IF Matthew 14:28
There is a small word that some people say we shouldn’t use. It is the word if. The word if is a faithless word. It indicates a voice of uncertainty and it indicates a condition to be met. In the bible God used the word "if" numerous times. (Exodus 19:5) He said: If you will obey my voice indeed and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people" (2 Cor. 15:2 "If you seek him, he will be found of you; but if ye forsake him, he will forsake you" (2 Cor. 8:14 ) "If my people who are called by my name, shall humble themselves and pray, and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways. Then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and heal the land. " "If I be for you, I am more than the world against you."
Today, I want us to look at a different side of the word "if". Do you know that the "ifs" in you life can become your victories. Did you not know that man’s extremities is God’s possibilities. Did you not know that when God says yes no man can say no. Did you not know that If God is for you than he’s more than the world against you? If you will only believe God?
That’s what Jesus told Martha. He said "If you would only believe, you would see the glory of God." God can take any situation in your life and turn it around to your good, "If" you will only trust him and believe that he is able to do it.
You hear people say all the time. If only I’d done this or that. If only my parents had treated me differently, If only I’d gone to school when I was suppose to. Probably every person on earth has some "What ifs" and "If onlys" in their life.
When you focus on the ifs in you life, you are hindering your own success. Instead of looking at the negative circumstances in your life all the time, why not focus on the positive circumstances. We need to focus on what we do have, not on what we don’t have. A lot of us get up every Sunday morning wit two and three closets full of clothes, talking about we ain’t got nothing to wear. We have two and three cars and wishing that we had a Lexus. We make more money than we have ever made in our life and mad because we didn’t get a raise. What are your assets, what are your talents. Use what you got.
When Moses was at the red sea. All he had in his hand was a rod. God told Moses to stretch forth that rod and the sea divided and the children of Israel walked on safely. What if Moses would have said "Lord you know that this rod ain’t nothing and it can’t do anything." Do you think that Moses would have been victorious. What if Old man Job would have taken his wife’s advice and cursed God and died. He would have lost all of his riches. Sometimes the
We need to learn to change our if’s to possibilities rather than impossibilities. We need to learn to change our negatives into possibilities.
Did you know that once you accept Jesus Christ as your Savior, he will never leave you? Hebrews 13:5 "I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. You might forsake Him, but He will always be faithful to you. He will never forsake you no matter what the test or trial maybe.
But in order to receive God’s blessings and benefits in your particular situation: First, you must obey God and his Word. Second, you must keep your eyes and your attention focused on Him instead of on the problem. When you do these two things, victory and deliverance will await you!
In our text today, Jesus had sent the disciples away, and they were in a ship out in he middle of the sea, attempting to go unto the other side, as Jesus had commanded them. And it says that the wind was contrary. That means that the wind was blowing against the ship instead of helping them get where they wanted to go. The disciples found themselves all alone, laboring in the dark to row against the clashing waves. They were seemingly going nowhere.
It’s a dark day when you come up against some circumstances, some trials, and temptations in your life. It’s a dark day when there seems to be no one around to help and no way to get to the other side. Maybe you feel like you’re in the midst of a storm. Has anyone here ever been in the midst of a storm? Somebody here is in a storm right now. Somebody is traveling through the storm of sickness, somebody is traveling through the storm of financial difficulty. Somebody is traveling through the storm of temptations. Some of us are rowing our ships on life’s sea and getting nowhere.
Jesus had told the disciples to go to the other side. Here’s an important point to realize: When Jesus came to the disciples, walking on the water, they were doing their part to do what Jesus had told them to do. And Jesus met them in the middle of the sea. Many folk expect Jesus to meet them even when they are not doing their part to accomplish what the Lord has told them to do. In the midst of tests and trials, many of us don’t do anything but sit around grumbling and griping and complaining that God isn’t meeting our needs and taking care of them like they think he’s suppose to.
