He Is with You in the Storm
(John 6:15-21)
I. Introduction.
A. Orientation.
Last time,
We saw one of Jesus most familiar miracles
And perhaps the greatest to this point:
Jesus fed five thousand men
Besides women and children
With the modest lunch of a young lad
Five barley loaves and two fish.
He did this for at least three reasons:
To provide for the needs of His people
They had followed Him
And He had taught and healed them
Throughout the day
He didnt want them to leave
Without meeting this need as well
Which reminds us that Jesus cares for our needs.
He has promised
That He will provide for us throughout life
And bring us safely to heaven.
2
He did this to show His disciples
That theres a reward for serving Him
After they had served the people
They gathered up the leftover pieces
And filled twelve large baskets
One for each of them.
The Lord will reward you
If you seek first His kingdom and righteousness
And set your heart to serve Him.
And He did this to show both His disciples and the people
Who He really was:
The Prophet Moses said would come into the world (Deu. 18:15)
The Messiah.
Jesus likely did this miracle
During the time of the Passover
Not only to show He is the Lamb of God
Who takes away the sins of the world,
But that He is the Bread of Life,
Pictured by the Feast of Unleavened Bread.
Jesus tells you that if you eat this bread
If you turn from your sins/disobedience
And trust Him to save you
He will give you eternal life.
B. Preview.
We see Jesus now
Command His disciples to get into a boat
And head to Capernaum
Which is in the land of Gennesaret.
He did this because it was there
He would follow up on this miracle
And teach the people more about their need of Him.
But He also did this because
He had a few more things to teach His disciples.
This morning, lets consider several things:
1. That Jesus protects us from temptation.
2. That the path of duty is often difficult.
3. That Jesus prays for us in our difficulties.
4. That as we grow, the trials become more intense.
5. That the Lord often sends trials after times of blessing.
6. That the Lord will come to us in our trials.
7. And that He will use our trials to bring us to the desired destination.
II. Sermon.
A. First, the Lord protects us from temptation.
We read in verse 15, So Jesus, perceiving that they were intending to come and
take Him by force to make Him king, withdrew again to the mountain by
Himself alone.
4
Why did Jesus withdraw to the mountain?
As well see in a moment,
He did so to pray.
But He also did so
That the Jews wouldnt attempt to force Him to be their king,
And likely to help His disciples overcome the same temptation.
Like the rest of Israel,
The disciples had the expectation that when Messiah came
He would lead the Jews to freedom against Rome.
They still believed this at the end of His earthly ministry.
They asked Him just before He ascended
Whether it was at this time
He was restoring the kingdom to Israel (Acts 1:6).
After having seen what Jesus just did
In teaching, healing and feeding the five thousand,
Their hopes in this area would likely have been strengthened,
And so Jesus sent them away and withdrew.
Paul writes, No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and
God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able,
but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be
able to endure it (1 Cor. 10:13).
Temptations are trials
God allows them for our good.
But He will never allow us to be tempted
Beyond what we, by His grace, are able to endure.
He will, though, push us to the limit
That He might strengthen us.
Everything He brings into our lives
He intends for some good.
B. Second, our Lord shows us that the path of duty is often difficult.
We read in verses 16-18, Now when evening came, His disciples went down to
the sea, and after getting into a boat, they started to cross the sea to Capernaum.
It had already become dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them. The sea began
to be stirred up because a strong wind was blowing.
Jesus told His disciples to get into the boat
And to cross to the other side; and they obeyed.
A powerful wind began to blow
And the sea became restless,
Making it difficult for them to make much progress.
They were doing what Jesus commanded them to do,
But it seemed as though nature was working against them.
By the time Jesus comes to them
They wont have gotten very far.
Sometimes we tend to think
That if were doing what God wants us to do
That our way will be blessed
That our work will be easy,
6
That it will be productive.
Sometimes it is,
But that isnt always the case.
Very often the Lord will make the road difficult,
Hell make everything turn against us
As He did His disciples when they crossed the sea.
But again, thats because He has more in mind
Than just the fruit we might bear for Him.
He wants to teach us the importance of perseverance/endurance.
The athlete knows if he never challenges himself
If he never pushes himself to work harder
Hell never improve.
In the same way,
If we always do the same thing in the same way
If we never have to face any spiritual challenges
Well never grow stronger,
Well never improve.
Thats why the Lord will often place difficulties in our path.
C. Third, He shows us that He prays for us in our difficulties.
So Jesus, perceiving that they were intending to come and take Him by force to
make Him king, withdrew again to the mountain by Himself alone (v. 15).
I said a few moments ago
That one reason Jesus went up to the mountain
7
Was to pray.
Matthew writes, After He had sent the crowds away, He went up on the mountain
by Himself to pray; and when it was evening, He was there alone (14:23).
What was He praying for?
Undoubtedly, many things:
That His Father would strengthen Him in His work,
That He would strengthen His disciples,
That He would bring His lost sheep home.
But He likely also prayed that His Father
Would stir up a strong wind,
That would make the sea turn against His disciples,
To slow their progress to the other side.
Why would He do that?
For the reasons weve already seen.
God is the One who brings trials
They dont happen by accident,
Nothing happens by accident.
Paul writes, Also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined
according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will
(Eph. 1:11).
He brings them to strengthen us.
James writes, Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials,
knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance
have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in
nothing (1:2-4).
8
But He doesnt bring trials and then leave us
To deal with them on our own:
He prays for us,
That we might have the strength we need
To endure those trials and benefit from them.
Paul writes, Who will bring a charge against God's elect? God is the one who
justifies; who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes,
rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for
us (Rom. 8:33-34).
D. Fourth, He shows us that as we grow, the trials become more intense.
The disciples had been on the sea earlier
When a storm rose and threatened to sink them
But Jesus was in the boat.
This time, theyre back out at sea
In the middle of a storm (Matt. 14:24) without Him
And that by Jesus command.
When we first start out with the Lord
It does seem as though Hes closer to us.
We can sense more of His presence.
But as we grow in Him,
Sometimes He seems to withdraw
To withhold His comfortable presence,
That sense of nearness
To teach us something we need to learn:
To walk by faith and not by sight;
To take God at His Word;
To trust Him
Not only when it feels like He is near,
But also when it seems He is far away.
Is the Lord really ever far from any of us? No.
The Lord says through Isaiah, Do not fear, for I am with you; do not anxiously
look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you,
surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand (41:10).
E. When is the Lord most likely to send trials?
He most often sends them after times of blessing.
This takes place in the evening
Of the same day Jesus fed the five thousand.
They had just witnessed the greatest miracle of Jesus to date.
They had each just enjoyed a full basket of bread and fish
As their reward for their participation.
And now they find themselves stuck out at sea
Struggling to row to land.
Spurgeon told his preaching students
To prepare for fainting fits
That they would most likely experience a spiritual attack
When the Lord had used them most powerfully
10
To keep them humble,
That they might humbly rely on God
And not on their own strength.
The same is true for each one of us:
We are never more likely to go through a trial
That is designed by the Lord to humble us,
Than after He has blessed us
By using us in some mighty way.
F. Sixth, the Lord will come to us in our trials.
John writes, Then, when they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus
walking on the sea and drawing near to the boat; and they were frightened. But
He said to them, It is I; do not be afraid (vv. 19-20).
He will come to us
He came to His disciples on the sea.
He came to John when he was banished to Patmos,
To Paul, Silas and Peter when they were in prison.
He will also come to us in our trials.
The author to the Hebrews writes, He Himself has said, I WILL NEVER
DESERT YOU, NOR WILL I EVER FORSAKE YOU, so that we confidently
say, THE LORD IS MY HELPER, I WILL NOT BE AFRAID. WHAT WILL
MAN DO TO ME? (Heb. 13:5-6).
He will come at just the right time.
They had been rowing for at least eight hours
They began at about sunset
11
Which would have been around 7:00 PM
And now it was the fourth watch of the night (Matt. 14:25)
Which is somewhere between 3:00 and 6:00 AM.
And yet they had only gone three or four miles
At most, a half mile an hour
Matthew tells us that the wind was against them (14:24).
Apparently, it took that long to teach them
What Jesus wanted them to learn.
Sometimes it may take us a while to learn
What our Lord wants to teach us in our trials,
But He will come when the time is right.
And He will come in a way that unmistakably shows its Him
He came walking on the water.
Here is further evidence
That Jesus is the Prophet
The Son of God,
The Messiah
Who else can walk on water?
When He comes to us in our trials,
He will come in a way that shows who it is.
We may not recognize Him at first
12
When the disciples saw Him,
They were afraid:
Matthew tells us
They thought there were looking at a ghost.
Maybe we wont recognize Him either.
How often do we think the trials we face
Are brought about by the devil,
Rather than by God
Understanding that sometimes the Lord uses him.
We havent yet learned to recognize Gods hand:
Either in His trials or His deliverances.
Regardless, the Lord wont leave us to fear:
He will comfort us as He did the disciples,
It is I; do not be afraid (v. 20).
G. Finally, the Lord will use our trials to bring us to the desired destination.
John concludes, So they were willing to receive Him into the boat, and
immediately the boat was at the land to which they were going (v. 21).
As soon as they brought Him into the boat,
They arrived at their destination.
The trial was over,
And the lesson was learned.
The disciples were working hard to obey Jesus
But couldnt seem to complete the task.
13
As soon as He came aboard,
The work was suddenly done.
They just needed to learn to trust Him.
If you belong to Him
If youre trusting Him,
And turning from your sins
Even though you will have to face many trials,
You can know that you will reach your final destination.
Jesus will make sure you do
All you have to do is trust Him.
He says, My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I
give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them
out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and
no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand (John 10:27-29).
