Now it came to pass on a certain day, that he went into a ship with his disciples: and he said unto them, Let us go over unto the other side of the lake. And they launched forth. In other words, He went into a ship with his disciples, and they moved from where they were out into the deep.
If we were to really look at this, the ship represents our lives, our destination, and the course of our lives. As one songwriter put it, “The soul of a man is like a ship that sails on the sea of time”.
However, we’ve got to know that whenever Jesus enters the ship he changes the courses of things; whenever Jesus entered the ship immediately he gives it a purpose, a direction and a destination.
And I just want to know this morning: Is there anybody here that remembers when Jesus got into your ship? Is there anybody here that remembers when he changed your course? It is important to know because when Jesus enters your ship, if you allow him to be your captain, and I promise you that he will change your course.
Because before Jesus we were lost, we were drifting, we were bound, and we were on your way to a devils hell. But one day as we found our way to an old fashion altar, and the captain Jesus came on board. And then he washed us in his blood, delivered us, put his spirit and his anointing in us and, he then gave us a purpose and a new destination. Does anybody remember when Jesus got on board? It should be a day that you should always remember and the reason I asked, is because, as soon as Jesus enters the ship he gave them a Word: he gave them a prophetic Word, he gave them a Word that was predictive, and that Word carried the spirit of destiny in it. And that Word said that you are going somewhere. Where are we going Jesus, he said over to the other side.
Has anyone received a Word that you’re going somewhere?
Has anyone received a Word that has pointed you toward something greater than what you have?
Has anyone received a Word that has stirred your faith, a Word that woke you up in the middle of the night. just to carry you through the day?
Tell your neighbor: I’ve got a word
Look at this; they received a Word of destiny that assured them of his presence with them.
Somebody said: I heard a Word, but I couldn’t find God in it
I’m going to tell you something:
When God gives you a Word it carries his presence (I didn’t say it will always make you happy, and I didn’t say it will always make you feel good) but I said it will always carry his presence.
Moses said: in Exodus, 33:15 that if your presence don’t go with us, then do not take us up from this place. Where ever we go we meed the presences of the Lord.
And I think that I need to tell you all this morning that His presence and his Word goes together: and I know that people are sharing many thing with you these days, but I don’t care how religious it sounds or how appealing it is to your flesh or your desires, (the first thing you need to ask yourself is) does it carry his presence?
Because the Word of God that carries his presence has the same power to carry you. And if it has power carry you, then it has the same power to keep you. And if it keeps you, then it will direct you.
They got a Word of purpose that assured them of their destination.
May I tell you that that Word made them invincible, because when God gives a Word that you are going over to the other side it comes with an assurance.
Tell your neighbor: Hold on to your word.
Listen: I didn’t say that the Word guarantees you that you will have an easy life, and you will never have to go through any storms.
I said: The Word will carry through the storms; the Word will hold you up, and while you in the storm the Word will make you Unsinkable.
I wouldn’t be here today if it the Lord told me had not given me a Word of assurance.
*The enemy would have killed me, but I had what God told me.
*Situations would have sunk me, but I had what the Lord told me.
*Family turmoil and strife would have capsized my vessel.
*Attacks on my integrity and my character would have drowned me in a sea of despair.
*Depression and fear and anxiety would have swallowed me up, but I had what the Lord told me.
I’m telling you: Hold on to your Word
Your Word makes you fire proof. Ask the Hebrew boys.
Your Word makes you invincible, impregnable, indestructible, unsinkable, unbeatable, unconquerable and unshakable.
No matter where you are the Lord will be with you. Come here Isaiah. Isaiah 43:2 says “When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, (they shall not overflow thee): when thou (walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned;) neither shall the flame kindle”. I know that the devil says: Your gonna die, the doctors report says it’s (incurable) (terminal).
But the Word of God says: in Ps 118:17 I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the LORD.
In fact, the Word of God says in Isa 53:5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, bruised for our iniquities, the chastisement of our peace was upon him and with his stripes we are healed.
The devil says: that your ministry is over; you might as well throw in the towel: But Isaiah 43 and 19 reminds us that God said Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth.
The devil says: You’ll never see those children saved, you’re just wasting your time praying for them, they’re never going to serve the Lord.
But Isaiah 54:13 says: And (all thy children) not some of your children but all of your children, not a few but all. Yeah they might be in jail right now, yes they might be strung out right now, but the bible says, that they shall be taught of the LORD; and great shall be the peace of thy children.
So, here we see the disciples of Jesus sailing in the power of what the Lord had told them: And while they were sailing Jesus fell asleep and there came down a storm. There came (A whirlwind, a tempestuous wind, a violent attack of wind) Literally, it was as though somebody had painted a bulls eye on them and this storm violently attacked them.
It seems as though this storm was launched against them to destroy them.
Let me ask you a question: is there anyone in here that has ever felt like there’s a bull’s eye has been painted on your back and like the devil has singled you out, and like he’s concentrating extra measures, and extra opposition, and extra weapons of destruction on your life?
I remember in high school, some of the upper class mates would play tricks on the freshman class, and one of their favorites was to tape a sign to the back of a freshman that said: (please kick me). After three or four good swift kicks, (the freshman) would figure it out, something was drawn on them, to draw this unwanted attention to them. Have you ever felt like that? Like the devil has tape a note on your back, that said pick on me. Pick on me because I’m available.
If the answer is yes (you ought to be shouting and praising God right now, because the devil wouldn’t be focusing so much of his energy and his resources on you if you weren’t a threat to him.
