The Navy branch ... of the service ... called the "Seabees" ... had a unique slogan ... during World War II, (Pause)
"If it's difficult, ... it will take a day or two.
If it's impossible, ... it will take a little longer." (Pause)
It seems to me ... there are a number of spiritual truths ... that we can glean from the Scriptures ... when attempting ... the impossible.
Hear again our Text ... this time from Mark's telling:
BIBLE "And about the fourth watch of the night ... he (Jesus) came to them, ... walking on the sea. ... He meant to pass by them, ... but when they saw him ... walking on the sea ... they thought it was a ghost, ... and cried out, ... for they all saw him ... and were terrified. But immediately he spoke to them and said, ... "Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid." END (Mark 6:48-50)
In Matthew's telling ... we are informed as to ... what happened next: Hear God's Word:
BIBLE 28 And Peter answered him, "Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water." 29 He said, "Come." So, Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus." END (Matthew 14:27-33)
Beloved ... we do not know all the words ... that were spoken between Jesus and Simon that night ...or in fact ... all the words spoken between Jesus and any of his disciples.
John in his Gospel informs us "... if all the words of Christ were written down, ... perhaps even the world could not contain all the books that would be written. (John 21:25).
Therefore, ... it is feasible ... that the other disciples ...those that Peter called friends ... would have offered their advice to him ... as he was about to step out ... on the water.
You can almost picture them saying, ... "No one has ever done that, Simon, ... Don't be a show-off, Peter.
It is more sensible to stay in the boat, ... Simon.
You're going to get sick or break a leg if you do that."
My mother would have said that.
Beloved ... if you are going to attempt the impossible, ... there will always be detractors ... even from family ... and often ... from those whom you call ... friends.
And I have found ... they will give you their advice ... whether they know what they are talking about ... or not.
Do Not get counsel from your detractors (Matthew14:25-27)
So, First Truth: ... Seek Spiritual Advice from Spiritually mature Christians.
Albert Einstein ... had difficulty speaking until he was four years old ... and did not read ... until he was seven.
Beethoven's music teacher said: .... "As a composer, ... he is hopeless."
When Thomas Edison was a young boy, ... his teachers said he was so stupid ... he could never learn anything.
Walt Disney was once fired by a newspaper editor ... because he was thought to have ... quote ... "no good ideas."
Caruso was told by one music teacher, ... "You cannot sing. ... You have no voice at all."
These are but a few individuals who achieved recognition and success in their lives ... despite ... Yes despite ... the negativism ... and the criticism ... of others.
They refused to say, ... "I can't."
Job ... as we know from the Scriptures ... also received advice.
He was advised ... to curse his God ... because of the difficult trials ... he experienced .... yet he never entertained it.
(1 Finger) Do not get counsel from your detractors ... seek advice ... from spiritually Mature Christians.
(2 Fingers) Second Spiritual Truth: Do not attempt the impossible in your strength.
Hear God's Word: BIBLE "And Peter answered Him and said, "Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water." And He said... "Come!" END (Matthew 14:28-29)
Beloved ... "A burning desire ... is the starting point ... of all achievement."
If you ... or I have a burning desire ... to do the impossible, ... well ... we have started down the path ... to accomplish it.
But since it is spiritual ... we should never convince ourselves ... that we can do it ... in our own strength ... in our own power.
(Slow) Peter had a burning desire ... which became faith ...through Jesus' ... command.
Let me Repeat that:
You may be asking... Jeff what do you mean by that?
Well thank you for asking.
Hear God's Word and promise to us:
BIBLE "Faith comes by ... hearing, ... and hearing ...by the word of God." END (Romans 10:17)
Faith comes by what? Hearing!
And Hearing by ... The Word of God.
There are two Greek words ... translated "word" in the Scriptures.
The two Greek words are ... "logos" and "Rhema.
And Jesus ... the word made flesh ... clearly encompasses both.
Though at times these words are interchanged, ... generally ... Logos is described as the general word, .... the general knowledge of God ... while Rhema is much different.
In this Scripture passage from Romans ... "Faith Comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God" .... The Greek "word" used ... is not logos, ... but Rhema.
Faith specifically comes by hearing the ... Rhema of God.
Logos has been defined as "the written or said word of God," and Rhema as "the saying, ... the action word of God."
Rhema in a way ... is the Faithing word of God!
That is God giving, ... a specific word ... to a specific person ... for a specific situation.
Faith comes by Rehma.
And the writer of Hebrews also informs us .... that without faith ... it is impossible to ... please Him. (Hebrews 11:6)
Faith comes by hearing ... and hearing by the word, .... the Rehma of God.
Peter never walked on the water because of logos, because of a general knowledge ... of God.
No, Peter required that Christ give him a specific word:
Peter asked, ... "Lord if it is you, command me to come."
And Jesus replied, What ... "Come."
The word Christ gave to Peter became ... Rhema.
The word Christ gave brought forth ... action faith.
The word Christ gave brought forth .... Faithing.
Peter walked on the water because he had received Rhema. (Pause)
Beloved ... "Do not attempt the impossible ... in your own strength."
Remember: ... Simon did not just jump in the water; ... he waited for a word, ... a command ... he waited for Rhema. (Pause)
I have read this passage...so many times ... and for years missed a great spiritual truth.
We are told that the disciples are ... "straining at the oars."
This Greek word translated "straining" ... has its basis ... in what we would call a ... "torturous test.
