MOVING ON WITHOUT JESUS
John 6:14-21
S: The Presence of Jesus
Th: Prayer: A Passion for His Presence
Pr: WE ARE MEANT TO HAVE JESUS IN OUR LIVES.
?: Inductive
KW: Stages
TS: In our text today, we will reveal five stages during the event of Jesus walking on the water.
The _____ stage is…
I. PROPHET (14)
II. PRAYER (15)
III. PREDICAMENT (16-18)
IV. PRESENCE (19-20)
V. PEACE (21)
Version: ESV
RMBC 02 June 02 AM
INTRODUCTION:
ILL Notebook: Dangerous (know when to leave)
One day, a very small, sickly-looking man with thick glasses rode into a western town on the stagecoach. He was hired as the local saloon’s bartender, but the owner gave him a word of warning: "Remember, drop everything and run for your life if ever you hear that Big John is on his way to town."
Things went fine for a few months. Suddenly, a big, strong cowhand with a ghost-white look on his face burst through the swinging doors shouting, "Big John’s a’comin’! Big John’s a’comin’!" The patrons scrambled to get out the door, knocking the small bartender for a loop as they pushed by him.
The bartender gathered his senses about him and had just found his glasses when the room went dark. He put them on to see a giant of a man eclipsing the saloon doors. Riding bareback on a buffalo, using a rattlesnake for a whip, he came right through the saloon doors, splintering away the doors and doorframe! The man FLUNG the snake into the corner, KNOCKED over tables, and took his massive fist and SPLIT the bar in half as he demanded a drink. "Y-y-yes sir!" The bartender nervously handed a bottle out to the man. He BIT the top of the bottle right off with his teeth, downed the contents in one gulp, let out a belch that shattered the saloon’s mirror, ...and then turned to leave. The bartender realized he wasn’t going to hurt him, so he asked the man if he would like another drink?
"I ain’t got no time," the man roared as he got on his buffalo, rattlesnake in hand. "Big Jooooohn’s a’comin’ to town!"
1. Have you ever been afraid?
Maybe there have been some “Big Johns” in your life that have made you more than a bit apprehensive—a person that has treated you rudely or even threatened you.
Perhaps you have had some life-threatening event that you know the outcome could have been different than it was.
You know…
2. When we sense danger, it is a time for help.
When we know there is something wrong with us physically, we go to a doctor for help.
When we know that we are having trouble solving a conflict with someone, we go to a counselor for help.
When we have legal problems, we go to a lawyer for help.
When we break down on the highway, we call a tow truck for help.
But please understand this…that no matter what kind of danger we are in, help is always available.
We discovered this two weeks ago when a great crowd had followed Jesus well into dinnertime.
ILL Notebook: Miracle (loafs and fishes)
It reminds me of…
[There is] a story of a little boy who is asked what His favorite Bible story is, and he replies, “I like the one where everybody just loafs and fishes.”
Well, that’s not quite how it went!
But it was about an unending supply of loaves and fish.
Jesus took five loaves and two fish and made a feast out of them for over 5000 people.
And there was more leftover than with which they started.
Now, having given a very brief context, we come to the events immediately following.
So…
3. In our text today, we will reveal five stages during the event of Jesus walking on the water.
OUR STUDY:
I. The first stage is PROPHET (14).
When the people saw the sign that he had done, they said, “This is indeed the Prophet who is to come into the world!"”
1. The people were pumped with excitement after Jesus fed them.
Many had been following after Him out of curiosity.
Some had been following Him out of desperation, hoping that somehow He could help them in their plight.
Others were following because it was their hope that Jesus was the Messiah—someone who would save them from the tyranny of Rome.
So Jesus goes about healing, and now feeding over 5000, the people are getting pumped.
Their enthusiasm is growing, not waning.
Jesus could be the ticket.
It was starting to make sense.
So…
2. The crowd concluded that Jesus is the Prophet (Deuteronomy 18:15).
Their thought process comes from Deuteronomy when Moses says…
The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your brothers — it is to him you shall listen…
They believe that the time has come.
