WTTW HIS WORD "ACCEPTING HIS POWER"

TEXT: JOHN 6:16-24  SERMON: “Accepting His Power”

In today's passage, John tells his first century readers that Jesus tested his disciples’ faith by:

1. Not accompanying them on the boat vv 16-17

2. Making them face the wind and waves v 18

3. Walking to them on the water vv 19-20

4. Brining them safely to shore v 21


The first thing John told his first century readers was that Jesus tested his disciples’ faith by:

1. Not accompanying them on the boat vv 16-17

Explanation:

¹⁶ When evening came, his disciples went down to the lake, ¹⁷ where they got into a boat and set off across the lake for Capernaum. By now it was dark, and Jesus had not yet joined them.

Darkness was falling

Wait until last minute hoping Jesus would join them

Cross from Bethsaida to Capernaum

Illustration:

Have you ever gone on a trip with someone?

With your family or your friends?

And maybe you don't all fit in the same car so you are taking more than one vehicle?

And some are ready to go and others aren't quite ready yet and those who are ready are impatient to get going, to get on the road, and so they take off, expecting that you will be coming right behind them? And it is getting dark out.

How would you handle it in a situation like this if there was only one vehicle and if you needed to get going in order to meet a deadline and you have waited as long as you possibly can and if you don't go now you will be so tired driving during the night you know you will have trouble staying awake?

Well there must have been some compelling reason for the disciples taking off without Jesus just as there would be if your circumstances led you to take off without a loved one who wasn't there or wasn't ready in time for you to meet the deadline you have for taking off and you have to leave to order to get where you are going in time for something important.

Application:

So this morning John seems to be telling us there are times on our journey through life where we are asked to get in the boat and take off even when we don't see signs of his tangible presence around us or with us-when we don't have visible evidence he is with us as we cross over from one side of the lake to another as darkness falls-as we journey forward in life based on faith rather than sight.

John seems to be telling us through this introduction to the miracle of Jesus walking on water that our journey in this life is like that of the disciples getting in the boat at dusk, with nightfall upon them making it even more difficult to see where they are going-where we are going.

Where Jesus' presence is not perceived to be immediately and tangibly available to us but yet he is asking us to move forward, to cross over to the other side for Him, to Him, to get in His boat-to get going, to continuing moving forward in our lives based on our faith in who He is-not based on our ability to see how everything that lies ahead is going to go-how it is going to turn out.   

We are being asked to travel through situations, circumstances in our life-to cross through them-based on faith in Jesus Christ.

Transition:

Well, John also told his first century readers that Jesus tested his disciples’ faith by:

2. Making them face the wind and waves v 18

Explanation:

¹⁸ A strong wind was blowing and the waters grew rough.

Sea of Galilee - 600 ft below sea level, cup-like depression in the hills

With sunset, air cools and rushes down hillside across lake with the wind causing waves

Rowing from east to west they were rowing into the wind making little progress

Illustration: 

Well now you've taken off in your car at dusk, leaving behind your trusted companion-a relative, a friend because the circumstances, the situation left you no choice.

You've had a deadline you've needed to meet, you've waited as long as you possibly can and to avoid driving to your destination during the middle of the night you've taken off at dusk as the sun is going down.

And you realize one of your headlights hasn't been working for some time and you've neglected to replace it so your vision isn't as good as it should be.

As you make your way along you drive into dense fog-so dense you can barely see in front of you and you have to slow down from 65 mph to 20 mph and sometimes even slower in order to not drive faster than you can see ahead.

Driving becomes "white knuckled" as you squeeze the wheel tightly and the bleed is squeezed out of your fingers.

Tension mounts as you begin to fear driving into vehicles on the road that are either going slower than you or have come to a complete stop due to an accident on the road ahead and you fear someone driving faster than you ramming you from behind.

Application:

So here, John seems to be adding something to the story of our faith journey.

He is telling us that our faith will be tested by obstacles that lie ahead on our journey.

For the disciples it was the wind and the waves.

In our illustration it is a dense fog.

Making it more difficult to navigate on our own power, our own strength, our own skill.

John has gone from telling us to get in the boat, to get going on this new journey with Jesus, to do it by faith, but not to travel through life on our own strength and power.

What are the wind and waves in our lives today?

What is the fog that is making our journey through life perilous, dangerous, frightening?

Is it unemployment, our financial situation, our living situation, even having a place to live, the loss of a relationship, a broken relationship, separation, divorce, the death of a loved one, concern about your children?

