The first line of a well-known hymn says, “Jesus, lover of my soul, let me to Thy bosom fly. While the nearer waters roll, while the tempest still is high: Hide me, O my Savior, hide, till the storm of life is past. Safe into the haven guide; O receive my soul at last.”(1) Charles Wesley envisioned our life journey as a voyage on a ship that would be unsuccessful without Jesus on board.
In the Bible, Job compared the passing of life to floating on a very swift boat, for he said, “Now my days are swifter than a runner . . . They pass by like swift ships” (9:25-26). It is not at all surprising that the biblical writers, as inhabitants of the Mediterranean world including the Sea of Galilee, would sometimes use maritime imagery.
Whether you realize it or not, you are on a voyage through life. In the course of your life you will encounter both smooth sailing and tempestuous seas brought on by raging storms, or trials of life. You must realize that the Captain, Jesus Christ, is the only One who can pilot your boat safely into harbor.
There is a well-known bumper sticker that says, “God is my copilot,” but if the Lord is only your copilot and not your Pilot, and you have control of the wheel, then watch out! This morning you will learn that if you decide to take control of your own life and take the helm away from the true Captain, then this will only result in the sinking of your ship.
Here are some thought-provoking questions to consider as we go along: “Who is in control of your life? Who’s piloting your ship? Are you at the helm, or is God? Are you going your own way, or going God’s way?”(2) Keep these questions in mind as we view the Word of God, and be sure to ask the Lord to help you answer them by the end of this message.
You Should Rest When Jesus Rests (v. 15)
15 Therefore when Jesus perceived that they were about to come and take Him by force to make Him king, He departed again to the mountain by Himself alone.
Jesus had just performed a great miracle by feeding five thousand men (Jn 6:10) and an untold number of women and children. “Seeing this miraculous sign, the people recalled Moses’ prediction that a Prophet like him would arise [cf. Dt 18:15]. Moses had fed the people. Moses had led them out of bondage. Jesus had fed the people. Jesus could lead the people out of the hated Roman bondage. The people saw His sign, but they did not perceive its meaning. They wanted to seize [Jesus] and make Him King.”(3)
John Walvoord asks, “Could Jesus have gained the kingdom without the Cross? No. Jesus’ kingdom would be given to Him by the Father (Ps 2:7-12; Dn 7:13-14). It would not come from this world (Jn 18:36). The path of the Father’s will lies in another direction. Before He could be the reigning Lion of Judah, He must be the Lamb who bears the sin of the world (Jn 1:29).”(4)
Jesus did not allow the people to take Him and make Him their “earthly king” because He knew that God had plans to establish Him as a “heavenly king.” Therefore, He took off and retreated to a mountain to be alone.
The event of feeding the five thousand and dealing with the commotion of the people trying to make Him their earthly king wore Him out both emotionally and physically. Jesus needed some time for rest and renewal. When He went to the mountain for this time of rest He was not in any hurry to minister to another group of people. He realized that it is more important to spend time with the Lord.
Jesus realized that a person cannot be in any shape to serve the Lord without seeking Him in prayer and asking for His direction. If God does not come first in your life then your own plans will, and they are sure to fail. Jesus set an example that every believer should follow when seeking to serve the Lord. You need to slow down and spend some time with God in order to clearly hear and understand His will and direction for your life.
Make Sure Jesus is in Your Boat (vv. 16-18)
16 Now when evening came, His disciples went down to the sea, 17 got into the boat, and went over the sea toward Capernaum. And it was already dark, and Jesus had not come to them. 18 Then the sea arose because a great wind was blowing.
Perhaps Jesus’ disciples went ahead at His command, or maybe they had become impatient that He had not yet arrived for their departure, and so they went on ahead and got into the boat and left without Him. It might have done them some good to have gotten down on their knees in prayer just as Jesus did before they departed, but maybe they thought they knew better than He did.
Perhaps like the five thousand, they too had the misconception that the coming Messiah was to become an earthly king, and were somewhat disappointed that Jesus would not allow the people to have their coronation ceremony. They might have even felt somewhat deceived and questioned whether Jesus was truly the Messiah.