And so whatever youre faced with now
And were all faced with difficulties of various kinds
Know that the Lord has brought those trials;
He has brought them for your good;
He is praying for you while you go through them;
And He will come to you before long
To bring them to a good conclusion. Amen.
http://www.gcmodesto.org
He Is with You in the Storm
(John 6:15-21)
I. Introduction.
A. Orientation.
Last time,
We saw one of Jesus most familiar miracles
And perhaps the greatest to this point:
Jesus fed five thousand men
Besides women and children
With the modest lunch of a young lad
Five barley loaves and two fish.
He did this for at least three reasons:
To provide for the needs of His people
They had followed Him
And He had taught and healed them
Throughout the day
He didnt want them to leave
Without meeting this need as well
Which reminds us that Jesus cares for our needs.
He has promised
That He will provide for us throughout life
And bring us safely to heaven.
2
He did this to show His disciples
That theres a reward for serving Him
After they had served the people
They gathered up the leftover pieces
And filled twelve large baskets
One for each of them.
The Lord will reward you
If you seek first His kingdom and righteousness
And set your heart to serve Him.
And He did this to show both His disciples and the people
Who He really was:
The Prophet Moses said would come into the world (Deu. 18:15)
The Messiah.
Jesus likely did this miracle
During the time of the Passover
Not only to show He is the Lamb of God
Who takes away the sins of the world,
But that He is the Bread of Life,
Pictured by the Feast of Unleavened Bread.
Jesus tells you that if you eat this bread
If you turn from your sins/disobedience
And trust Him to save you
He will give you eternal life.
B. Preview.
We see Jesus now
Command His disciples to get into a boat
And head to Capernaum
Which is in the land of Gennesaret.
He did this because it was there
He would follow up on this miracle
And teach the people more about their need of Him.
But He also did this because
He had a few more things to teach His disciples.
This morning, lets consider several things:
1. That Jesus protects us from temptation.
2. That the path of duty is often difficult.
3. That Jesus prays for us in our difficulties.
4. That as we grow, the trials become more intense.
5. That the Lord often sends trials after times of blessing.
6. That the Lord will come to us in our trials.
7. And that He will use our trials to bring us to the desired destination.
II. Sermon.
A. First, the Lord protects us from temptation.
We read in verse 15, So Jesus, perceiving that they were intending to come and
take Him by force to make Him king, withdrew again to the mountain by
Himself alone.
4
Why did Jesus withdraw to the mountain?
As well see in a moment,
He did so to pray.
But He also did so
That the Jews wouldnt attempt to force Him to be their king,
And likely to help His disciples overcome the same temptation.
Like the rest of Israel,
The disciples had the expectation that when Messiah came
He would lead the Jews to freedom against Rome.
They still believed this at the end of His earthly ministry.
They asked Him just before He ascended
Whether it was at this time
He was restoring the kingdom to Israel (Acts 1:6).
After having seen what Jesus just did
In teaching, healing and feeding the five thousand,
Their hopes in this area would likely have been strengthened,
And so Jesus sent them away and withdrew.
Paul writes, No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and
God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able,
but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be
able to endure it (1 Cor. 10:13).
Temptations are trials
God allows them for our good.
But He will never allow us to be tempted
Beyond what we, by His grace, are able to endure.
He will, though, push us to the limit
That He might strengthen us.
Everything He brings into our lives
He intends for some good.
B. Second, our Lord shows us that the path of duty is often difficult.
We read in verses 16-18, Now when evening came, His disciples went down to
the sea, and after getting into a boat, they started to cross the sea to Capernaum.
It had already become dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them. The sea began
to be stirred up because a strong wind was blowing.
Jesus told His disciples to get into the boat
And to cross to the other side; and they obeyed.
A powerful wind began to blow
And the sea became restless,
Making it difficult for them to make much progress.
They were doing what Jesus commanded them to do,
But it seemed as though nature was working against them.
By the time Jesus comes to them
They wont have gotten very far.
Sometimes we tend to think
That if were doing what God wants us to do
That our way will be blessed
That our work will be easy,
6
That it will be productive.
Sometimes it is,
But that isnt always the case.
Very often the Lord will make the road difficult,
Hell make everything turn against us
As He did His disciples when they crossed the sea.
But again, thats because He has more in mind
Than just the fruit we might bear for Him.
He wants to teach us the importance of perseverance/endurance.
The athlete knows if he never challenges himself
If he never pushes himself to work harder
Hell never improve.
In the same way,
If we always do the same thing in the same way
If we never have to face any spiritual challenges
Well never grow stronger,
Well never improve.
Thats why the Lord will often place difficulties in our path.
C. Third, He shows us that He prays for us in our difficulties.
So Jesus, perceiving that they were intending to come and take Him by force to
make Him king, withdrew again to the mountain by Himself alone (v. 15).
I said a few moments ago
That one reason Jesus went up to the mountain
7
Was to pray.
Matthew writes, After He had sent the crowds away, He went up on the mountain
by Himself to pray; and when it was evening, He was there alone (14:23).
What was He praying for?
Undoubtedly, many things:
That His Father would strengthen Him in His work,
That He would strengthen His disciples,
That He would bring His lost sheep home.
But He likely also prayed that His Father
Would stir up a strong wind,
That would make the sea turn against His disciples,
To slow their progress to the other side.
Why would He do that?
For the reasons weve already seen.
God is the One who brings trials
They dont happen by accident,
Nothing happens by accident.
Paul writes, Also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined
according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will
(Eph. 1:11).
He brings them to strengthen us.
James writes, Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials,
knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance
have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in
nothing (1:2-4).
8
But He doesnt bring trials and then leave us
To deal with them on our own:
He prays for us,
That we might have the strength we need
To endure those trials and benefit from them.
Paul writes, Who will bring a charge against God's elect? God is the one who
justifies; who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes,
rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for
us (Rom. 8:33-34).
D. Fourth, He shows us that as we grow, the trials become more intense.
The disciples had been on the sea earlier
When a storm rose and threatened to sink them
But Jesus was in the boat.
This time, theyre back out at sea
In the middle of a storm (Matt. 14:24) without Him
And that by Jesus command.
When we first start out with the Lord
It does seem as though Hes closer to us.
We can sense more of His presence.
But as we grow in Him,
Sometimes He seems to withdraw
To withhold His comfortable presence,
That sense of nearness
To teach us something we need to learn:
To walk by faith and not by sight;
To take God at His Word;
To trust Him
Not only when it feels like He is near,
But also when it seems He is far away.
Is the Lord really ever far from any of us? No.
The Lord says through Isaiah, Do not fear, for I am with you; do not anxiously
look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you,
surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand (41:10).
E. When is the Lord most likely to send trials?
He most often sends them after times of blessing.
This takes place in the evening
Of the same day Jesus fed the five thousand.
They had just witnessed the greatest miracle of Jesus to date.
They had each just enjoyed a full basket of bread and fish
As their reward for their participation.
And now they find themselves stuck out at sea
Struggling to row to land.
Spurgeon told his preaching students
To prepare for fainting fits
That they would most likely experience a spiritual attack
When the Lord had used them most powerfully
10
To keep them humble,
That they might humbly rely on God
And not on their own strength.
The same is true for each one of us:
We are never more likely to go through a trial
That is designed by the Lord to humble us,
Than after He has blessed us
By using us in some mighty way.
F. Sixth, the Lord will come to us in our trials.
John writes, Then, when they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus
walking on the sea and drawing near to the boat; and they were frightened. But
He said to them, It is I; do not be afraid (vv. 19-20).
He will come to us
He came to His disciples on the sea.
He came to John when he was banished to Patmos,
To Paul, Silas and Peter when they were in prison.
He will also come to us in our trials.
The author to the Hebrews writes, He Himself has said, I WILL NEVER
DESERT YOU, NOR WILL I EVER FORSAKE YOU, so that we confidently
say, THE LORD IS MY HELPER, I WILL NOT BE AFRAID. WHAT WILL
MAN DO TO ME? (Heb. 13:5-6).
He will come at just the right time.
They had been rowing for at least eight hours
They began at about sunset
11
Which would have been around 7:00 PM
And now it was the fourth watch of the night (Matt. 14:25)
Which is somewhere between 3:00 and 6:00 AM.
And yet they had only gone three or four miles
At most, a half mile an hour
Matthew tells us that the wind was against them (14:24).
Apparently, it took that long to teach them
What Jesus wanted them to learn.
Sometimes it may take us a while to learn
What our Lord wants to teach us in our trials,
But He will come when the time is right.
And He will come in a way that unmistakably shows its Him
He came walking on the water.
Here is further evidence
That Jesus is the Prophet
The Son of God,
The Messiah
Who else can walk on water?
When He comes to us in our trials,
He will come in a way that shows who it is.
We may not recognize Him at first
12
When the disciples saw Him,
They were afraid:
Matthew tells us
They thought there were looking at a ghost.
Maybe we wont recognize Him either.
How often do we think the trials we face
Are brought about by the devil,
Rather than by God
Understanding that sometimes the Lord uses him.
We havent yet learned to recognize Gods hand:
Either in His trials or His deliverances.
Regardless, the Lord wont leave us to fear:
He will comfort us as He did the disciples,
It is I; do not be afraid (v. 20).
G. Finally, the Lord will use our trials to bring us to the desired destination.
John concludes, So they were willing to receive Him into the boat, and
immediately the boat was at the land to which they were going (v. 21).
As soon as they brought Him into the boat,
They arrived at their destination.
The trial was over,
And the lesson was learned.
The disciples were working hard to obey Jesus
But couldnt seem to complete the task.
13
As soon as He came aboard,
The work was suddenly done.
They just needed to learn to trust Him.
If you belong to Him
If youre trusting Him,
And turning from your sins
Even though you will have to face many trials,
You can know that you will reach your final destination.
Jesus will make sure you do
All you have to do is trust Him.
He says, My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I
give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them
out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and
no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand (John 10:27-29).