If you will notice in the Word of God, the majority of the promises carry with them a two fold working. The promise will say something like this "If you do this, then God will do this."
Obedience to God brings him on the scene to bless and help you. and obedience to Jesus’ words shows confidence in his words. We must never lose our confidence in the Lord that He will do what He said He would do.
Have you ever seen anybody lose their confidence? Have you ever seen a person lose confidence in his own abilities? Even though he’s done a certain thing many times before, sometimes a person can lose his confidence and start believing he can’t do it. Michael Jordan’s confidence is what makes him a great athlete.
We sometimes see folk who lose their confidence in God. But I heard somebody say "If God did it once, he’ll do it again? You’ve got to believe it and receive it and it’s yours. You have to keep on keeping on. For we know that faith takes back what the devil has stolen. We know that Satan comes to rob to kill and destroy, but Jesus came that we might have life and life more abundantly.
The bible says (Eph. 6:13) After having done all, then stand your ground. You might say "something should have happened by now." But if you will keep believing and keep standing. God will fulfill his Word. You may not know how he’s going to do it, but he’ll do it. It’s not your problem how God’s going to work it out, it’s your problem to believe that God will work it out.
The bible says "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding." (Prov. 3:5).
It was probably about the time of the first watch of the night between six and nine o’clock when Jesus sent the disciples on the other side. The wind was contrary to them. It would have been easy for them to turn around and go back to shore. Have you ever heard folk who wanted to quit in the middle of a project. They’ll say this is not going to work. It would be better if we just quit and turn around and go back. we have programs in the church, just because they are not turning out like we think they should we want to postpone them.
Let us notice something about they disciples. If they had turned around and gone back to shore, they would have been in the wrong place at the wrong time to find Jesus.
When Jesus came to the disciples on the sea, Peter said, "Lord, if it’s really you, let me come to you on the water". and Jesus said "Come".
Peter stepped to of the boat and started toward Jesus. And everything was fine until he took his eyes off Jesus. When Peter saw the wind blowing hard, causing the waves to be high he was afraid. I want you to notice, it was not the waves that endangered Peter’s life. And it was not the wind. What endangered Peter’s life was a lack of faith. (Matthew 14:30).
If you want God to move in your life, in your circumstance. Don’t get your eyes on the circumstances and the things around you. And don’t get your eyes on man. Get your eyes on Jesus. How many of you have gotten into circumstances in life, and you began to look at what was happening around you?
Many folk start out believing God, but they end up looking at the circumstances.
Jesus will never fail you, but you must keep your eyes on Him. And he’s also promised never to leave you.
In Matthew 14 when Jesus left the disciples, they were left all alone. The Holy Spirit had not been poured out yet. Jesus had not yet died and been risen from the dead.
But now under the New Covenant, we are never alone! Jesus is always there for us. He says in effect, "I will never leave you alone."
We need to know that in our darkest hour, Jesus is always there. In our greatest trials and tribulations He’s always there. We need to get our eyes off the problem the trials, and the darkness and stop looking at what is happening around us. If you have been born again, you can look within and know that Jesus is still there.
Jesus said the other day, "My Father and I will come and make our abode in your." Therefore, we have the Godhead living within us in the Person of the Holy Spirit. So look to the Godhead, to the Father, Son and Holy Ghost. Instead of looking at our circumstances.
In the midst of your test and your trial, what are you looking at? If you’re looking at anything besides Jesus you are blocking the way for him to help you and put you over. You need to ask the savior to help you, comfort strengthen and keep you. Jesus is willing to aid you. I know that Jesus will carry you through.
I’m so glad today that trouble don’t last always. I said I’m glad that trouble don’t last always. I’m glad that I heard Jesus say the other day. What profith a man if he gains the whole world and loose his soul. I heard him say If I, be lifted up from this earth I’ll draw all men unto me. I heard him say I’m going to prepare a place for you and if I go, I’ll come again and receive you unto myself.
