Randall Caselman
Bella Vista Church of Christ
10/26/97 pm
A Matter Of Focus — Part 2
Reading — Matthew 14. 22-33
Some sermons get too long to preach. This is the case with this one, so tonight we’ll finish the lesson we started this morning. We begin this morning by making this point, there is something to be said for the power of focus. In 1995, Gary Barnett began his career at Northwestern by focusing on the Rose Bowl. He was determined to prove that Northwestern, as small as it was, as focused on academics as they were, could compete in a national football championship.
We, here tonight, are traveling the road from this life to the hereafter... From this world to His world. And the only way we can expect to make the journey successfully is by staying FOCUSED. In the lesson, we are using: Jesus, the Apostles, and Peter from the fourteenth chapter of Matthew to make our points.
The points we made this morning were, to maintain our focus, we must:
BE LIKE JESUS.
We must focus on being and doing what God wants us to be and do.
We do this best by: spending time in the Word, finding out what God would have us be and do. Spending time in prayer, asking God to help us be and do what He want us to be and do. Spending time in meditation, deciding whose opinion we value most... God’s or man’s.
SECONDLY, WE MUST NOT BE LIKE THE APOSTLES.
We need to look for Jesus in the storms of life.
Some storms are correctional in nature. God used the storm in Jonah’s life to motivate him to reconsider his decision. To reconsider the direction of his life.
Some storms are for perfecting us, molding us, causing us to grow in character. Paul tells us, suffering produces perseverance; perseverance produces character; and character produces hope. James says, Consider it a joy when we face trials, because the testing of our faith develops perseverance and when perseverance finishes its work, we will be mature, complete, lacking nothing.
We must expect God to do unbelievable things in our lives.
The Apostles thought Jesus was a ghost, because they never expected He could or would walk on water. They never expected Jesus to do such an UNBELIEVABLE thing as to walk on water. Indeed, God has done some unbelievable things in our lives... Hasn’t HE?
- He has provided us with life, strength and health. Paul says, It is in Him that we live, move and have our being.
- He has made it possible for us to be saved. For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
- He has forgiven our sins. In Him we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace.
In fact Scripture tells us, all blessing come down from the Father. And that all spiritual blessing are in Christ.
You see, we can better maintain our focus by acknowledging the unbelievable things God has done for us. And at the same time expecting Him to continue to do UNBELIEVABLE things: FOR US, BY US, WITH US, THROUGH US, AND IN US.
For tonight’s lesson we want use Peter as an example of how to maintain our FOCUS
- We must want to be where Jesus is, regardless of the risk.
- We must realize that its better to be with Jesus without a boat, than to be in the boat without Jesus.
- We must keep our eyes on Jesus regardless of the circumstances.
- We must cry out to Jesus regardless of our failures
Peter says in verse 28, Lord, if it is you, tell me come to where you are. Notice Peter didn’t say: • Can I, May I, Or will you let me? Instead, he said, command me to come out... Tell me to come out. Why did Peter do that?
First, I think it was because he knew that anything Jesus commanded him to do, He would empower him to do. I think Peter remembered what happened months earlier in Matthew 10.7, when He sent out the disciples saying; As you go, preach this message: `The kingdom of heaven is near.' Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, and drive out demons.
Low and behold the disciples go out and that is exactly what happened. You see, Jesus empowered them to do what He commanded them to do.
Church, this is a principle we need to understand.
- There is no way we can bring our neighbors to Christ.
- There is no way we can teach a class.
- There is no way we can serve as an Elder or deacon.
- There is no way we can give up that favorite sin in our life.
We can’t stop lusting,
We can’t stop lying,
We can’t stop cheating,
We can’t stop this addiction
- There is no way we can forgive and love that person who has hurt us so much.
- There is no way we can a good spouse or father.
- There is no way we can go about doing good.
Jesus, you might as well tell us to walk on water. It’s true church, we can’t do these thing IN and OF ourselves.
Then Peter comes along side us and whispers, take it from me, what he commands you to do, He empowers you to do.
- God empowers us to be converted, changed, transformed, born again people.
- He empowers us to become instruments of righteousness, and living sacrifices.
- He empowers us to, say no to ungodliness, worldly lust and to live sober, upright godly lives in this present age.
FOLK THIS IS BIBLE... BELIEVE IT!... ACCEPT IT!... LIVE IT!
You see, Peter wanted to be with Jesus regardless of the risk and he knew that whatever God commands of us, He empowers us to do.
SECONDLY, PETER REALIZES THAT IT IS BETTER TO BE WITH JESUS, WITHOUT A BOAT, THAN IT IS TO BE IN A BOAT WITHOUT JESUS.