And so whatever youre faced with now
And were all faced with difficulties of various kinds
Know that the Lord has brought those trials;
He has brought them for your good;
He is praying for you while you go through them;
And He will come to you before long
To bring them to a good conclusion. Amen.
http://www.gcmodesto.org
He Is with You in the Storm
(John 6:15-21)
I. Introduction.
A. Orientation.
Last time,
We saw one of Jesus most familiar miracles
And perhaps the greatest to this point:
Jesus fed five thousand men
Besides women and children
With the modest lunch of a young lad
Five barley loaves and two fish.
He did this for at least three reasons:
To provide for the needs of His people
They had followed Him
And He had taught and healed them
Throughout the day
He didnt want them to leave
Without meeting this need as well
Which reminds us that Jesus cares for our needs.
He has promised
That He will provide for us throughout life
And bring us safely to heaven.
2
He did this to show His disciples
That theres a reward for serving Him
After they had served the people
They gathered up the leftover pieces
And filled twelve large baskets
One for each of them.
The Lord will reward you
If you seek first His kingdom and righteousness
And set your heart to serve Him.
And He did this to show both His disciples and the people
Who He really was:
The Prophet Moses said would come into the world (Deu. 18:15)
The Messiah.
Jesus likely did this miracle
During the time of the Passover
Not only to show He is the Lamb of God
Who takes away the sins of the world,
But that He is the Bread of Life,
Pictured by the Feast of Unleavened Bread.
Jesus tells you that if you eat this bread
If you turn from your sins/disobedience
And trust Him to save you
He will give you eternal life.
B. Preview.
We see Jesus now
Command His disciples to get into a boat
And head to Capernaum
Which is in the land of Gennesaret.
He did this because it was there
He would follow up on this miracle
And teach the people more about their need of Him.
But He also did this because
He had a few more things to teach His disciples.
This morning, lets consider several things:
1. That Jesus protects us from temptation.
2. That the path of duty is often difficult.
3. That Jesus prays for us in our difficulties.
4. That as we grow, the trials become more intense.
5. That the Lord often sends trials after times of blessing.
6. That the Lord will come to us in our trials.
7. And that He will use our trials to bring us to the desired destination.
II. Sermon.
A. First, the Lord protects us from temptation.
We read in verse 15, So Jesus, perceiving that they were intending to come and
take Him by force to make Him king, withdrew again to the mountain by
Himself alone.
4
Why did Jesus withdraw to the mountain?
As well see in a moment,
He did so to pray.
But He also did so
That the Jews wouldnt attempt to force Him to be their king,
And likely to help His disciples overcome the same temptation.
Like the rest of Israel,
The disciples had the expectation that when Messiah came
He would lead the Jews to freedom against Rome.
They still believed this at the end of His earthly ministry.
They asked Him just before He ascended
Whether it was at this time
He was restoring the kingdom to Israel (Acts 1:6).
After having seen what Jesus just did
In teaching, healing and feeding the five thousand,
Their hopes in this area would likely have been strengthened,
And so Jesus sent them away and withdrew.
Paul writes, No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and
God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able,
but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be
able to endure it (1 Cor. 10:13).
Temptations are trials
God allows them for our good.
But He will never allow us to be tempted
Beyond what we, by His grace, are able to endure.
He will, though, push us to the limit
That He might strengthen us.
Everything He brings into our lives
He intends for some good.
B. Second, our Lord shows us that the path of duty is often difficult.
We read in verses 16-18, Now when evening came, His disciples went down to
the sea, and after getting into a boat, they started to cross the sea to Capernaum.
It had already become dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them. The sea began
to be stirred up because a strong wind was blowing.
Jesus told His disciples to get into the boat
And to cross to the other side; and they obeyed.
A powerful wind began to blow
And the sea became restless,
Making it difficult for them to make much progress.
They were doing what Jesus commanded them to do,
But it seemed as though nature was working against them.
By the time Jesus comes to them
They wont have gotten very far.
Sometimes we tend to think
That if were doing what God wants us to do
That our way will be blessed
That our work will be easy,
6
That it will be productive.
Sometimes it is,
But that isnt always the case.
Very often the Lord will make the road difficult,
Hell make everything turn against us
As He did His disciples when they crossed the sea.
But again, thats because He has more in mind
Than just the fruit we might bear for Him.
He wants to teach us the importance of perseverance/endurance.
The athlete knows if he never challenges himself
If he never pushes himself to work harder
Hell never improve.
In the same way,
If we always do the same thing in the same way
If we never have to face any spiritual challenges
Well never grow stronger,
Well never improve.
Thats why the Lord will often place difficulties in our path.
C. Third, He shows us that He prays for us in our difficulties.
So Jesus, perceiving that they were intending to come and take Him by force to
make Him king, withdrew again to the mountain by Himself alone (v. 15).
I said a few moments ago
That one reason Jesus went up to the mountain
7
Was to pray.
Matthew writes, After He had sent the crowds away, He went up on the mountain
by Himself to pray; and when it was evening, He was there alone (14:23).
What was He praying for?
Undoubtedly, many things:
That His Father would strengthen Him in His work,
That He would strengthen His disciples,
That He would bring His lost sheep home.
But He likely also prayed that His Father
Would stir up a strong wind,
That would make the sea turn against His disciples,
To slow their progress to the other side.
Why would He do that?
For the reasons weve already seen.
God is the One who brings trials
They dont happen by accident,
Nothing happens by accident.
Paul writes, Also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined
according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will
(Eph. 1:11).
He brings them to strengthen us.
James writes, Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials,
knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance
have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in
nothing (1:2-4).
8
But He doesnt bring trials and then leave us
To deal with them on our own:
He prays for us,
That we might have the strength we need
To endure those trials and benefit from them.
Paul writes, Who will bring a charge against God's elect? God is the one who
justifies; who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes,
rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for
us (Rom. 8:33-34).
D. Fourth, He shows us that as we grow, the trials become more intense.
The disciples had been on the sea earlier
When a storm rose and threatened to sink them
But Jesus was in the boat.
This time, theyre back out at sea
In the middle of a storm (Matt. 14:24) without Him
And that by Jesus command.
When we first start out with the Lord
It does seem as though Hes closer to us.
We can sense more of His presence.
But as we grow in Him,
Sometimes He seems to withdraw
To withhold His comfortable presence,
That sense of nearness
To teach us something we need to learn:
To walk by faith and not by sight;
To take God at His Word;
To trust Him
Not only when it feels like He is near,
But also when it seems He is far away.
Is the Lord really ever far from any of us? No.
The Lord says through Isaiah, Do not fear, for I am with you; do not anxiously
look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you,
surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand (41:10).
E. When is the Lord most likely to send trials?
He most often sends them after times of blessing.
This takes place in the evening
Of the same day Jesus fed the five thousand.
They had just witnessed the greatest miracle of Jesus to date.
They had each just enjoyed a full basket of bread and fish
As their reward for their participation.
And now they find themselves stuck out at sea
Struggling to row to land.
Spurgeon told his preaching students
To prepare for fainting fits
That they would most likely experience a spiritual attack
When the Lord had used them most powerfully
10
To keep them humble,
That they might humbly rely on God
And not on their own strength.
The same is true for each one of us:
We are never more likely to go through a trial
That is designed by the Lord to humble us,
Than after He has blessed us
By using us in some mighty way.
F. Sixth, the Lord will come to us in our trials.
John writes, Then, when they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus
walking on the sea and drawing near to the boat; and they were frightened. But
He said to them, It is I; do not be afraid (vv. 19-20).
He will come to us
He came to His disciples on the sea.
He came to John when he was banished to Patmos,
To Paul, Silas and Peter when they were in prison.
He will also come to us in our trials.
The author to the Hebrews writes, He Himself has said, I WILL NEVER
DESERT YOU, NOR WILL I EVER FORSAKE YOU, so that we confidently
say, THE LORD IS MY HELPER, I WILL NOT BE AFRAID. WHAT WILL
MAN DO TO ME? (Heb. 13:5-6).
He will come at just the right time.
They had been rowing for at least eight hours
They began at about sunset
11
Which would have been around 7:00 PM
And now it was the fourth watch of the night (Matt. 14:25)
Which is somewhere between 3:00 and 6:00 AM.
And yet they had only gone three or four miles
At most, a half mile an hour
Matthew tells us that the wind was against them (14:24).
Apparently, it took that long to teach them
What Jesus wanted them to learn.
Sometimes it may take us a while to learn
What our Lord wants to teach us in our trials,
But He will come when the time is right.
And He will come in a way that unmistakably shows its Him
He came walking on the water.
Here is further evidence
That Jesus is the Prophet
The Son of God,
The Messiah
Who else can walk on water?
When He comes to us in our trials,
He will come in a way that shows who it is.
We may not recognize Him at first
12
When the disciples saw Him,
They were afraid:
Matthew tells us
They thought there were looking at a ghost.
Maybe we wont recognize Him either.
How often do we think the trials we face
Are brought about by the devil,
Rather than by God
Understanding that sometimes the Lord uses him.
We havent yet learned to recognize Gods hand:
Either in His trials or His deliverances.
Regardless, the Lord wont leave us to fear:
He will comfort us as He did the disciples,
It is I; do not be afraid (v. 20).
G. Finally, the Lord will use our trials to bring us to the desired destination.
John concludes, So they were willing to receive Him into the boat, and
immediately the boat was at the land to which they were going (v. 21).
As soon as they brought Him into the boat,
They arrived at their destination.
The trial was over,
And the lesson was learned.
The disciples were working hard to obey Jesus
But couldnt seem to complete the task.
13
As soon as He came aboard,
The work was suddenly done.
They just needed to learn to trust Him.
If you belong to Him
If youre trusting Him,
And turning from your sins
Even though you will have to face many trials,
You can know that you will reach your final destination.
Jesus will make sure you do
All you have to do is trust Him.
He says, My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I
give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them
out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and
no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand (John 10:27-29).