If you can reason away Jesus’ lordship, it is but a short step to taking control and authority yourself, and doing what you want to do; and when you try to take the control away from Jesus, you are in essence attempting to assume the position of God.
Captain James Cook was an English explorer and navigator from A.D. 1728-1779. He is the man credited with discovering Hawaii. When he first landed on those Pacific islands the natives thought he was a god and gave him divine treatment. He did nothing to discourage their perception; but he embraced the role of a god.
All worked well for Cook until he left the islands. A storm forced him to sail back to the islands for shelter. The natives believed that no god would be hindered by a storm, so they felt betrayed and killed Captain Cook for pretending to be a god. When we assume the role of deity our destiny is death.(5)
If you try to do anything without having Jesus in the boat with you then you are trying to assume the position of deity, and you are trying to play Captain. You might think your way is best, but one’s own way leads to death and destruction. The Bible says, “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death” (Prv 14:12).
When Jesus is not in your boat then life will become very treacherous, and many storms will arise. I do not mean to say there will never be any storms when Jesus is with you, but without Him there will be more and they will be harder to weather. If Jesus is with you in the boat and a storm does arise you will be safe, because He has the power to calm the raging storms of life (cf. Mt 14:22-33).
Jesus Will Not Abandon You in the Storm (vv. 19-20)
19 So when they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and drawing near the boat; and they were afraid. 20 But He said to them, “It is I; do not be afraid.”
When you try to take control of the boat then Jesus will allow you to flounder some. He will allow you to experience the storm for a while. We read that the disciples had rowed for about three or four miles before Jesus ever came out to them (Jn 6:19). That is a long time to row in billowing and raging seas. It is a long way to keep fighting the waves, straining every muscle until you wear yourself to the bone. It is a long time to wonder if the next wave will be the one that capsizes you and causes you to sink.
Watchman Nee wrote about the episode of a Chinese man who was drowning. Several men were watching their countryman struggle in the water but they themselves could not swim. They yelled for help and one man raced to the shoreline.
He assured them he could swim and could indeed save the man, but he took no action toward staging a rescue. The others became agitated with his passivity and began to verbally question his character. The man stood unaffected until the drowning man seemed to exhaust himself of all his energy. He then dove into the water and pulled the man to safety.
The other men demanded an explanation for his seeming reluctance to show compassion on a drowning man. He simply told them that he was unable to save the man as long as he was still trying to save himself. When his efforts to save himself were expended, then it became possible for him to supply a safe rescue.
In similar fashion, our endeavors to save ourselves leave us flailing in an ocean of sin. Until we give up on the idea that we can save ourselves, we can’t be saved. We must acknowledge our own inability to bring about salvation and embrace the salvation that only Jesus Christ can provide.(6)
When you finally come to realize that you cannot save yourself then you will call out for help and Jesus will come to you. He will not abandon you in the storm if you ask for His help.
When Jesus came to the disciples on the water He said, “It is I; do not be afraid” (Jn 6:20). When He said, “It is I,” the Greek construction of this phrase is ego emi which is literally translated “I AM.”(7) Jesus is the great “I AM,” or Jehovah God. Since Jesus is Lord, He has power over all creation and can still the raging storm if He so chooses. In Psalm 107:23-30 we read of His power over both the storm and the sea:
Those who go down to the sea in ships, who do business on great waters, they see the works of the Lord, and His wonders in the deep. For He commands and raises the stormy wind, which lifts up the waves of the sea. They mount up to the heavens, they go down again to the depths; their soul melts because of trouble . . . Then they cry out to the Lord in their trouble, and He brings them out of their distresses. He calms the storm, so that its waves are still. Then they are glad because they are quiet; so He guides them to their desired haven.
The name for “Lord” in this particular Psalm is “Jehovah” or “Yahweh” which, in the first person, is translated “I AM” said twice in a row, like when God said to Moses “I AM who I AM” (Ex 3:14).(8) The great “I AM,” Jehovah God, or Jesus Christ, will rescue you from the storm if you will just admit that you need Him and then call on His name.