Peter realized, what we must know tonight, that having God is better than having everything without God. Peter understood that it was better to be out in the lake;
- With the waves swelling,
- The lightening flashing,
- The wind howling,
- The thunder rolling,
- The boat sinking, than to be in the boat without Jesus.
Church, just how much of God do we really want? Listen to what Wilbur Reese writes: “I would like to buy three dollars worth of God please. Not enough to explode my soul, or to disturb my sleep, but just enough to equal a coup of warm milk, or a snooze in the sunshine. I don’t want enough of Him to make me love a black man, or pick beets with a migrate worker. NO, I want ecstasy, not transformation. I want the warmth of the womb, not a new birth. I want a pound of the ETERNAL in a paper bag. Give me three dollars worth of God please.”
You see, we want;
- God the encourager,
- God the comforter,
- God the forgiver,
- God the provider, the protector and sustainer.
- We want the God filled with mercy and grace.
- We want to behold the goodness of God.
But we don’t want enough of God to change our lives. Just give me three dollars worth of God. Give us a pound of the ETERNAL in a paper bag.
We want to be where the rest of the Apostles are, in the back of the boat, content with having Jesus in our vicinity, but not desiring to have him in intimacy. You see church, that’s what is so dangerous about this, just coming to church on Sundays. We can have Jesus in the vicinity one day a week, but to have Him in INTIMACY, we must have Him seven days a week. Jesus said,
- You must know me,
- You must love me,
- You must keep my commandments.
The Greek word is GINOSKO... It means an intimate relationship with.
- It’s like Adam knew Eve,
- Like Joseph did not know Mary until Jesus was born.
-• It’s like a husband knows a wife.
We must know Jesus in INTIMACY.
Peter wanted to be with Jesus regardless of the risk. And he knew that it was better to be with Jesus without a boat, than be in the boat without Him.
THIRDLY, FOCUS MEANS KEEPING OUR EYES ON JESUS... REGARDLESS OF THE CIRCUMSTANCES.
Peter took his eyes off Jesus and as a result begin to sink... Verse 30. Peter began to look at his circumstances;
- The water,
- The wind,
- The waves,
- The storm about him.
And when he did, he begin to sink in fear.
You see, the difference is in our eyes. When we keep our eyes on Jesus, we’re able to walk on water. We’re able to do UNBELIEVABLE things. But when we start looking: at our circumstances, at our situation, at the storms in life, we lose faith... and a lost faith causes us to sink
Here it is church, what we focus on in life will either feed our faith or feed our fear. Which will it be for you and your preacher? Fear is the darkroom of life where DOUBT is developed. And when DOUBT and FEAR are fully developed, here comes that sinking feeling... RIGHT? You’ve been there, haven’t you?... We all have. Peter wanted to be with Jesus, and he knew that to do so, he had to keep his eyes fixed on Him, regardless of the circumstances.
FOURTHLY, FOCUS INVOLVES CRYING OUT TO JESUS... REGARDLESS OF OUR FAILURES.
Well, we started out with strong resolve. We did what God commanded, we got in the boat. When Jesus came walking on the water, we stepped out of the boat with steely resolve;
- To follow Him,
- To be close to Him,
- To walk as He walked.
In fact, we did some things we thought we would never do, not in a thousand years.
- We taught a class,
- We served as an Elder or deacon,
- We placed the needs and interest of others before self,
- We gave generously,
- We forgave one another.
Then it happened, we took our eyes off Jesus, and we begin to sink. What do we do? Indeed, WHAT DO WE DO!!... Cry out to Jesus. Church, no failure is to big for Jesus to reach out and lift us back up to safety. No sins are to big for Him to forgive, IF... IF we will cry out to Him. Listen to Hebrews 12.2, Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith.
You see, Jesus came doing UNBELIEVABLE things in our lives. He came walking on water. He came making our forgiveness, our redemption, our salvation possible. And the good news is He will finish... He will complete what He started. Jesus didn’t die on the cross, just to forgive us ONCE in the act of New Testament baptism. He died there so we can continually be forgiven, as we strive to walk with Him. Peter wanted to be close to Jesus, but he knew that was possible only... ONLY, if he cried out to Him in his failures.
Question!... Do you want to be close to Jesus tonight?
Or, do we just want three dollars worth of God, three pounds of the Eternal in a paper bag? Do we want Jesus in vicinity or in intimacy. You can be close to God by becoming his child, by:
• Faith,
• Repentance,
• Confession,
• And New Testament baptism, immersion in water for the forgiveness of your sins.
Scripture promises He will give us His Spirit to live within... That’s close... That’s close.
Perhaps we have taken our eyes of Jesus... and we sinking back into the depths of sin. Cry out to Jesus!! Come confessing your faults... He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
Come to Jesus... Be close.