And so whatever youre faced with now
And were all faced with difficulties of various kinds
Know that the Lord has brought those trials;
He has brought them for your good;
He is praying for you while you go through them;
And He will come to you before long
To bring them to a good conclusion. Amen.
http://www.gcmodesto.org
He Is with You in the Storm
(John 6:15-21)
I. Introduction.
A. Orientation.
Last time,
We saw one of Jesus most familiar miracles
And perhaps the greatest to this point:
Jesus fed five thousand men
Besides women and children
With the modest lunch of a young lad
Five barley loaves and two fish.
He did this for at least three reasons:
To provide for the needs of His people
They had followed Him
And He had taught and healed them
Throughout the day
He didnt want them to leave
Without meeting this need as well
Which reminds us that Jesus cares for our needs.
He has promised
That He will provide for us throughout life
And bring us safely to heaven.
2
He did this to show His disciples
That theres a reward for serving Him
After they had served the people
They gathered up the leftover pieces
And filled twelve large baskets
One for each of them.
The Lord will reward you
If you seek first His kingdom and righteousness
And set your heart to serve Him.
And He did this to show both His disciples and the people
Who He really was:
The Prophet Moses said would come into the world (Deu. 18:15)
The Messiah.
Jesus likely did this miracle
During the time of the Passover
Not only to show He is the Lamb of God
Who takes away the sins of the world,
But that He is the Bread of Life,
Pictured by the Feast of Unleavened Bread.
Jesus tells you that if you eat this bread
If you turn from your sins/disobedience
And trust Him to save you
He will give you eternal life.
B. Preview.
We see Jesus now
Command His disciples to get into a boat
And head to Capernaum
Which is in the land of Gennesaret.
He did this because it was there
He would follow up on this miracle
And teach the people more about their need of Him.
But He also did this because
He had a few more things to teach His disciples.
This morning, lets consider several things:
1. That Jesus protects us from temptation.
2. That the path of duty is often difficult.
3. That Jesus prays for us in our difficulties.
4. That as we grow, the trials become more intense.
5. That the Lord often sends trials after times of blessing.
6. That the Lord will come to us in our trials.
7. And that He will use our trials to bring us to the desired destination.
II. Sermon.
A. First, the Lord protects us from temptation.
We read in verse 15, So Jesus, perceiving that they were intending to come and
take Him by force to make Him king, withdrew again to the mountain by
Himself alone.
4
Why did Jesus withdraw to the mountain?
As well see in a moment,
He did so to pray.
But He also did so
That the Jews wouldnt attempt to force Him to be their king,
And likely to help His disciples overcome the same temptation.
Like the rest of Israel,
The disciples had the expectation that when Messiah came
He would lead the Jews to freedom against Rome.
They still believed this at the end of His earthly ministry.
They asked Him just before He ascended
Whether it was at this time
He was restoring the kingdom to Israel (Acts 1:6).
After having seen what Jesus just did
In teaching, healing and feeding the five thousand,
Their hopes in this area would likely have been strengthened,
And so Jesus sent them away and withdrew.
Paul writes, No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and
God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able,
but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be
able to endure it (1 Cor. 10:13).
Temptations are trials
God allows them for our good.
But He will never allow us to be tempted
Beyond what we, by His grace, are able to endure.
He will, though, push us to the limit
That He might strengthen us.
Everything He brings into our lives
He intends for some good.
B. Second, our Lord shows us that the path of duty is often difficult.
We read in verses 16-18, Now when evening came, His disciples went down to
the sea, and after getting into a boat, they started to cross the sea to Capernaum.
It had already become dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them. The sea began
to be stirred up because a strong wind was blowing.
Jesus told His disciples to get into the boat
And to cross to the other side; and they obeyed.
A powerful wind began to blow
And the sea became restless,
Making it difficult for them to make much progress.
They were doing what Jesus commanded them to do,
But it seemed as though nature was working against them.
By the time Jesus comes to them
They wont have gotten very far.
Sometimes we tend to think
That if were doing what God wants us to do
That our way will be blessed
That our work will be easy,
6
That it will be productive.
Sometimes it is,
But that isnt always the case.
Very often the Lord will make the road difficult,
Hell make everything turn against us
As He did His disciples when they crossed the sea.
But again, thats because He has more in mind
Than just the fruit we might bear for Him.
He wants to teach us the importance of perseverance/endurance.
The athlete knows if he never challenges himself
If he never pushes himself to work harder
Hell never improve.
In the same way,
If we always do the same thing in the same way
If we never have to face any spiritual challenges
Well never grow stronger,
Well never improve.
Thats why the Lord will often place difficulties in our path.
C. Third, He shows us that He prays for us in our difficulties.
So Jesus, perceiving that they were intending to come and take Him by force to
make Him king, withdrew again to the mountain by Himself alone (v. 15).
I said a few moments ago
That one reason Jesus went up to the mountain
7
Was to pray.
Matthew writes, After He had sent the crowds away, He went up on the mountain
by Himself to pray; and when it was evening, He was there alone (14:23).
What was He praying for?
Undoubtedly, many things:
That His Father would strengthen Him in His work,
That He would strengthen His disciples,
That He would bring His lost sheep home.
But He likely also prayed that His Father
Would stir up a strong wind,
That would make the sea turn against His disciples,
To slow their progress to the other side.
Why would He do that?
For the reasons weve already seen.
God is the One who brings trials
They dont happen by accident,
Nothing happens by accident.
Paul writes, Also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined
according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will
(Eph. 1:11).
He brings them to strengthen us.
James writes, Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials,
knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance
have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in
nothing (1:2-4).
8
But He doesnt bring trials and then leave us
To deal with them on our own:
He prays for us,
That we might have the strength we need
To endure those trials and benefit from them.
Paul writes, Who will bring a charge against God's elect? God is the one who
justifies; who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes,
rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for
us (Rom. 8:33-34).
D. Fourth, He shows us that as we grow, the trials become more intense.
The disciples had been on the sea earlier
When a storm rose and threatened to sink them
But Jesus was in the boat.
This time, theyre back out at sea
In the middle of a storm (Matt. 14:24) without Him
And that by Jesus command.
When we first start out with the Lord
It does seem as though Hes closer to us.
We can sense more of His presence.
But as we grow in Him,
Sometimes He seems to withdraw
To withhold His comfortable presence,
That sense of nearness
To teach us something we need to learn:
To walk by faith and not by sight;
To take God at His Word;
To trust Him
Not only when it feels like He is near,
But also when it seems He is far away.
Is the Lord really ever far from any of us? No.
The Lord says through Isaiah, Do not fear, for I am with you; do not anxiously
look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you,
surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand (41:10).
E. When is the Lord most likely to send trials?
He most often sends them after times of blessing.
This takes place in the evening
Of the same day Jesus fed the five thousand.
They had just witnessed the greatest miracle of Jesus to date.
They had each just enjoyed a full basket of bread and fish
As their reward for their participation.
And now they find themselves stuck out at sea
Struggling to row to land.
Spurgeon told his preaching students
To prepare for fainting fits
That they would most likely experience a spiritual attack
When the Lord had used them most powerfully
10
To keep them humble,
That they might humbly rely on God
And not on their own strength.
The same is true for each one of us:
We are never more likely to go through a trial
That is designed by the Lord to humble us,
Than after He has blessed us
By using us in some mighty way.
F. Sixth, the Lord will come to us in our trials.
John writes, Then, when they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus
walking on the sea and drawing near to the boat; and they were frightened. But
He said to them, It is I; do not be afraid (vv. 19-20).
He will come to us
He came to His disciples on the sea.
He came to John when he was banished to Patmos,
To Paul, Silas and Peter when they were in prison.
He will also come to us in our trials.
The author to the Hebrews writes, He Himself has said, I WILL NEVER
DESERT YOU, NOR WILL I EVER FORSAKE YOU, so that we confidently
say, THE LORD IS MY HELPER, I WILL NOT BE AFRAID. WHAT WILL
MAN DO TO ME? (Heb. 13:5-6).
He will come at just the right time.
They had been rowing for at least eight hours
They began at about sunset
11
Which would have been around 7:00 PM
And now it was the fourth watch of the night (Matt. 14:25)
Which is somewhere between 3:00 and 6:00 AM.
And yet they had only gone three or four miles
At most, a half mile an hour
Matthew tells us that the wind was against them (14:24).
Apparently, it took that long to teach them
What Jesus wanted them to learn.
Sometimes it may take us a while to learn
What our Lord wants to teach us in our trials,
But He will come when the time is right.
And He will come in a way that unmistakably shows its Him
He came walking on the water.
Here is further evidence
That Jesus is the Prophet
The Son of God,
The Messiah
Who else can walk on water?
When He comes to us in our trials,
He will come in a way that shows who it is.
We may not recognize Him at first
12
When the disciples saw Him,
They were afraid:
Matthew tells us
They thought there were looking at a ghost.
Maybe we wont recognize Him either.
How often do we think the trials we face
Are brought about by the devil,
Rather than by God
Understanding that sometimes the Lord uses him.
We havent yet learned to recognize Gods hand:
Either in His trials or His deliverances.
Regardless, the Lord wont leave us to fear:
He will comfort us as He did the disciples,
It is I; do not be afraid (v. 20).
G. Finally, the Lord will use our trials to bring us to the desired destination.
John concludes, So they were willing to receive Him into the boat, and
immediately the boat was at the land to which they were going (v. 21).
As soon as they brought Him into the boat,
They arrived at their destination.
The trial was over,
And the lesson was learned.
The disciples were working hard to obey Jesus
But couldnt seem to complete the task.
13
As soon as He came aboard,
The work was suddenly done.
They just needed to learn to trust Him.
If you belong to Him
If youre trusting Him,
And turning from your sins
Even though you will have to face many trials,
You can know that you will reach your final destination.
Jesus will make sure you do
All you have to do is trust Him.
He says, My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I
give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them
out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and
no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand (John 10:27-29).
