Larry C. Brincefield
larkayb@earthlink.net
Wednesday, February 19, 2003
Title: Events from Jesus’ Life...Walking on Water "It is I"
Text: John 6:16-21
Introduction
We have set aside this year, 2003, as the year of putting Christ 1st.
We believe that by putting Christ first...
we will better achieve our mission of Loving God...Reaching Families...Making Friends.
On these Wednesday Evenings, we’ve been studying different events from the life of Christ.
and as we look closer at Jesus and the different events from His life...
we get to know Him a little bit better...
and as we get to know Him,
our love for Him ...
and our desire to serve Him grows too.
Tonight we are going to study the time when Jesus walked on the water...
this event is covered in 3 of the Gospels...
Our text, Mark 6, and Matthew 14.
The temptation for me tonight was to use the Matthew text...
because that includes the story about Peter...
and how he also tried to walk on water...
but when he took his eyes off Jesus and started to look at the waves around him...
he started to sink.
And while that is a powerful story...
I wanted to focus more on Christ...than on Peter.
Read Text: John 6:16-21
Commentators indicated that the miracle of the Feeding of the 5000 (which happened earlier in our text) was for non-believers and Christians...
there would have been both Christians AND non-Christians there.
But the miracle of Jesus walking on the water is a miracle that is for the Christian...
this miracle was only witnessed by the disciples who were struggling on the boat.
but this miracle was not only for the early disciples of Jesus Christ....
it is for Christians even today...
Now don’t worry, if you aren’t a Christian, we will let you listen in....
and as we study God’s Word...you will see some of the glorious benefits of giving your life to Christ.
Those words of Jesus "It is I; don’t be afraid." John 6:20 (NIV) are very encouraging for us as Christians...
and I am going to use those words to point out 5 ways that Jesus ministers to the Christian.
Body
1. First of all, Jesus is saying, "It is I...who watch"
although the disciples didn’t realize it...Jesus was watching them.
Jesus had sent the disciples on ahead by boat...
and Jesus was going to join them later.
Jesus went up on the mountainside to pray & spend time in blessed communion with His Father. .
Mark 6:48 says, Jesus "saw the disciples straining at the oars, because the wind was against them."
Jesus was keeping His eye on the disciples...
He was watching them...
He was keeping track of their progress.
Sometimes, my family and I will go to the park.
My kids like the jungle gym, the apparatus with the bars where they hang by their hands and try to get from one end to the other using just by using their hands.
For my younger kids...it can be pretty high...
and it can be pretty scary...
and if they aren’t careful, they could get hurt.
and so I will stand nearby...
watching them...
holding my arms under them...
keeping my eye on them...
so that if they get into trouble,
I am right there, ready to jump into action.
God is the same way...
He’s got His eye on you...
He is watching out for you...
He is nearby...
ready to jump into action...
to help His children who need Him...
the One who watches the sparrows....
the One who knows when 1 falls to the ground...
the One who knows the numbers of the hairs on your head...
Is the One who is watching out for you!!
Psalm 121 puts it beautifully...
I lift up my eyes to the hills--
where does my help come from?
2 My help comes from the LORD,
the Maker of heaven and earth.
3 He will not let your foot slip--
he who watches over you will not slumber;
4 indeed, he who watches over Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep.
5 The LORD watches over you--
the LORD is your shade at your right hand;
6 the sun will not harm you by day,
nor the moon by night.
7 The LORD will keep you from all harm--
he will watch over your life;
8 the LORD will watch over your coming and going
both now and forevermore.
Psalms 121:1-8 (NIV)
2. Jesus is saying, "It is I...who wait"
Mark 6:47 indicates that Jesus saw the disciples when evening came.
Mark 6:48 tells us that Jesus didn’t respond until the 4th watch of the night...about 3 AM.
Scripture doesn’t tell us why Jesus waited
maybe it was to test their faith...
maybe it was to build perseverance and endurance.
When I am playing with my kids while they climb on the jungle gym
I lift them up so they can grab the first bar...
sometimes they will immediately cry out..."daddy, I can’t"
but I don’t immediately take them down...
I encourage them...
I try to get them to try to move just one bar...
and then another...
I re-assure them that I am still right there...