All of these situations, circumstances require us to live by faith rather than sight, but our faith is not misplaced - it is in the person of Jesus Christ AND...

Transition:

In today's passage, John also told his first century readers that Jesus tested his disciples’ faith in another way, by:

3. Walking to them on the water vv 19-20

Explanation:

¹⁹ When they had rowed about three or four miles,^[a] they saw Jesus approaching the boat, walking on the water; and they were frightened. ²⁰ But he said to them, “It is I; don’t be afraid.”

v 19 "frightened" - "terrorized" - to see a human form coming towards them

Mark 6:47 ⁴⁷ Later that night, the boat was in the middle of the lake, and he was alone on land.

Matthew 14:26 ²⁶ When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear.

Job 9:8 ⁸ He alone stretches out the heavens and treads on the waves of the sea.

reveals his power over nature!

v 20 calms them by speaking to them, his voice comforts them

Matthew 14:27 ²⁷ But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”

Illustration:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oe3St1GgoHQ

Now in the midst of our journey, in the midst of the pea thick fog, we see a set of fog headlights in our rear view mirror coming towards at a rather fast pace.

They seem to becoming at such a fast pace we begin to worry that the vehicle is going to strike us from behind and we get ready for the collision.

At the last minute the vehicle, a large SUV pulls up alongside our car and to our amazement it is the trusted companion we had left behind motioning us to pull over-which we do.

We can hardly believe what we're seeing but our companion has rented an SUV fully equipped with fog lights- a vehicle large enough to hold everyone.  

Application:

At the height of the danger in the disciples crossing of the Sea of Galilee all of a sudden Jesus appears walking toward them on the water and their reaction is one of fear-of terror.

Jesus, the one with the power to create has power over his creation as demonstrated by his being able to walk on water-and the disciples are fearful of Him and his power over the creation until he speaks to them-his speaking to them comforts them.

So to with us, our companion's arrival with a fully equipped SUV with fog lights frightens us when we think we are in for a powerful collision, but comforts us when we see who is alongside us and what he has done to save us from this difficult situation.

Jesus is always with us even when we aren't experiencing HIm, but when he comes to use during times of trouble His shear power and strength can overwhelm and frighten us even though his presence ultimately comforts us in our time of need when he speaks to our hearts and minds.

To be in the presence of the Lord is a humbling experience. He is Holy, we are not. He is Almighty, we are not.

Without His reassuring voice we will tremble in fear.  

Transition:

In today's passage, John also told his first century readers that Jesus tested his disciples’ faith by:

4. Bringing them safely to shore. v 21

Explanation:

²¹ Then they were willing to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat reached the shore where they were heading.

Some think this is another miracle

The boat's safe arrival is credited to Jesus

Illustration:

4. His presence providing us immediate assurance v 21

Upon pulling over and finding a place to park our car we all get into our companion's SUV and continue safely on our way arriving at our destination in no time. 

Our companions knowledge of driving in the fog and his fully equipped SUV with fog lights saves the day providing the protection we have needed to make it to our destination. 

Application:

And like the disciples who after being reassured by Jesus' presence and power take him into their boat and immediately arrive safely at their destination,

In our lives, at our time of need when we let Jesus into the situations of our lives, the difficult or dire circumstances we are facing and stop trying to cope with them or solve them on our own strength, our own power,

The creator of the universe, the One with the power over water such that he is able to walk on it, has the power and the strength to handle whatever situation or circumstance we can ever find ourselves in.

Once we allow Jesus into our boat, into the situation or problem that is bothering us, instead of continuing to try and fix it on our own.

He will bring us safely through the situation, the problem.

He will bring us to the other side of it-the side where it no longer exists.

The side where it no longer troubles us. The side where it no longer controls us. The side where it no longer frightens us. The side where we are set free from it.

Transition:

In today's passage, John tells his first century readers that Jesus tested his disciples’ faith by:

1. Not accompanying them on the boat vv 16-17

2. Making them face the wind and waves v 18

3. Walking to them on the water vv 19-20

4. Bringing them safely to shore v 21

Conclusion:

In today's passage, John tells us today that Jesus tests our faith by:

1. Not being visibly present to us vv 16-17

2. Having us face trials during our life's journey v 18

3. Revealing Himself, His Power to us when we need it vv 19-20

4. Bringing us safely through the trials we face in life v 21

In the name of the Father, Son & Holy Spirit. Amen.