And so whatever youre faced with now
And were all faced with difficulties of various kinds
Know that the Lord has brought those trials;
He has brought them for your good;
He is praying for you while you go through them;
And He will come to you before long
To bring them to a good conclusion. Amen.
http://www.gcmodesto.org
He Is with You in the Storm
(John 6:15-21)
I. Introduction.
A. Orientation.
Last time,
We saw one of Jesus most familiar miracles
And perhaps the greatest to this point:
Jesus fed five thousand men
Besides women and children
With the modest lunch of a young lad
Five barley loaves and two fish.
He did this for at least three reasons:
To provide for the needs of His people
They had followed Him
And He had taught and healed them
Throughout the day
He didnt want them to leave
Without meeting this need as well
Which reminds us that Jesus cares for our needs.
He has promised
That He will provide for us throughout life
And bring us safely to heaven.
2
He did this to show His disciples
That theres a reward for serving Him
After they had served the people
They gathered up the leftover pieces
And filled twelve large baskets
One for each of them.
The Lord will reward you
If you seek first His kingdom and righteousness
And set your heart to serve Him.
And He did this to show both His disciples and the people
Who He really was:
The Prophet Moses said would come into the world (Deu. 18:15)
The Messiah.
Jesus likely did this miracle
During the time of the Passover
Not only to show He is the Lamb of God
Who takes away the sins of the world,
But that He is the Bread of Life,
Pictured by the Feast of Unleavened Bread.
Jesus tells you that if you eat this bread
If you turn from your sins/disobedience
And trust Him to save you
He will give you eternal life.
B. Preview.
We see Jesus now
Command His disciples to get into a boat
And head to Capernaum
Which is in the land of Gennesaret.
He did this because it was there
He would follow up on this miracle
And teach the people more about their need of Him.
But He also did this because
He had a few more things to teach His disciples.
This morning, lets consider several things:
1. That Jesus protects us from temptation.
2. That the path of duty is often difficult.
3. That Jesus prays for us in our difficulties.
4. That as we grow, the trials become more intense.
5. That the Lord often sends trials after times of blessing.
6. That the Lord will come to us in our trials.
7. And that He will use our trials to bring us to the desired destination.
II. Sermon.
A. First, the Lord protects us from temptation.
We read in verse 15, So Jesus, perceiving that they were intending to come and
take Him by force to make Him king, withdrew again to the mountain by
Himself alone.
4
Why did Jesus withdraw to the mountain?
As well see in a moment,
He did so to pray.
But He also did so
That the Jews wouldnt attempt to force Him to be their king,
And likely to help His disciples overcome the same temptation.
Like the rest of Israel,
The disciples had the expectation that when Messiah came
He would lead the Jews to freedom against Rome.
They still believed this at the end of His earthly ministry.
They asked Him just before He ascended
Whether it was at this time
He was restoring the kingdom to Israel (Acts 1:6).
After having seen what Jesus just did
In teaching, healing and feeding the five thousand,
Their hopes in this area would likely have been strengthened,
And so Jesus sent them away and withdrew.
Paul writes, No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and
God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able,
but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be
able to endure it (1 Cor. 10:13).
Temptations are trials
God allows them for our good.
But He will never allow us to be tempted
Beyond what we, by His grace, are able to endure.
He will, though, push us to the limit
That He might strengthen us.
Everything He brings into our lives
He intends for some good.
B. Second, our Lord shows us that the path of duty is often difficult.
We read in verses 16-18, Now when evening came, His disciples went down to
the sea, and after getting into a boat, they started to cross the sea to Capernaum.
It had already become dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them. The sea began
to be stirred up because a strong wind was blowing.
Jesus told His disciples to get into the boat
And to cross to the other side; and they obeyed.
A powerful wind began to blow
And the sea became restless,
Making it difficult for them to make much progress.
They were doing what Jesus commanded them to do,
But it seemed as though nature was working against them.
By the time Jesus comes to them
They wont have gotten very far.
Sometimes we tend to think
That if were doing what God wants us to do
That our way will be blessed
That our work will be easy,
6
That it will be productive.
Sometimes it is,
But that isnt always the case.
Very often the Lord will make the road difficult,
Hell make everything turn against us
As He did His disciples when they crossed the sea.
But again, thats because He has more in mind
Than just the fruit we might bear for Him.
He wants to teach us the importance of perseverance/endurance.
The athlete knows if he never challenges himself
If he never pushes himself to work harder
Hell never improve.
In the same way,
If we always do the same thing in the same way
If we never have to face any spiritual challenges
Well never grow stronger,
Well never improve.
Thats why the Lord will often place difficulties in our path.
C. Third, He shows us that He prays for us in our difficulties.
So Jesus, perceiving that they were intending to come and take Him by force to
make Him king, withdrew again to the mountain by Himself alone (v. 15).
I said a few moments ago
That one reason Jesus went up to the mountain
7
Was to pray.
Matthew writes, After He had sent the crowds away, He went up on the mountain
by Himself to pray; and when it was evening, He was there alone (14:23).
What was He praying for?
Undoubtedly, many things:
That His Father would strengthen Him in His work,
That He would strengthen His disciples,
That He would bring His lost sheep home.
But He likely also prayed that His Father
Would stir up a strong wind,
That would make the sea turn against His disciples,
To slow their progress to the other side.
Why would He do that?
For the reasons weve already seen.
God is the One who brings trials
They dont happen by accident,
Nothing happens by accident.
Paul writes, Also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined
according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will
(Eph. 1:11).
He brings them to strengthen us.
James writes, Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials,
knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance
have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in
nothing (1:2-4).
8
But He doesnt bring trials and then leave us
To deal with them on our own:
He prays for us,
That we might have the strength we need
To endure those trials and benefit from them.
Paul writes, Who will bring a charge against God's elect? God is the one who
justifies; who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes,
rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for
us (Rom. 8:33-34).
D. Fourth, He shows us that as we grow, the trials become more intense.
The disciples had been on the sea earlier
When a storm rose and threatened to sink them
But Jesus was in the boat.
This time, theyre back out at sea
In the middle of a storm (Matt. 14:24) without Him
And that by Jesus command.
When we first start out with the Lord
It does seem as though Hes closer to us.
We can sense more of His presence.
But as we grow in Him,
Sometimes He seems to withdraw
To withhold His comfortable presence,
That sense of nearness
To teach us something we need to learn:
To walk by faith and not by sight;
To take God at His Word;
To trust Him
Not only when it feels like He is near,
But also when it seems He is far away.
Is the Lord really ever far from any of us? No.
The Lord says through Isaiah, Do not fear, for I am with you; do not anxiously
look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you,
surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand (41:10).
E. When is the Lord most likely to send trials?
He most often sends them after times of blessing.
This takes place in the evening
Of the same day Jesus fed the five thousand.
They had just witnessed the greatest miracle of Jesus to date.
They had each just enjoyed a full basket of bread and fish
As their reward for their participation.
And now they find themselves stuck out at sea
Struggling to row to land.
Spurgeon told his preaching students
To prepare for fainting fits
That they would most likely experience a spiritual attack
When the Lord had used them most powerfully
10
To keep them humble,
That they might humbly rely on God
And not on their own strength.
The same is true for each one of us:
We are never more likely to go through a trial
That is designed by the Lord to humble us,
Than after He has blessed us
By using us in some mighty way.
F. Sixth, the Lord will come to us in our trials.
John writes, Then, when they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus
walking on the sea and drawing near to the boat; and they were frightened. But
He said to them, It is I; do not be afraid (vv. 19-20).
He will come to us
He came to His disciples on the sea.
He came to John when he was banished to Patmos,
To Paul, Silas and Peter when they were in prison.
He will also come to us in our trials.
The author to the Hebrews writes, He Himself has said, I WILL NEVER
DESERT YOU, NOR WILL I EVER FORSAKE YOU, so that we confidently
say, THE LORD IS MY HELPER, I WILL NOT BE AFRAID. WHAT WILL
MAN DO TO ME? (Heb. 13:5-6).
He will come at just the right time.
They had been rowing for at least eight hours
They began at about sunset
11
Which would have been around 7:00 PM
And now it was the fourth watch of the night (Matt. 14:25)
Which is somewhere between 3:00 and 6:00 AM.
And yet they had only gone three or four miles
At most, a half mile an hour
Matthew tells us that the wind was against them (14:24).
Apparently, it took that long to teach them
What Jesus wanted them to learn.
Sometimes it may take us a while to learn
What our Lord wants to teach us in our trials,
But He will come when the time is right.
And He will come in a way that unmistakably shows its Him
He came walking on the water.
Here is further evidence
That Jesus is the Prophet
The Son of God,
The Messiah
Who else can walk on water?
When He comes to us in our trials,
He will come in a way that shows who it is.
We may not recognize Him at first
12
When the disciples saw Him,
They were afraid:
Matthew tells us
They thought there were looking at a ghost.
Maybe we wont recognize Him either.
How often do we think the trials we face
Are brought about by the devil,
Rather than by God
Understanding that sometimes the Lord uses him.
We havent yet learned to recognize Gods hand:
Either in His trials or His deliverances.
Regardless, the Lord wont leave us to fear:
He will comfort us as He did the disciples,
It is I; do not be afraid (v. 20).
G. Finally, the Lord will use our trials to bring us to the desired destination.
John concludes, So they were willing to receive Him into the boat, and
immediately the boat was at the land to which they were going (v. 21).
As soon as they brought Him into the boat,
They arrived at their destination.
The trial was over,
And the lesson was learned.
The disciples were working hard to obey Jesus
But couldnt seem to complete the task.
13
As soon as He came aboard,
The work was suddenly done.
They just needed to learn to trust Him.
If you belong to Him
If youre trusting Him,
And turning from your sins
Even though you will have to face many trials,
You can know that you will reach your final destination.
Jesus will make sure you do
All you have to do is trust Him.
He says, My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I
give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them
out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and
no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand (John 10:27-29).