Receive Jesus and Arrive at Your Destination (v. 21)
21 Then they willingly received Him into the boat, and immediately the boat was at the land where they were going.
If you wish to arrive safely at God’s intended destination for your life then you need to receive the Captain, or Jesus, into your boat. You must remember that mutiny will only lead to death. If you refuse to listen to the Captain then you will miss out on His great expertise that you so desperately need in order to navigate through the storm. You are too inexperienced to do so on your own, therefore it is vital that you learn to accept the authority of the real Captain and stop trying to play captain yourself.
From “Proceedings,” the magazine of the Naval Institute, Stephen Covey captured a great truth about authority. While on maneuvers, a battleship lookout noted a light in the dark, foggy night. After noting the light’s coordinates, the captain recognized that his ship was on a collision course with the other vessel.
The captain instructed his crew, “Signal the ship: We are on a collision course, advise you to change course 20 degrees.” The return signal countered, “Advisable for you to change course 20 degrees.” The captain signaled, “I’m a captain, change course 20 degrees.” The response was, “I’m a seaman second class, you’d better change course 20 degrees.”
By this time the captain was furious. His signal officer ordered, “I’m a battleship. Change course 20 degrees.” The reply came back: “I’m a lighthouse. You make the call.”(9)
You need to stop trying to take control of the boat, and you need to yield to the Greater Authority if you wish for your life to go smoothly and not crash and sink. We read that when the disciples received Jesus into the boat that they “immediately” arrived at the shore line of the place where they were going (Jn 6:21).
It seems as though some believers do not really believe that God will provide and watch over them in this life. Some, when Jesus stops to rest, become anxious; and because they do not see Him working for their deliverance on their timetable, they take control of the boat and try to go places they were not meant to go.
These individuals wind up lost at sea going to and fro, searching aimlessly for God’s will for their life, when they could know His will by simply inviting the Captain into the boat. To invite Him in is to arrive at His intended destination.
Time of Reflection
Throughout this sermon time you should have been asking yourself, “Who’s piloting my ship? Am I at the helm, or is God?” In 1871 Edward Hopper wrote a hymn that revealed who was in charge of his life, and from this hymn we find some words that should be taken to heart. He wrote, “Jesus, Savior, pilot me, over life’s tempestuous sea. Unknown waves before me roll, hiding rock and treacherous shoal. Chart and compass come from thee: Jesus, Savior, pilot me.”(10)
Do you sometimes feel lost, as though you have been separated from the Lord and cannot hear Him guiding you anymore? If so, then maybe you kicked Jesus out of your boat and took control of the wheel. Will you invite Him to once again assume control of your life’s course? If you wish to reach the Lord’s intended destination for your life then you need to invite Jesus back into your boat!
If you are not a Christian then Jesus never has been in control of your boat and you have been lost every single day of your life. Won’t you invite Jesus in this morning?
NOTES
(1) Charles Wesley, "Jesus, Lover of My Soul," The Baptist Hymnal (Nashville: Convention Press, 1991), hymn # 180.
(2) Leonard Sweet, Aquachurch (Loveland, CO: Group, 1999), p. 39.
(3) John F. Walvoord and Roy B. Zuck, The Bible Knowledge Commentary (Wheaton: Scripture Press, 1983, 1985) taken from Logos 2.1 on CD-ROM.
(4) Ibid.
(5) Rick Warren, "The Human Side of Ministry," The Pastor's Update (Feb. 1991).
(6) David Davis, “What Is The Good Life,” Bellaire, Texas.
(7) Arthur L. Farstad, ed., et. al., The NKJV Greek-English Interlinear New Testament (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1994), p. 349.
(8) Elmer Towns, My Father's Names (Ventura: Regal, 1991), p. 138.
(9) Stephen R. Covey, The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People (1989), pp. 32-33.
(10) Edward Hopper, "Jesus, Savior, Pilot Me," 1871, taken from Leonard Sweet, Aquachurch, p. 39.
