Failure Isn’t Always Fatal
Mark 6:45-56
Good morning.
Many Christians, who experience failure in life, then start to believe the lie; they have nothing to offer the Kingdom of God.
John Ortberg said, “Failure is not an event, but rather a judgment about an event.
Before Jonas Salk developed a vaccine for polio that finally worked, he tried two hundred unsuccessful ones.
Somebody asked him, “How did it feel to fail two hundred times?”
“I never failed two hundred times in my life,” Salk replied. “I was taught not to use the word ‘failure.’ I just discovered two hundred ways how not to vaccinate for polio.”
“Somebody once asked Winston Churchill what most prepared him to risk political suicide by speaking out against Hitler.
Churchill said it was the time he had to repeat a grade in elementary school.
“You mean you failed a year in grade school?” he was asked.
“I never failed anything in my life. I was given a second opportunity to get it right.”
Jonas Salk made two hundred unsuccessful attempts to create a polio vaccine. Was Jonas Salk a failure?
Winston Churchill repeated a grade in elementary school. Was Winston Churchill a failure?”
Please open your Bibles to Mark 6 as we continue that study
Last week, we learned how the Disciples needed some Down-time with the Lord. We learned there is a time to serve and a time to rest; and both are important.
The crowds showed up as Jesus and the Disciples tried to take a break. The Disciples had been serving people a long time; so, it was understandable that they were tired.
When evening had come, the Disciples told Jesus to send the people away into the village to go and buy food, because they were in a desolate place; but, Jesus told them to feed the people.
We learned that our difficulties in life must always be measured by the One completing the job; because with Jesus, there is never a shortage of resources.
The Gospel of John told us that Andrew brought a boy to Jesus who had two small fish and five little loaves.
As Jesus broke the loaves, creation happened right before the Disciples eyes. Jesus was demonstrating His power as Lord of creation, creating enough food for everyone.
After 5000 men, plus women and children were glutted full, Jesus had the Disciples pick up the leftovers, for them to eat.
Today, we will look at a very familiar passage about a storm the Disciples go through and Jesus arrived, walking on the water.
I. Mountaintop prayer.
Read Mark 6:45-46
Notice the passage tells us that immediately after they finished serving the crowd and eating their lunch; Jesus made the Disciples get into the boat without Jesus, to go to Bethsaida.
As the Disciples got into the boat, Jesus sent the crowds away and then He went up on the mountain to pray.
Jesus is fully man as well as fully God, so He knows what it is like to be tired; but, being tired caused Him to spend time with the Father instead of neglecting the needed time of fellowship.
Sometimes when we are tired, we neglect fellowship with God; when we are worn out we need more time with the Lord, not less
Let’s look at some of the times Jesus purposely was alone and spent one on one time with the Father as examples for us.
1. Jesus was alone to prepare Him for what was coming.
After Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist, we read in…
Matthew 4:1 Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.
Matthew 4:2 And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry. NKJV
Jesus, knowing the temptation was coming, as well as a lot of public ministry; He spent 40 days praying and fasting in the wilderness.
2. Jesus was alone to rest and fellowship after ministry.
Here in our narrative of Mark 6, not only have the Disciples been ministering at a relentless pace; even more so, Jesus had not stopped serving and ministering either.
3. Jesus was alone to grieve the loss of John the Baptist.
Matthew 14:12 Then his (John’s) disciples came and took away the body and buried it, and went and told Jesus.
Matthew 14:13 When Jesus heard it, He departed from there by boat to a deserted place by Himself. NKJV
Once Jesus heard about the death of His cousin, He went away to grieve John the Baptist’s death.
4. Jesus was alone to pray about an important decision.
Luke 6:12 He went out to the mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God.
Luke 6:13 And when it was day, He called His disciples to Himself; and from them He chose twelve whom He also named apostles: NKJV
After some time with the Father, Jesus chose His 12 disciples.
5. Jesus was alone to pray in a time of distress.
Matthew 26:36 Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and said to the disciples, "Sit here while I go and pray over there."
Matthew 26:37 And He took with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and He began to be sorrowful and deeply distressed.
Matthew 26:38 Then He said to them, "My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch with Me."
Matthew 26:39 He went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, "O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will."
Jesus was in agony knowing what He was about to face, so He needed alone time in prayer with the Father.
Jesus often spent time alone in prayer with the Father. It was not always because of trouble or distress; but, Jesus was definitely fervent in prayer when He was about to face something difficult.
II. Jesus was watching.
Read Mark 6:47-51a
In the middle of the night, the Disciples were out on the water straining at rowing, and Jesus was still on land, watching.
The fourth hour represents the time between 3am -6am, which means these Disciples have been rowing and getting nowhere for 9 hours; but, Jesus saw their difficulty and cared about them.
The Disciples were exhausted and getting nowhere by relying on their own strength, and their own efforts.
C.H. Spurgeon said, “The apostolic crew rowed, and rowed, and rowed, and it was no fault of theirs that they made no progress, ‘for the wind was contrary unto them.’