And so whatever youre faced with now
And were all faced with difficulties of various kinds
Know that the Lord has brought those trials;
He has brought them for your good;
He is praying for you while you go through them;
And He will come to you before long
To bring them to a good conclusion. Amen.
http://www.gcmodesto.org
He Is with You in the Storm
(John 6:15-21)
I. Introduction.
A. Orientation.
Last time,
We saw one of Jesus most familiar miracles
And perhaps the greatest to this point:
Jesus fed five thousand men
Besides women and children
With the modest lunch of a young lad
Five barley loaves and two fish.
He did this for at least three reasons:
To provide for the needs of His people
They had followed Him
And He had taught and healed them
Throughout the day
He didnt want them to leave
Without meeting this need as well
Which reminds us that Jesus cares for our needs.
He has promised
That He will provide for us throughout life
And bring us safely to heaven.
2
He did this to show His disciples
That theres a reward for serving Him
After they had served the people
They gathered up the leftover pieces
And filled twelve large baskets
One for each of them.
The Lord will reward you
If you seek first His kingdom and righteousness
And set your heart to serve Him.
And He did this to show both His disciples and the people
Who He really was:
The Prophet Moses said would come into the world (Deu. 18:15)
The Messiah.
Jesus likely did this miracle
During the time of the Passover
Not only to show He is the Lamb of God
Who takes away the sins of the world,
But that He is the Bread of Life,
Pictured by the Feast of Unleavened Bread.
Jesus tells you that if you eat this bread
If you turn from your sins/disobedience
And trust Him to save you
He will give you eternal life.
B. Preview.
We see Jesus now
Command His disciples to get into a boat
And head to Capernaum
Which is in the land of Gennesaret.
He did this because it was there
He would follow up on this miracle
And teach the people more about their need of Him.
But He also did this because
He had a few more things to teach His disciples.
This morning, lets consider several things:
1. That Jesus protects us from temptation.
2. That the path of duty is often difficult.
3. That Jesus prays for us in our difficulties.
4. That as we grow, the trials become more intense.
5. That the Lord often sends trials after times of blessing.
6. That the Lord will come to us in our trials.
7. And that He will use our trials to bring us to the desired destination.
II. Sermon.
A. First, the Lord protects us from temptation.
We read in verse 15, So Jesus, perceiving that they were intending to come and
take Him by force to make Him king, withdrew again to the mountain by
Himself alone.
4
Why did Jesus withdraw to the mountain?
As well see in a moment,
He did so to pray.
But He also did so
That the Jews wouldnt attempt to force Him to be their king,
And likely to help His disciples overcome the same temptation.
Like the rest of Israel,
The disciples had the expectation that when Messiah came
He would lead the Jews to freedom against Rome.
They still believed this at the end of His earthly ministry.
They asked Him just before He ascended
Whether it was at this time
He was restoring the kingdom to Israel (Acts 1:6).
After having seen what Jesus just did
In teaching, healing and feeding the five thousand,
Their hopes in this area would likely have been strengthened,
And so Jesus sent them away and withdrew.
Paul writes, No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and
God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able,
but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be
able to endure it (1 Cor. 10:13).
Temptations are trials
God allows them for our good.
But He will never allow us to be tempted
Beyond what we, by His grace, are able to endure.
He will, though, push us to the limit
That He might strengthen us.
Everything He brings into our lives
He intends for some good.
B. Second, our Lord shows us that the path of duty is often difficult.
We read in verses 16-18, Now when evening came, His disciples went down to
the sea, and after getting into a boat, they started to cross the sea to Capernaum.
It had already become dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them. The sea began
to be stirred up because a strong wind was blowing.
Jesus told His disciples to get into the boat
And to cross to the other side; and they obeyed.
A powerful wind began to blow
And the sea became restless,
Making it difficult for them to make much progress.
They were doing what Jesus commanded them to do,
But it seemed as though nature was working against them.
By the time Jesus comes to them
They wont have gotten very far.
Sometimes we tend to think
That if were doing what God wants us to do
That our way will be blessed
That our work will be easy,
6
That it will be productive.
Sometimes it is,
But that isnt always the case.
Very often the Lord will make the road difficult,
Hell make everything turn against us
As He did His disciples when they crossed the sea.
But again, thats because He has more in mind
Than just the fruit we might bear for Him.
He wants to teach us the importance of perseverance/endurance.
The athlete knows if he never challenges himself
If he never pushes himself to work harder
Hell never improve.
In the same way,
If we always do the same thing in the same way
If we never have to face any spiritual challenges
Well never grow stronger,
Well never improve.
Thats why the Lord will often place difficulties in our path.
C. Third, He shows us that He prays for us in our difficulties.
So Jesus, perceiving that they were intending to come and take Him by force to
make Him king, withdrew again to the mountain by Himself alone (v. 15).
I said a few moments ago
That one reason Jesus went up to the mountain
7
Was to pray.
Matthew writes, After He had sent the crowds away, He went up on the mountain
by Himself to pray; and when it was evening, He was there alone (14:23).
What was He praying for?
Undoubtedly, many things:
That His Father would strengthen Him in His work,
That He would strengthen His disciples,
That He would bring His lost sheep home.
But He likely also prayed that His Father
Would stir up a strong wind,
That would make the sea turn against His disciples,
To slow their progress to the other side.
Why would He do that?
For the reasons weve already seen.
God is the One who brings trials
They dont happen by accident,
Nothing happens by accident.
Paul writes, Also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined
according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will
(Eph. 1:11).
He brings them to strengthen us.
James writes, Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials,
knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance
have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in
nothing (1:2-4).
8
But He doesnt bring trials and then leave us
To deal with them on our own:
He prays for us,
That we might have the strength we need
To endure those trials and benefit from them.
Paul writes, Who will bring a charge against God's elect? God is the one who
justifies; who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes,
rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for
us (Rom. 8:33-34).
D. Fourth, He shows us that as we grow, the trials become more intense.
The disciples had been on the sea earlier
When a storm rose and threatened to sink them
But Jesus was in the boat.
This time, theyre back out at sea
In the middle of a storm (Matt. 14:24) without Him
And that by Jesus command.
When we first start out with the Lord
It does seem as though Hes closer to us.
We can sense more of His presence.
But as we grow in Him,
Sometimes He seems to withdraw
To withhold His comfortable presence,
That sense of nearness
To teach us something we need to learn:
To walk by faith and not by sight;
To take God at His Word;
To trust Him
Not only when it feels like He is near,
But also when it seems He is far away.
Is the Lord really ever far from any of us? No.
The Lord says through Isaiah, Do not fear, for I am with you; do not anxiously
look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you,
surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand (41:10).
E. When is the Lord most likely to send trials?
He most often sends them after times of blessing.
This takes place in the evening
Of the same day Jesus fed the five thousand.
They had just witnessed the greatest miracle of Jesus to date.
They had each just enjoyed a full basket of bread and fish
As their reward for their participation.
And now they find themselves stuck out at sea
Struggling to row to land.
Spurgeon told his preaching students
To prepare for fainting fits
That they would most likely experience a spiritual attack
When the Lord had used them most powerfully
10
To keep them humble,
That they might humbly rely on God
And not on their own strength.
The same is true for each one of us:
We are never more likely to go through a trial
That is designed by the Lord to humble us,
Than after He has blessed us
By using us in some mighty way.
F. Sixth, the Lord will come to us in our trials.
John writes, Then, when they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus
walking on the sea and drawing near to the boat; and they were frightened. But
He said to them, It is I; do not be afraid (vv. 19-20).
He will come to us
He came to His disciples on the sea.
He came to John when he was banished to Patmos,
To Paul, Silas and Peter when they were in prison.
He will also come to us in our trials.
The author to the Hebrews writes, He Himself has said, I WILL NEVER
DESERT YOU, NOR WILL I EVER FORSAKE YOU, so that we confidently
say, THE LORD IS MY HELPER, I WILL NOT BE AFRAID. WHAT WILL
MAN DO TO ME? (Heb. 13:5-6).
He will come at just the right time.
They had been rowing for at least eight hours
They began at about sunset
11
Which would have been around 7:00 PM
And now it was the fourth watch of the night (Matt. 14:25)
Which is somewhere between 3:00 and 6:00 AM.
And yet they had only gone three or four miles
At most, a half mile an hour
Matthew tells us that the wind was against them (14:24).
Apparently, it took that long to teach them
What Jesus wanted them to learn.
Sometimes it may take us a while to learn
What our Lord wants to teach us in our trials,
But He will come when the time is right.
And He will come in a way that unmistakably shows its Him
He came walking on the water.
Here is further evidence
That Jesus is the Prophet
The Son of God,
The Messiah
Who else can walk on water?
When He comes to us in our trials,
He will come in a way that shows who it is.
We may not recognize Him at first
12
When the disciples saw Him,
They were afraid:
Matthew tells us
They thought there were looking at a ghost.
Maybe we wont recognize Him either.
How often do we think the trials we face
Are brought about by the devil,
Rather than by God
Understanding that sometimes the Lord uses him.
We havent yet learned to recognize Gods hand:
Either in His trials or His deliverances.
Regardless, the Lord wont leave us to fear:
He will comfort us as He did the disciples,
It is I; do not be afraid (v. 20).
G. Finally, the Lord will use our trials to bring us to the desired destination.
John concludes, So they were willing to receive Him into the boat, and
immediately the boat was at the land to which they were going (v. 21).
As soon as they brought Him into the boat,
They arrived at their destination.
The trial was over,
And the lesson was learned.
The disciples were working hard to obey Jesus
But couldnt seem to complete the task.
13
As soon as He came aboard,
The work was suddenly done.
They just needed to learn to trust Him.
If you belong to Him
If youre trusting Him,
And turning from your sins
Even though you will have to face many trials,
You can know that you will reach your final destination.
Jesus will make sure you do
All you have to do is trust Him.
He says, My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I
give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them
out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and
no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand (John 10:27-29).