This is the One that they are waiting for.
They liked having a Savior who met their material needs.
It is apparent that Jesus could do anything.
So watch out Jerusalem—here we come.
But though they did not realize it, this is not what they needed.
What they needed was not gifts of a material nature.
They need gifts of the spiritual kind.
Which brings us to…
II. The second stage is PRAYER (15).
Perceiving then that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, Jesus withdrew again to the mountain by himself.
1. Jesus perceived that the people had the wrong thing in mind.
You see, Jesus had no political ambitions.
It was not His desire to be popular.
He did not come to make people’s lives easier.
His desire was to complete the mission the Father had sent Him.
He came to be the Savior of the world.
So when people make the move to force Jesus to be the king, He decisively rejects it.
This is not the kind of king Jesus came to be.
He has come to be a different kind of King with a kingdom much greater.
So as they approach, He withdraws.
Because…
2. Whenever temptation comes, it is time to pray (Mark 6:46).
In Mark’s account of this event, it says…
And after he had taken leave of them, he went up on the mountain to pray.
Jesus needed to make sure He was on track.
He needed to keep His perspective.
So, it is time to be with the Father.
It is time to make sure His will lined up with His Father.
Which now brings us to…
III. The third stage is PREDICAMENT (16-18).
When evening came, his disciples went down to the sea, got into a boat, and started across the sea to Capernaum. It was now dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them. The sea became rough because a strong wind was blowing.
In the other gospel accounts, we know there was a little more to the story than they just got into the boat.
In Matthew, they are compelled by Jesus to do so.
You can almost hear Him saying, “I need some time alone, so get in the boat!”
And off He goes up the mountain to pray, and out into the lake they go, but trouble is coming.
ILL Notebook: Problem (gators and sharks)
While sports fishing off a Florida beach, a tourist capsized his boat. He could swim, but his fear of alligators kept him clinging to the overturned craft.
Spotting and old beachcomber standing on the shore, the tourist shouted, "Are there any gators around here?!"
"Naw," the man hollered back, "they ain’t been around for years!"
"Feeling safe, the tourist started swimming leisurely toward the shore. About halfway there he asked the guy, "How’d you get rid of the gators?"
"We didn’t do nothin’," the beach bum said. "The sharks got ’em."
Well, just like this man…
1. The disciples were in a heap of trouble.
The text tells us that it was dark, but more importantly Jesus had not come.
Apparently, they had started rowing across to Capernaum, but stayed close to shore, because they were going to pick up Jesus along the way.
But it was not working out that way.
The wind was driving them farther and farther south, so much so, that they lost sight of shore and the possibility of picking up Jesus.
Matthew is very graphic in describing the storm.
He describes the boat as literally being tormented.
The storm was raging.
The wind was against them.
The waves were immense.
And though Peter, Andrew, James and John would have all been experienced in storms, their experience probably taught them that you don’t go out on the lake in this kind of weather!
So…
2. They had to wonder if they were forgotten.
They must have felt alone.
After all, Jesus had sent them out here.
Did He somehow forget all about them?
Did Jesus just not care?
What was going on?
IV. The fourth stage is PRESENCE (19-20).
When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and coming near the boat, and they were frightened. But he said to them, “It is I; do not be afraid.”
1. The disciples thought they saw a “water demon” coming across the waves.
You know how the tales of fishermen can be.
Here was a strange form appearing in the midst of the sea.
It’s a monster!
It’s a demon!
It’s a ghost!
Whatever it was, it was scaring the living daylights out of them.
But they did not need to be scared.
It was Jesus.
It was Jesus walking across those waves.
It was Jesus using those tossing waves like pavement for his feet.
2. Jesus offers pleasurable words of comfort.
“It is I, do not be afraid.”
It is as if Jesus says, “The very things that oppose you, the boisterous sea, the buffeting winds, I already have under my feet. I am in control of these events, therefore there is no need to fear” (quote from Ray Stedman).
