
But not only his sufferings, but we have the power of his resurrection to get us through in the middle of the storm!
Now, there are the disciples....
In the boat, sailing across the sea....
And the Bible says an unexpected storm blew up.
I think those are the worst kind of storms.
The one that you don’t know is coming, and all of a sudden , there it is.
I know, and I live with the constant pressure and reality that my life can change with just one phone call.
Did you know that?
AND YOURS CAN TOO!
But with me, the statistics show that for every person you have sitting in your congregation, you’ve got at least 5 more that you’ve got to pastor, somewhere back at home.
In one way or another, you will pastor them at some point or another.
Now, I am not complaining...It is just a fact, that someone is going to call needing the pastor to come visit a sick mother, sister or whoever.
And I know that with one phone call, my life could change for the next few days, weeks or even months to come, as we deal with the situation.
The point I want you to see is this...
Sometimes these things come unexpectedly.
There is a call of severe illness, a heart attack, a wreck or maybe even a death in a family....
And all my plans for the coming days or weeks get set aside, .....
You face similar situations...
But God says, "I WON’T PUT MORE ON YOU THAN YOU CAN STAND, ....
BUT BE READY.... CAUSE IT MAY COME AT ANY TIME."
Back to our text:
Here are the disciples, on the boat....Jesus is on the mountain praying.
It is between 3 and 6 in the morning… THE DARKEST PART OF THE NIGHT.
And John’s gospel says, "a great wind blew".
I want you to see this...
There are many times you are more vulnerable to an attack from Satan after the greatest spiritual victories we’ve ever had.
Did you know that? (Explain further)
Why?
Because the Devil does not want you to keep that victory long!
After you have been blessed, when you’ve been healed. When God has really touched you, and you’re on fire for God...
After you’ve sat in heavenly places on Sunday....
It all falls apart on Monday!
The devil will throw problems your way.
The car breaks down.
The boss is mad.
The child is sick....it could be anything, but the devil is going to try to bring you down.
It all seems to be coming unglued.
Can anybody relate?
GOD SAYS..."DON’T FORGET THE VICTORY."
Here are the disciples, out in the boat in the storm… and the Bible says, "They did not consider the miracle of the loaves and the fishes."
In other words, they forgot that they had just had the victory a few hours earlier.
God says, "you had the victory yesterday, you are going to have the victory today, and you’ll have victory tomorrow. JUST HOLD ON!"
Here the disciples are, they had a great day in the Lord....
BUT NOW IT’S DARK.
THE STORM WINDS ARE BLOWING STRONG.
THE WIND IS AGAINST THEM, AND THEY ARE ROWING AS HARD AS THEY CAN,
BUT THEY ARE NOT GOING ANYWHERE.
You say, "How can that happen?"
When problems like that happen, I find myself saying,
"I wish I could be in a camp meeting service right now".
Some say, " I wish I was at church. I wish the pastor was here."
IT IS EASIER TO LIVE RIGHT WHEN YOU ARE AT CHURCH.
IT IS EASY TO HAVE VICTORY WHEN EVERYTHING IS GOING GOOD.
BUT GOD SAYS, "I WANT TO SEE WHAT YOU ARE REALLY MADE OF".
It is time to see if you are living off somebody else’s testimony, or yesterday’s touch of victory.
DO YOU REALLY HAVE WHAT YOU SAY YOU’VE GOT!
So, the Lord puts us to the test, and he put the disciples to the test.
The Bible says that they had rowed about 25 -30 furlongs into the sea, when the storm hit.
That is about 4 miles.
Now remember the Sea of Galilee is about 8 miles across, so where were the disciples...
Right in the middle of the sea!
Did you notice when the storm hit them.
Right in the middle of the lake.
It was just as far to go back as it was to go forward!
WHAT THE LORD WAS TRYING TO TELL THEM, AND HE IS TRYING TO TELL US TODAY, IS
THAT YOU MIGHT AS WELL GO FORWARD.
IT DOESN’T TAKE ANY MORE EFFORT TO GO ON THAN IT WOULD TO TURN BACK AND QUIT!
TOO OFTEN, WE BACK UP....AND LOSE GROUND, OR MAYBE BACKSLIDE.
BUT GOD IS SAYING, YOU MIGHT AS WELL PRESS ON, AND GO ON WITH IT.
The disciples had dropped their sails, and were rowing.
The Bible says they "toiled" against the waves.
The Greek word here for toiled means, “tormented.”
They were tormented with the waves.
They were wearing themselves out trying to fight the waves, but they were not going anywhere.
They were panicking.... using all their might...
BUT THEY FORGOT THAT JESUS WAS JUST OVER ON THE SHORE, NOT FAR AWAY.
DID YOU KNOW THAT TODAY… WHAT EVER YOU ARE FACING, THE LORD IS RIGHT HERE!
HE IS NOT SOMEWHERE WAY UP IN THE SKY, BUT HE IS RIGHT HERE.
HE LIVES IN YOUR HEART…
They forgot about Jesus.....JUST LIKE WE DO!
We need to understand that there are some storms so strong and so heavy that no amount of rowing in what WE can do will ever get us through!
THERE ARE PROBLEMS ONLY GOD CAN SOLVE AND SOME OF US ARE WEARING OURSELVES OUT TRYING TO FIGURE THE WHOLE THING OUT.
HOW IN THE WORLD WILL I EVER GET THROUGH THIS ILLNESS....
.... THIS SITUATION...THIS PROBLEM...
AND YOU SIT AND WORRY AND FRET, AND IT IS CONSTANTLY ON YOUR MIND...IT IS TORMENTING YOU....
THE BIBLE SAYS THEY WERE TORMENTED IN THEIR ROWING.... DOING ALL THEY COULD DO...
THEN HERE COMES JESUS....
THEY DIDN’T RECOGNIZE HIM AT FIRST.
They almost missed him.
They thought he was another problem… a ghost!
I wonder, if we can be honest, how many times we have thought that going the house of God, going to church, was more of a problem.
I wonder how many times we have avoided God…
Thinking he would judge us, punish us…
Friends, God knows where you are, and he is simply waiting on you to stop rowing… to stop trying to do it your way and say, Lord, “I am rowing but not going… I need your help!”
Ask Him, He knows where you are and what your going through, ask Him.
Jesus will get you through your storm and see you safely to the other side…