And so whatever youre faced with now
And were all faced with difficulties of various kinds
Know that the Lord has brought those trials;
He has brought them for your good;
He is praying for you while you go through them;
And He will come to you before long
To bring them to a good conclusion. Amen.
http://www.gcmodesto.org
He Is with You in the Storm
(John 6:15-21)
I. Introduction.
A. Orientation.
Last time,
We saw one of Jesus most familiar miracles
And perhaps the greatest to this point:
Jesus fed five thousand men
Besides women and children
With the modest lunch of a young lad
Five barley loaves and two fish.
He did this for at least three reasons:
To provide for the needs of His people
They had followed Him
And He had taught and healed them
Throughout the day
He didnt want them to leave
Without meeting this need as well
Which reminds us that Jesus cares for our needs.
He has promised
That He will provide for us throughout life
And bring us safely to heaven.
2
He did this to show His disciples
That theres a reward for serving Him
After they had served the people
They gathered up the leftover pieces
And filled twelve large baskets
One for each of them.
The Lord will reward you
If you seek first His kingdom and righteousness
And set your heart to serve Him.
And He did this to show both His disciples and the people
Who He really was:
The Prophet Moses said would come into the world (Deu. 18:15)
The Messiah.
Jesus likely did this miracle
During the time of the Passover
Not only to show He is the Lamb of God
Who takes away the sins of the world,
But that He is the Bread of Life,
Pictured by the Feast of Unleavened Bread.
Jesus tells you that if you eat this bread
If you turn from your sins/disobedience
And trust Him to save you
He will give you eternal life.
B. Preview.
We see Jesus now
Command His disciples to get into a boat
And head to Capernaum
Which is in the land of Gennesaret.
He did this because it was there
He would follow up on this miracle
And teach the people more about their need of Him.
But He also did this because
He had a few more things to teach His disciples.
This morning, lets consider several things:
1. That Jesus protects us from temptation.
2. That the path of duty is often difficult.
3. That Jesus prays for us in our difficulties.
4. That as we grow, the trials become more intense.
5. That the Lord often sends trials after times of blessing.
6. That the Lord will come to us in our trials.
7. And that He will use our trials to bring us to the desired destination.
II. Sermon.
A. First, the Lord protects us from temptation.
We read in verse 15, So Jesus, perceiving that they were intending to come and
take Him by force to make Him king, withdrew again to the mountain by
Himself alone.
4
Why did Jesus withdraw to the mountain?
As well see in a moment,
He did so to pray.
But He also did so
That the Jews wouldnt attempt to force Him to be their king,
And likely to help His disciples overcome the same temptation.
Like the rest of Israel,
The disciples had the expectation that when Messiah came
He would lead the Jews to freedom against Rome.
They still believed this at the end of His earthly ministry.
They asked Him just before He ascended
Whether it was at this time
He was restoring the kingdom to Israel (Acts 1:6).
After having seen what Jesus just did
In teaching, healing and feeding the five thousand,
Their hopes in this area would likely have been strengthened,
And so Jesus sent them away and withdrew.
Paul writes, No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and
God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able,
but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be
able to endure it (1 Cor. 10:13).
Temptations are trials
God allows them for our good.
But He will never allow us to be tempted
Beyond what we, by His grace, are able to endure.
He will, though, push us to the limit
That He might strengthen us.
Everything He brings into our lives
He intends for some good.
B. Second, our Lord shows us that the path of duty is often difficult.
We read in verses 16-18, Now when evening came, His disciples went down to
the sea, and after getting into a boat, they started to cross the sea to Capernaum.
It had already become dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them. The sea began
to be stirred up because a strong wind was blowing.
Jesus told His disciples to get into the boat
And to cross to the other side; and they obeyed.
A powerful wind began to blow
And the sea became restless,
Making it difficult for them to make much progress.
They were doing what Jesus commanded them to do,
But it seemed as though nature was working against them.
By the time Jesus comes to them
They wont have gotten very far.
Sometimes we tend to think
That if were doing what God wants us to do
That our way will be blessed
That our work will be easy,
6
That it will be productive.
Sometimes it is,
But that isnt always the case.
Very often the Lord will make the road difficult,
Hell make everything turn against us
As He did His disciples when they crossed the sea.
But again, thats because He has more in mind
Than just the fruit we might bear for Him.
He wants to teach us the importance of perseverance/endurance.
The athlete knows if he never challenges himself
If he never pushes himself to work harder
Hell never improve.
In the same way,
If we always do the same thing in the same way
If we never have to face any spiritual challenges
Well never grow stronger,
Well never improve.
Thats why the Lord will often place difficulties in our path.
C. Third, He shows us that He prays for us in our difficulties.
So Jesus, perceiving that they were intending to come and take Him by force to
make Him king, withdrew again to the mountain by Himself alone (v. 15).
I said a few moments ago
That one reason Jesus went up to the mountain
7
Was to pray.
Matthew writes, After He had sent the crowds away, He went up on the mountain
by Himself to pray; and when it was evening, He was there alone (14:23).
What was He praying for?
Undoubtedly, many things:
That His Father would strengthen Him in His work,
That He would strengthen His disciples,
That He would bring His lost sheep home.
But He likely also prayed that His Father
Would stir up a strong wind,
That would make the sea turn against His disciples,
To slow their progress to the other side.
Why would He do that?
For the reasons weve already seen.
God is the One who brings trials
They dont happen by accident,
Nothing happens by accident.
Paul writes, Also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined
according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will
(Eph. 1:11).
He brings them to strengthen us.
James writes, Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials,
knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance
have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in
nothing (1:2-4).
8
But He doesnt bring trials and then leave us
To deal with them on our own:
He prays for us,
That we might have the strength we need
To endure those trials and benefit from them.
Paul writes, Who will bring a charge against God's elect? God is the one who
justifies; who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes,
rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for
us (Rom. 8:33-34).
D. Fourth, He shows us that as we grow, the trials become more intense.
The disciples had been on the sea earlier
When a storm rose and threatened to sink them
But Jesus was in the boat.
This time, theyre back out at sea
In the middle of a storm (Matt. 14:24) without Him
And that by Jesus command.
When we first start out with the Lord
It does seem as though Hes closer to us.
We can sense more of His presence.
But as we grow in Him,
Sometimes He seems to withdraw
To withhold His comfortable presence,
That sense of nearness
To teach us something we need to learn:
To walk by faith and not by sight;
To take God at His Word;
To trust Him
Not only when it feels like He is near,
But also when it seems He is far away.
Is the Lord really ever far from any of us? No.
The Lord says through Isaiah, Do not fear, for I am with you; do not anxiously
look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you,
surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand (41:10).
E. When is the Lord most likely to send trials?
He most often sends them after times of blessing.
This takes place in the evening
Of the same day Jesus fed the five thousand.
They had just witnessed the greatest miracle of Jesus to date.
They had each just enjoyed a full basket of bread and fish
As their reward for their participation.
And now they find themselves stuck out at sea
Struggling to row to land.
Spurgeon told his preaching students
To prepare for fainting fits
That they would most likely experience a spiritual attack
When the Lord had used them most powerfully
10
To keep them humble,
That they might humbly rely on God
And not on their own strength.
The same is true for each one of us:
We are never more likely to go through a trial
That is designed by the Lord to humble us,
Than after He has blessed us
By using us in some mighty way.
F. Sixth, the Lord will come to us in our trials.
John writes, Then, when they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus
walking on the sea and drawing near to the boat; and they were frightened. But
He said to them, It is I; do not be afraid (vv. 19-20).
He will come to us
He came to His disciples on the sea.
He came to John when he was banished to Patmos,
To Paul, Silas and Peter when they were in prison.
He will also come to us in our trials.
The author to the Hebrews writes, He Himself has said, I WILL NEVER
DESERT YOU, NOR WILL I EVER FORSAKE YOU, so that we confidently
say, THE LORD IS MY HELPER, I WILL NOT BE AFRAID. WHAT WILL
MAN DO TO ME? (Heb. 13:5-6).
He will come at just the right time.
They had been rowing for at least eight hours
They began at about sunset
11
Which would have been around 7:00 PM
And now it was the fourth watch of the night (Matt. 14:25)
Which is somewhere between 3:00 and 6:00 AM.
And yet they had only gone three or four miles
At most, a half mile an hour
Matthew tells us that the wind was against them (14:24).
Apparently, it took that long to teach them
What Jesus wanted them to learn.
Sometimes it may take us a while to learn
What our Lord wants to teach us in our trials,
But He will come when the time is right.
And He will come in a way that unmistakably shows its Him
He came walking on the water.
Here is further evidence
That Jesus is the Prophet
The Son of God,
The Messiah
Who else can walk on water?
When He comes to us in our trials,
He will come in a way that shows who it is.
We may not recognize Him at first
12
When the disciples saw Him,
They were afraid:
Matthew tells us
They thought there were looking at a ghost.
Maybe we wont recognize Him either.
How often do we think the trials we face
Are brought about by the devil,
Rather than by God
Understanding that sometimes the Lord uses him.
We havent yet learned to recognize Gods hand:
Either in His trials or His deliverances.
Regardless, the Lord wont leave us to fear:
He will comfort us as He did the disciples,
It is I; do not be afraid (v. 20).
G. Finally, the Lord will use our trials to bring us to the desired destination.
John concludes, So they were willing to receive Him into the boat, and
immediately the boat was at the land to which they were going (v. 21).
As soon as they brought Him into the boat,
They arrived at their destination.
The trial was over,
And the lesson was learned.
The disciples were working hard to obey Jesus
But couldnt seem to complete the task.
13
As soon as He came aboard,
The work was suddenly done.
They just needed to learn to trust Him.
If you belong to Him
If youre trusting Him,
And turning from your sins
Even though you will have to face many trials,
You can know that you will reach your final destination.
Jesus will make sure you do
All you have to do is trust Him.
He says, My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I
give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them
out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and
no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand (John 10:27-29).