The Christian man may make little or no headway, and yet it may be no fault of his, for the wind is contrary.”
But notice, Jesus was up on the mountain by Himself praying; but, He was also aware of what was happening to the Disciples.
Mark 6:48 walking on the sea, and would have passed them by
The Greek word used for would have in Mark 6:48 is, “thelo”, which means to wish or desire; Jesus desired to pass by them.
Some commentators believe Jesus was just going to walk to the shore on the other side and meet the Disciples the next morning; but, Jesus changed His course because of their fear of the storm.
This passage uses a similar verb for “passed” as Exodus 33, when God “passed” before Moses giving a glimpse of His glory.
Jesus walked casually by and He would have passed them by; but, He only came over to them because they cried out to Him.
Jesus is always present, simply waiting for us to call on Him!
When the Disciples saw Jesus they were terrified and think He was a ghost; but, Jesus didn’t go on the water to terrify them.
The word troubled means to cause one inward commotion, take away his calmness of mind, to disquiet, make restless. (Strong’s G-5015)
This miracle of Jesus showing up during the storm was meant to assure the Disciples He was in control and He would always be there to help them, while fulfill their calling.
“Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid”. Jesus made them get on the boat and He knew what was going to happen to them.
There are several times in the New Testament where Jesus uses these same words, “Be of good cheer! It is I”
While Jesus was explaining His upcoming departure to the Disciples, He said,
John 16:33 “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world." NKJV
When Ananias was plotting to kill Paul for preaching Jesus in Jerusalem,
Acts 23:11 But the following night the Lord stood by him and said, "Be of good cheer, Paul; for as you have testified for Me in Jerusalem, so you must also bear witness at Rome." NKJV
When the woman with 12 years of blood flow touched Jesus to receive healing,
Luke 8:48 And He said to her, "Daughter, be of good cheer; your faith has made you well. Go in peace." NKJV
Jesus comforted the scared and worn out Disciples by telling them to be of good cheer! Good cheer means to have courage!
Notice when Jesus says to them, to be of good cheer, He says, “it is I, do not be afraid”. It is Jesus…
Jesus gives us security; it is Jesus who gives us peace; it is Jesus who gives us Salvation, and it is Jesus that gives us true courage.
It is Jesus, plus or minus nothing; “it is I, do not be afraid”
In the Greek Septuagint Bible, “Good cheer”, are the same words used when the Children of Israel were running from Pharaoh’s army and were afraid, and they cried out to the Lord.
Exodus 14:13 And Moses said to the people, "Do not be afraid. Standstill, and see the salvation of the LORD, which He will accomplish for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall see again no more forever.
Exodus 14:14 The LORD will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace." NKJV
Jesus tells the Disciples to be of good cheer, and the wind ceased. Then the Disciples were…
III. Greatly amazed.
Read Mark 6:51b-52
In Matthew’s Gospel, we are told this is the same time when Peter walked on the water with Jesus.
Matthew14:28 Peter answered Him and said, "Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water."
Matthew14:29 So He said, "Come." And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus.
Matthew14:30 But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, "Lord, save me!" NKJV
Warren Wiersbe said, “At this point, Peter asked Jesus to let him walk on the water, but Mark omits this detail.”
“Tradition says that Mark wrote as Peter’s spokesman, so perhaps Peter was reticent to include this experience lest it give people the wrong impression.”
I love this narrative in Matthew 14; imagine when Peter says, “Lord if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.”
Who else could it be, out there walking on the Sea?
I wonder if there were always random people strolling across the waves of the Sea of Galilee at that time.
John Ortberg asked, “Did Peter fail?
Well, I suppose in a way he did. His faith wasn’t strong enough. His doubts were stronger. “He saw the wind.”
He took his eyes off of where they should have been. He sank. He failed.
I think there were eleven bigger failures sitting in the boat. They failed quietly. They failed privately. Their failure went unnoticed, unobserved, uncriticized.
Only Peter knew the shame of public failure.”
Peter was probably one of the very reasons Jesus put these Disciples into the boat in order to go through the storm.
The other 11 Disciples were there watching all of this take place and Peter says, “If that is You Jesus, then tell me to come and I will be able to walk on the water as well.”
Peter displayed radical faith to be able to get out of the boat and be bold enough to walk on the water!
That is a crucial message for any follower today; Jesus calls us to be His disciples because He knows He can instruct, empower, and fill us with His Spirit so that we can be like Him.
Peter was a risk taker; not carelessly, but he took calculated risks based on his relationship with the Lord.
When the Lord called Abraham, he left his home land, all of the comfort and security of his family home, and obeyed God’s call.
Stephen was preaching before being the first Christian Martyr, Acts 7:2 The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he dwelt in Haran,
Acts 7:3 and said to him, 'Get out of your country and from your relatives, and come to a land that I will show you.' NKJV
Many of us like to stay in our comfort zones, because taking risks can be scary; but, the Lord honors those who will be risk takers in His kingdom, as He leads.