By this time (the fourth watch), ... between 3am and 6am, ... the disciples had been fighting the contrary winds of this storm ... for 6-10 hours.
This was a fierce storm ... this was a wicked storm.
Beloved note this ... remember this ... (Slow) Our Lord's voice ... could be heard ... above the storm.
REPEAT
Beloved ... no storm ... no turmoil ... no tortuous test ... in our life ... is too great ... for our Lord.
No matter how dramatic ... the storm may be ... his voice can be heard ... and his Rhema ... can be received.
David went to face Goliath in the Valley.
David may have been small ... but his God, ... Our God ... is an over-comer.
There is no storm, ... there is no Goliath ... that is too large or too powerful ... for our God to overcome.
(1 Finger) Do not get counsel from your detractors ... seek advice ... from spiritually Mature Christians.
(2 Fingers) Second Truth: Do not attempt the impossible in your strength. (Pause)
Now ... A mule ... is a cross between ... a male donkey ...known as a jack or jackass and a female horse.
Therefore (3 Fingers) the third spiritual truth is this:
When attempting the impossible... you must get your mule ... out of the boat.
Peter received a word ... a command from the Lord ... and he got his rear-end out of the boat ... and walked ... walked on the water. (Matthew 14:29)
Beloved Simon Peter ... (Slow & Powerful) turned his faith ... into Faithing ... and Faithing requires you to do something.
Faithing requires action.
Perhaps ... this is the most important ... of the strategic truths.
For Beloved ... If you do not get out of the boat, ... you will never ... ever ... walk on water. REPEAT
Doing what seems to be impossible ... can never be a reality ... unless ... you get out of the boat.
Far too many people ... even those that call themselves followers of the Christ ... never leave the boat.
They never act on God's word.
They never share the gifts ... the vision ... that God has in store for them.
They stay in their little boat ... and complain ... as they strain ... on the oars.
They buy into Satan's lies ... and stay busy with earthly things ... and do very little ... if anything ... in the spiritual realm ... the realm ... of the impossible.
Beloved, ... Hear me on this ... You cannot be fully transformed ... into the image of Christ ... if you are sitting ... in a boat.
There is no Christian Faith ... without action.
There is none.
Or as the Scriptures state: Faith without works is dead. (James 2:20)
Without action, ... you have a dead faith.
Simon Peter requested the Lord to command him.
And the Lord gave him a simple ... straight forward command ... "Come."
Beloved ... With Faith, ... With faith ... nothing is Impossible!
Beloved ... (Slow & powerful) get out of your comfort zone ... get out of the boat ...
You ... You must take that first step.
Final Truth: Do not focus ... on the circumstances:
BIBLE "But seeing the wind, he became afraid, and beginning to sink, he cried out, saying, "Lord, save me!" And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and took hold of him, and said to him, "O you of little faith, why did you doubt?" END (Matthew 14:30-32)
When Simon Peter requested Jesus to command him ... he did not let his mind ... or his attitude ...dwell on the circumstances.
Beloved ... Circumstances will never be totally right; ... there is always some reason ... why one should not attempt ... the spiritual.
So ... when attempting the impossible, ... focus your eyes ... upon Jesus!
And Simon did initially ... but then he began to look at the turmoil around him ... and he started to sink.
Peter took his eyes off Jesus.
You see, ... as long as Simon kept his eyes on Jesus, ... he was fine, ... but when he began to pay more attention to the wind and waves ... well ... he began to sink.
Beloved ... May we learn ... from Simon's experience.
When he began to sink Simon called out to the Lord "Save Me" ... and we are told ... Immediately ... without hesitation ... Jesus ... did two things.
First, He stretched out his hand ... and then Secondly ... he took hold ... of him.
Praise God ...Jesus saved us, ... and he continually saves us.
Now Some may criticize Simon, ... I am sure the other disciples did.
Yet Beloved ... other than our Lord ... Peter walked on water ... further than anyone else ... in history.
Peter ... acted on Rhema ... and took that first step.
He got out of the boat.
(1 Finger) Beloved ... Do not get counsel from your detractors. Seek counsel ... from those with Spiritual Maturity.
(2 Fingers) Do not attempt the impossible in your strength. Act on the Lord's commands.
(3 Fingers) Do not stay in the boat.
(4 Fingers) Do not focus on the circumstances.
Beloved ... Stay focused on the calling ... that God has given you.
Focus on the Rhema ... that God is sharing with you.
Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Rhema of God.
And without Faith ... without Rhema ...it is impossible to please him.
Beloved it is time to be mature in the Faith.
It is time Focus on the one we call Lord.
It is time to ... Focus on Jesus.
To be engulfed ... in His Glory and Grace.
(Sing)
Turn your eyes upon Jesus.
Look full in his wonderful face.
And the things of Earth ... Will grow strangely dim.
In the light of his glory and grace.
Amen and Amen!
This Message is based on a Sermon by Joel Santos Titled "Attempting The Impossible For God" and I commend it to you.
Help: I retired in November 2017 and am attempting to supplement my income by sharing on Sermoncentral. If this Message has been helpful to you, please consider a nominal donation: Send to The Rev. Jeff Smead 11725 Regent Park Drive Chardon Ohio 44024. Blessed To Be A Blessing.
Dear Reader: So I can better help you, if this Message was not helpful and you rated it low, Please let me know what it lacked or why it was not helpful. You can search by contributor Smead (Constructive Criticism is very helpful) and contact me there. Blessings in Christ. Jeff