And so whatever youre faced with now
And were all faced with difficulties of various kinds
Know that the Lord has brought those trials;
He has brought them for your good;
He is praying for you while you go through them;
And He will come to you before long
To bring them to a good conclusion. Amen.
http://www.gcmodesto.org
He Is with You in the Storm
(John 6:15-21)
I. Introduction.
A. Orientation.
Last time,
We saw one of Jesus most familiar miracles
And perhaps the greatest to this point:
Jesus fed five thousand men
Besides women and children
With the modest lunch of a young lad
Five barley loaves and two fish.
He did this for at least three reasons:
To provide for the needs of His people
They had followed Him
And He had taught and healed them
Throughout the day
He didnt want them to leave
Without meeting this need as well
Which reminds us that Jesus cares for our needs.
He has promised
That He will provide for us throughout life
And bring us safely to heaven.
2
He did this to show His disciples
That theres a reward for serving Him
After they had served the people
They gathered up the leftover pieces
And filled twelve large baskets
One for each of them.
The Lord will reward you
If you seek first His kingdom and righteousness
And set your heart to serve Him.
And He did this to show both His disciples and the people
Who He really was:
The Prophet Moses said would come into the world (Deu. 18:15)
The Messiah.
Jesus likely did this miracle
During the time of the Passover
Not only to show He is the Lamb of God
Who takes away the sins of the world,
But that He is the Bread of Life,
Pictured by the Feast of Unleavened Bread.
Jesus tells you that if you eat this bread
If you turn from your sins/disobedience
And trust Him to save you
He will give you eternal life.
B. Preview.
We see Jesus now
Command His disciples to get into a boat
And head to Capernaum
Which is in the land of Gennesaret.
He did this because it was there
He would follow up on this miracle
And teach the people more about their need of Him.
But He also did this because
He had a few more things to teach His disciples.
This morning, lets consider several things:
1. That Jesus protects us from temptation.
2. That the path of duty is often difficult.
3. That Jesus prays for us in our difficulties.
4. That as we grow, the trials become more intense.
5. That the Lord often sends trials after times of blessing.
6. That the Lord will come to us in our trials.
7. And that He will use our trials to bring us to the desired destination.
II. Sermon.
A. First, the Lord protects us from temptation.
We read in verse 15, So Jesus, perceiving that they were intending to come and
take Him by force to make Him king, withdrew again to the mountain by
Himself alone.
4
Why did Jesus withdraw to the mountain?
As well see in a moment,
He did so to pray.
But He also did so
That the Jews wouldnt attempt to force Him to be their king,
And likely to help His disciples overcome the same temptation.
Like the rest of Israel,
The disciples had the expectation that when Messiah came
He would lead the Jews to freedom against Rome.
They still believed this at the end of His earthly ministry.
They asked Him just before He ascended
Whether it was at this time
He was restoring the kingdom to Israel (Acts 1:6).
After having seen what Jesus just did
In teaching, healing and feeding the five thousand,
Their hopes in this area would likely have been strengthened,
And so Jesus sent them away and withdrew.
Paul writes, No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and
God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able,
but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be
able to endure it (1 Cor. 10:13).
Temptations are trials
God allows them for our good.
But He will never allow us to be tempted
Beyond what we, by His grace, are able to endure.
He will, though, push us to the limit
That He might strengthen us.
Everything He brings into our lives
He intends for some good.
B. Second, our Lord shows us that the path of duty is often difficult.
We read in verses 16-18, Now when evening came, His disciples went down to
the sea, and after getting into a boat, they started to cross the sea to Capernaum.
It had already become dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them. The sea began
to be stirred up because a strong wind was blowing.
Jesus told His disciples to get into the boat
And to cross to the other side; and they obeyed.
A powerful wind began to blow
And the sea became restless,
Making it difficult for them to make much progress.
They were doing what Jesus commanded them to do,
But it seemed as though nature was working against them.
By the time Jesus comes to them
They wont have gotten very far.
Sometimes we tend to think
That if were doing what God wants us to do
That our way will be blessed
That our work will be easy,
6
That it will be productive.
Sometimes it is,
But that isnt always the case.
Very often the Lord will make the road difficult,
Hell make everything turn against us
As He did His disciples when they crossed the sea.
But again, thats because He has more in mind
Than just the fruit we might bear for Him.
He wants to teach us the importance of perseverance/endurance.
The athlete knows if he never challenges himself
If he never pushes himself to work harder
Hell never improve.
In the same way,
If we always do the same thing in the same way
If we never have to face any spiritual challenges
Well never grow stronger,
Well never improve.
Thats why the Lord will often place difficulties in our path.
C. Third, He shows us that He prays for us in our difficulties.
So Jesus, perceiving that they were intending to come and take Him by force to
make Him king, withdrew again to the mountain by Himself alone (v. 15).
I said a few moments ago
That one reason Jesus went up to the mountain
7
Was to pray.
Matthew writes, After He had sent the crowds away, He went up on the mountain
by Himself to pray; and when it was evening, He was there alone (14:23).
What was He praying for?
Undoubtedly, many things:
That His Father would strengthen Him in His work,
That He would strengthen His disciples,
That He would bring His lost sheep home.
But He likely also prayed that His Father
Would stir up a strong wind,
That would make the sea turn against His disciples,
To slow their progress to the other side.
Why would He do that?
For the reasons weve already seen.
God is the One who brings trials
They dont happen by accident,
Nothing happens by accident.
Paul writes, Also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined
according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will
(Eph. 1:11).
He brings them to strengthen us.
James writes, Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials,
knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance
have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in
nothing (1:2-4).
8
But He doesnt bring trials and then leave us
To deal with them on our own:
He prays for us,
That we might have the strength we need
To endure those trials and benefit from them.
Paul writes, Who will bring a charge against God's elect? God is the one who
justifies; who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes,
rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for
us (Rom. 8:33-34).
D. Fourth, He shows us that as we grow, the trials become more intense.
The disciples had been on the sea earlier
When a storm rose and threatened to sink them
But Jesus was in the boat.
This time, theyre back out at sea
In the middle of a storm (Matt. 14:24) without Him
And that by Jesus command.
When we first start out with the Lord
It does seem as though Hes closer to us.
We can sense more of His presence.
But as we grow in Him,
Sometimes He seems to withdraw
To withhold His comfortable presence,
That sense of nearness
To teach us something we need to learn:
To walk by faith and not by sight;
To take God at His Word;
To trust Him
Not only when it feels like He is near,
But also when it seems He is far away.
Is the Lord really ever far from any of us? No.
The Lord says through Isaiah, Do not fear, for I am with you; do not anxiously
look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you,
surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand (41:10).
E. When is the Lord most likely to send trials?
He most often sends them after times of blessing.
This takes place in the evening
Of the same day Jesus fed the five thousand.
They had just witnessed the greatest miracle of Jesus to date.
They had each just enjoyed a full basket of bread and fish
As their reward for their participation.
And now they find themselves stuck out at sea
Struggling to row to land.
Spurgeon told his preaching students
To prepare for fainting fits
That they would most likely experience a spiritual attack
When the Lord had used them most powerfully
10
To keep them humble,
That they might humbly rely on God
And not on their own strength.
The same is true for each one of us:
We are never more likely to go through a trial
That is designed by the Lord to humble us,
Than after He has blessed us
By using us in some mighty way.
F. Sixth, the Lord will come to us in our trials.
John writes, Then, when they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus
walking on the sea and drawing near to the boat; and they were frightened. But
He said to them, It is I; do not be afraid (vv. 19-20).
He will come to us
He came to His disciples on the sea.
He came to John when he was banished to Patmos,
To Paul, Silas and Peter when they were in prison.
He will also come to us in our trials.
The author to the Hebrews writes, He Himself has said, I WILL NEVER
DESERT YOU, NOR WILL I EVER FORSAKE YOU, so that we confidently
say, THE LORD IS MY HELPER, I WILL NOT BE AFRAID. WHAT WILL
MAN DO TO ME? (Heb. 13:5-6).
He will come at just the right time.
They had been rowing for at least eight hours
They began at about sunset
11
Which would have been around 7:00 PM
And now it was the fourth watch of the night (Matt. 14:25)
Which is somewhere between 3:00 and 6:00 AM.
And yet they had only gone three or four miles
At most, a half mile an hour
Matthew tells us that the wind was against them (14:24).
Apparently, it took that long to teach them
What Jesus wanted them to learn.
Sometimes it may take us a while to learn
What our Lord wants to teach us in our trials,
But He will come when the time is right.
And He will come in a way that unmistakably shows its Him
He came walking on the water.
Here is further evidence
That Jesus is the Prophet
The Son of God,
The Messiah
Who else can walk on water?
When He comes to us in our trials,
He will come in a way that shows who it is.
We may not recognize Him at first
12
When the disciples saw Him,
They were afraid:
Matthew tells us
They thought there were looking at a ghost.
Maybe we wont recognize Him either.
How often do we think the trials we face
Are brought about by the devil,
Rather than by God
Understanding that sometimes the Lord uses him.
We havent yet learned to recognize Gods hand:
Either in His trials or His deliverances.
Regardless, the Lord wont leave us to fear:
He will comfort us as He did the disciples,
It is I; do not be afraid (v. 20).
G. Finally, the Lord will use our trials to bring us to the desired destination.
John concludes, So they were willing to receive Him into the boat, and
immediately the boat was at the land to which they were going (v. 21).
As soon as they brought Him into the boat,
They arrived at their destination.
The trial was over,
And the lesson was learned.
The disciples were working hard to obey Jesus
But couldnt seem to complete the task.
13
As soon as He came aboard,
The work was suddenly done.
They just needed to learn to trust Him.
If you belong to Him
If youre trusting Him,
And turning from your sins
Even though you will have to face many trials,
You can know that you will reach your final destination.
Jesus will make sure you do
All you have to do is trust Him.
He says, My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I
give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them
out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and
no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand (John 10:27-29).
And so whatever youre faced with now
And were all faced with difficulties of various kinds
Know that the Lord has brought those trials;
He has brought them for your good;
He is praying for you while you go through them;
And He will come to you before long
To bring them to a good conclusion. Amen.
http://www.gcmodesto.org
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