When the Lord presents an opportunity to you, take a chance on God’s faithfulness and be a risk taker for the kingdom.
If you are a disciple of Jesus, when the Lord says move and you have tested to make sure the command is from Him; then you should simply move, with no further commentary needed.
It is an oxymoron to say “No Lord”, since Lord means master or boss; we can say no Jesus, but we cannot say No Lord!
But notice how the rest of the Disciples react to this miracle…
The Disciples had failed to allow the miracle of the loaves and fishes to have a lasting impression on them.
Remember, Jesus had just fed thousands of people with a meager little lunch, proving He is Lord of all creation.
Since Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever; He is more than able to calm a storm in our lives as we follow Him.
Notice vs. 52 says the Disciples had not understood about the loaves because their heart was hardened.
We must be careful not to develop a hard heart when Jesus allows spiritual lessons in our lives and ministries.
We must be careful, not to become short sided, as we remember all the times the Lord showed up in the past and took care of us.
IV. Many were made well.
Read Mark 6:53-56
William Barclay wrote, “If there was one thing the ancient world needed it was compassion, pity and mercy.”
There was no concern for the sick and feeble, no provision for the aged and no feeling for the mentally and emotion-ally disturbed.
“Christ, however, in his appearance brought love, affection and care to a world of apathy and complacency.” (Barclay)
After the boat arrived on the shore, their break time is over.
The Disciples and Jesus landed in an area south of Capernaum, which is near the little area of Magdala, which is where Mary Magdalene came from.
As soon as they anchored, people recognized Jesus and ran to Him for a miracle touch from the Savior.
Here Mark records something for us that probably took place on a very normative basis within Jesus’ earthly ministry.
Jesus shows up to a new location and many come out to meet Him and to be touched by His healing power.
The Apostle John ended his Gospel with these words…John 21:25 And there are also many other things that Jesus did, which if they were written one by one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that would be written.
David Guzik said, “We see the power of Jesus over the laws of nature. Normally, five thousand are not fed by one small lunch. Normally, men don’t walk on water.
Normally, the sick are not instantly healed. None of this is normal, except by the power of God.”
And notice how Jesus cared for the people; everyone who touched Jesus was healed.
The people brought paralyzed and sick people from the city, the villages, and the countryside to Jesus.
Matthew Henry said, “The men of that place presently knew Jesus and knew what mighty works He did wherever He came, what a universal Healer He was.” (Henry)
I wonder if they heard about the healing of the demon possessed man. Maybe they heard about the woman with blood flow; or maybe they heard about Jairus’ daughter being raised to life.
Or were the people simply there because Jesus provided bread on the other side of the sea?
V. Practical Application.
Many Christians get down on themselves because of past failures and allow past failures to prevent them from serving the Lord in the present.
The Lord is all knowing and He is never surprised by our failures; but, He is calling us to press on, while serving Him.
John Ortberg said, “Failure is not an event, it is a judgment about an event. Failure is not something that happens to us or a label we attach to things. It is a way we think about outcomes.
Peter may have had a setback, but he did not fail; Peter took a risk for the kingdom once Jesus told him to “Come”.
William Barclay said, “Peter never finally failed, for always in the moment of his failure he clutched at Christ.
The wonderful thing about him is that every time he fell, he rose again; and that it must have been true that even his failures brought him closer and closer to Jesus Christ.
As has been well said, a saint is not a man who never fails; a saint is a man who gets up and goes on again every time he falls. Peter's failures only made him love Jesus Christ the more.
Where were the other 11 Disciples?; stuck in the boat. The Disciples had hard hearts with unbelief and forgetfulness.
Jesus is Sovereign and is the only way to true peace and security; if you are meant to drown, you are not going to burn.
Trust Him and He will allow you to walk on the very thing that frightens you. Jesus will see us through every storm.
If Christians stopped serving the Lord because of their first failure; we would not have anyone serving the Lord today.
Failure is an opportunity to learn as the Lord uses failures in our lives as a part of growth and maturity for His children.
We all fail; the difference is what we do with the failure.
Matthew 14:29 And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus.
Matthew 14:30 But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, "Lord, save me!" NKJV
Peter may have sunk when he looked at the waves and the winds; but Peter was bold for the Lord later in his life.
Where is Jesus when you fail? He is on the sea calming the winds and holding out His hand to lift you up.
Matthew 14:31 And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, "O you of little faith, why did you doubt?"
Matthew 14:32 And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased. NKJV
At the end of your life, when you are standing at the throne of God, there will be no failures, only times in your life that you wavered and the Lord was guiding you back to Him.
Romans 8:28 we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. NKJV
With our failures, the Lord is faithful to forgives us and to turn the situation around to work it out for our good and His glory.
If you are saved by the precious blood of Christ…
Failures are not fatal because we are redeemed and loved.
Christians are children of God. Trust Him and keep serving.