God doesn’t necessary jump up and intervene at our first whimper.
James 1:2-4 says, "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything"
Sometimes God waits.
You may have heard it said that God answers prayer in 3 ways...
yes,
no,
and wait.
There is plenty of other Scriptural basis for waiting...
Wait for the LORD;
be strong and take heart
and wait for the LORD
Psalms 27:14 (NIV)
Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him
Psalms 37:7 (NIV)
I wait for the LORD, my soul waits,
and in his word I put my hope.
6 My soul waits for the Lord
Psalms 130:5-6 (NIV)
those who wait on the LORD
Shall renew their strength;
They shall mount up with wings like eagles,
They shall run and not be weary,
They shall walk and not faint.
Isaiah 40:31 (NKJV)
If you have prayed...and you sense that God is waiting...
don’t think that God doesn’t care...
don’t think that God isn’t able...
don’t think that God is being negligent...
Rest in the calm assurance that God is waiting for a reason...
and we may NEVER know the reason...
BUT when the time is right...
and when something needs to be done...
God will do it perfectly...in accordance with His perfect plan.
3. Jesus is saying, "It is I...who love"
Jesus may express His love in ways that we never realize...
the disciples may not have been sensing the great love of Jesus...
while they were straining at the oars...
and the winds were blowing them hither and yon.
But never fear...His love is seen because He is watching...
He cares...
When Jesus saw the disciples in trouble...He could have said to Himself...
I am enjoying this time with my Father...
Let them struggle...
if they make it ...fine...
if not...well, I can find other disciples...
He could have said those things...
but He didn’t...
It was because of His great love for us.
When my kids are on that Jungle Gym...
I am watching and waiting for a reason...
It is because of my love for them...
I want the best for them...
I want to make sure they don’t get hurt...
If you ever begin to doubt the love of God...
if you feel that you are on the edge of disaster...
if you feel that perhaps God doesn’t really care...
simply look back at the cross...
if there is EVER a doubt...
look to the cross.
1 John 3:16 says, "This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us"
4. Jesus is saying, "It is I...who come"
At just the right time...Jesus showed up.
When the situation seemed the most desperate...Jesus showed up.
When the disciples were most frightened...
when they felt that they were too exhausted to pull those oars 1 more time...
when the storm seemed to be at its strongest...
when the waves seemed like they would swamp the boat...
Jesus came!!!
He said, "It is I...Don’t be afraid"
"you don’t have to worry any more"...
"you don’t have to be scared any more"
"I am here"
He is never to early...
He is never late...
He is right on time...
Back to the jungle gym with my kids...
When the kids are hanging on by a thread...
they call out "daddy"!!
and I let them know..."Daddy’s here...don’t be afraid"
"I won’t let you fall"
I’m right here...
I’ve got you"
And God does the same thing today...
when life is at its darkest...
when the situation seems the most desperate...
when you are hurting so much because someone you love has died...
when you are hurting because someone you love is very sick...
when you are hurting because your finances seem to be in a huge mess...
when the storms threatens to overthrow you...
God shows up at just the right time!!
Isaiah 41:10 says, "do not fear, for I am with you;
do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you;
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand"
5. Jesus is saying, "It is I...who save"
Jesus came at just the right time...
He didn’t just say, "I am here" and leave it at that...
He intervened to save them.
John 6:21 says that when Jesus got into the boat, "immediately the boat reached the shore where they were heading".
Let me take you one last time to the jungle gym...
when my kids can’t go on...
and they are ready to fall...
Daddy steps in to save the day!!
I am right there to catch them...
I make sure that they don’t get hurt...
That’s what God does for you and for me...
He doesn’t just say, "hang in there, I’m praying for you"
He does something about it...
He intervenes...
He saves...
Conclusion
In this year of putting Christ 1st...
we want to get to know Him a little better...
Tonight, Jesus is telling us...
It is I, who watches out for you ...
It is I, who waits for you...
It is I, who loves you...
It is I, who comes to you...
It is I, who saves you.
It is I
Christian,
When the storm is tossing you to and fro--It is I--don’t be afraid
When you feel that you are struggling with all your might--It is I--don’t be afraid
When you feel that life is at its most desperate--It is I--don’t be afraid