No, they were not forgotten and His Word revealed His Presence.
Instead of scolding their vanquished faith, He soothed and encouraged them with the language of a conqueror.
“It is I, do not be afraid.”
“Do not be afraid of darkness, I am light.”
“Do not be afraid of death, I am life.”
“Do not be afraid of your sins, I am your salvation.”
“I am your Creator, your Redeemer and Your Friend”
“I am King of nature and the King in every realm.”
“The contrary winds cannot hinder me and the tossing sea cannot overwhelm me.”
“I am King.”
“It is I, do not be afraid.”
V. The fifth stage is PEACE (21).
Then they were glad to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat was at the land to which they were going.
The disciples teach us a wonderful lesson here, that…
We should eagerly desire to have Jesus “on board.”
Note what happens to the disciples.
As soon as He is on board, they are saved.
The storm is gone.
And they have arrived at their destination.
They are at peace.
APPLICATION:
ILL Notebook: Fear (Japan driver)
On his first business trip to Japan, Bob Redrow and his colleagues were picked up in a van for the drive to a meeting. During the ride Bob became distressed by the driver, who constantly turned around to talk to his passengers as the van zipped dangerously through the narrow streets. Finally Bob had had enough, and as politely as he could, he asked their host to please focus on the road. He gave Bob a strange look, but nonetheless turned around and faced forward.
After a few moments of tense silence, one of Bob’s American colleagues nudged me and asked, "What was that all about?"
"He’s gonna get us killed," Bob said. "He’s not paying attention to the road!"
"But Bob, the steering wheel is on the right," the friend explained. "He’s not the one driving."
Have you ever noticed that we often get focused on the wrong things?
Just like Bob…
We think one thing is so important, and we find out that this is not what it’s all about.
In the same way, I believe that this is the lesson of the story.
1. Life is hopeless without Jesus (cf. Colossians 1:13; Ephesians 2:12).
Just like the disciples were in the dark without Jesus, so is life.
Life is dark without Jesus.
Our life without Jesus is dark.
And just as it was dangerous for the disciples while Jesus was not there, so is life dangerous without Jesus.
We are in danger.
In fact, without Jesus, our situation is most grave.
We are heading for everlasting destruction.
And just as it was frightening for the disciples while Jesus was not there, so is life.
Life is frightening without Jesus.
When the storms of life come, and we don’t have Jesus, our situation is most hopeless.
But note how Paul describes our spiritual condition when Jesus is in our life:
He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son…
…remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.
If you are finding life very difficult today, for whatever reason, know this…help is on the way!
He understands and He cares.
And He wants to get into the boat.
Are you going to invite Him in?
You see…
2. WE ARE MEANT TO HAVE JESUS IN OUR LIVES.
We need to have Him on board.
We need to invite Him into the boat.
Our lives are so designed that we are restless and without peace unless He is in them.
And this is a great thing, for…
3. Whenever we have the presence of Jesus, we have the power of Jesus.
It is available to us.
The power that healed the invalid is with us.
The power that fed over 5000 people is with us.
The power that walked on water, calmed the storm, and brought the disciples to their destination is with us.
So, we don’t need to be afraid when Jesus is in our lives.
For…
4. Whenever we have the power of Jesus, we have the peace of Jesus.
We do not fear because He is with us and He is in charge.
So…have you invited Him in?
BENEDICTION: [Counselors are ]
Get Jesus on board…for He is the King of all creation—think—the most awesome power in the entire universe desires to be in your life.
Get Jesus on board…for when He is with us, no matter what our circumstances—no matter what are our storms of life—He speaks these words of comfort and reassurance, “It is I, do not be afraid.”
Get Jesus on board—for you are designed to have the Master with you, and when He is with you, you are able to experience His power and His peace.
"The LORD bless you and keep you;
the LORD make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you;
the LORD turn his face toward you and give you peace."
Amen.