You see, the devil heard your what God told you too: He knows you’re on your way to something: And that’s what keeps me moving: I know I’m on my way to something
I know that not going through this storm for nothing
I know that not going through this hell for nothing
I know that I’m not walking through these valley’s for nothing
I know that I’m going through, because I’m going to.
The fight isn’t about who you are today, or where you are today, the fight is about the Word God gave you. The fight is about your destiny that God is sending you too. You’re fight is about where you’re going and what you’re getting ready to do).
The greater the storm of your life, means the closer you are to your destiny.
Watch this: Joseph brothers wanted him dead, not just because he was their father’s favorite (but, because he had a dream, he had a Word, and a destiny, a future).
As long as you ain’t got nothing, and don’t want nothing, as long as you have no dreams, no visions, no passion, no aspirations to go anywhere or do anything (then you will have a lot of friends).
But as soon as you start dreaming of a better tomorrow, and as soon as you start prophesying your destiny, and it’s bigger than what your friends can see, it’s bigger than they can handle, they will try to discourage you, and talk you out of your destiny.
And if you won’t sale out, and won’t forfeit your dreams, and settle back into a life of mediocrity and religious expectation, then you become a threat to them, and they will turn on you and try to destroy you. I’m telling you that you need to examine your friendship circle. You need friends that believe in you, and what God is doing in you.
You’ve got to know that people are either wind in your sails or weights around your neck. They are either the wind beneath your wings or they are wing clippers.
These disciples were moving in their Word, sailing in the spirit of destiny and purpose and they were attacked. We understand that now, and we have come to grips with that now, and we realize that our Word makes us a target for the enemy, and it puts us in his line of fire.
But here’s the part that makes it really hard even for the most spiritual, most anointed, most mature believer to get with and that is verse 23. Vs 23 says (Jesus fell asleep).
Have you ever felt like God did this great thing in your life, stirred you up, gave you this great powerful Word of destiny (and then he just went to sleep and forgot about you?)
As though he just laid there, and let the devil beat up on you (let people lie on you, cheat on you, persecute you, criticize you, steal from you, ignore you, overlook you, underestimate you?
Come on: I’m trying to talk to some real people in the house.
I want to talk to some people that will just tell the truth.
Just because you’re called doesn’t mean you won’t ever have any troubles, just because you’re anointed doesn’t mean you won’t ever be lied on. It doesn’t mean that God is going to wrap you in 100 % cotton so your feelings never get hurt.
In fact, the more anointed you are, and the more of destiny that you embrace, and the more focused you become on fulfilling your purpose (the greater threat you are, and the greater the attacks will be against you).
But what you have to know is that The Lord is with you.
Tell your neighbor: It’s just part of the process.
I came to tell you this morning that God is not asleep, he has not forgotten you, if his eyes are on the sparrow then his eyes are on you.
He’s been watching you all through the process; he’s been in charge of the temperature.
He’s been controlling the speed of the wheel.
In fact, He saw that storm coming before it ever got to you and he filtered the storm through his hands of love so that it would not destroy you.
He pre-determined that this storm was not going to kill you.
He pre-determined that this storm was not going to sink you.
He pre-determined that this storm was not going to annihilate your ministry.
Before you ever entered the battle, He pre-determined that you had everything you need to conquer, you had everything you needed to put you over to come out on top.
Someone may ask how Jesus could sleep through the same storm that threw the disciples into hysterics panic.
The answer is: He believed the Word that he spoke.
He knew that the Word that came out of his mouth had the power to take them through anything, (he knew that his Word could not come back void, but that it would accomplish that which he spoke it do.
I wish I had some people in here that believed the Word:
You’re going through the storm of your life, but please believe the Word.
You’re going through the greatest fires of your life, still believe the Word
You are being tried in your ministry, your character, your reputation and your integrity are being attacked, but you believe the Word.
The bible says: They woke up Jesus. Their boat was filled with water.
That means doubt, worry, anxiety and stress, and all of the negative circumstances that surrounded trying to drown their faith and steal your Word.
As soon as Jesus wakes up he says: Where is your faith?
They had let the storm rob them of their faith in his word.
I don’t know what storms you may have went through or are going through right now, but I’m telling you (Hold onto your Word)
I’m reminded of a story about and the lone ranger, and his sidekick Tonto. We find them camped out in the desert at night, and they have just pitched their tent and they are in an open field lying on the ground in the middle of the night. Looking up at the bright stars that decorate the midnight sky, Tonto looks over at the lone ranger and said “kimosobe” – look up at the stars and tell me what you see.
After a long observation, the lone ranger finally responded. well Tonto when I look at the stars and consider them through the eyes of science:
I CAN SEE THAT THROUGH THE EYES OF:
• PSYCHOLOGY - Man has a long way to go
• PHYSIOLOGY - Man was created a little lower than the angels
• TECHNOLOGY - God’s thoughts are higher than man’s thoughts
• SOCIOLOGY – I see the Minuteness of man
• METEOROLOGY - Summer is ending and we are close to Autumn
• ESCHATOLOGY - About ELEVEN O‘CLOCK AT NIGHT
• THEOLOGY - God is in Control
Finally, the lone ranger looks over at Tonto and said, Tonto when you look up at the stars what do you see? Tonto said…“Kimosobe”, you dumb as buffalo when I look at the stars I realize that someone stole our tent!
What I’m trying to tell you all is that we have to be careful who eyes that we look through, and hold on to the Word that the Lord gave us.
If he says that we going to the other side, just get on the ship
If he says that you moving, just pack your bags
If he says that your day is going to be brighter just put on your shades because the sun is going to shine if you hold out.
How do you know Spies? Because one Friday evening he died, nut early one Sunday morning he got up with all Power in his hands.
