It Is I, Do Not Be Afraid! (Pastor Sam Dominguez of Seniors for Christ church on May 7, 2023)
Text: (Matthew 14:21-33)
Introduction:
(A) The waters of Earth were originally divided by God in to many brooks, streams, rivers, lakes and oceans. Some are usually peaceful and gentle but others are known for their tremendous depths, currents and tempestuous storms.
Professional sailors invest many years of dedicated training and experience-gathering excursions in their attempts to navigate safely upon charted as well as uncharted waters.
Sometimes they are involuntarily (“Shanghaied”) or voluntarily thrust upon dangerous and troubled waters in the interest of commerce, world exploration, travel, and national defense.
Therefore, many lives are thus lost and forevermore destroyed every year, especially while out upon the open seas. So many souls overcome by unimaginable forces of doom and/or by sheer recklessness. (no life jacket, unknown currents, can’t swim)
(B) In a spiritual sense, all of our lives, our souls, have been cast upon life’s troubled waters as a result of Adam’s and of Eve’s original sins against Creator God.
Although, many of us never experience a horrendous illness; an extended hospital stay; a long prison term; a serious addiction of some type; terrible abuse; or, severe bouts of loneliness, yet too many of us do!
(C) Jesus chose for himself 12 men and, during their 3-1/2 years of apprenticed discipleship under Jesus Christ himself, they became personal eyewitnesses and partakers in and of many spectacular miracles.
During the period of time referred to in Matthew 14, they had just taken part in the miraculous feeding of a multitude of about 20,000 persons with only 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish before Jesus lovingly and caringly multiplied them for all to eat abundantly. (abundant, eternal life)
(v. 21) “Now those who had eaten were about five thousand men, besides women and children.”
(D) Then, immediately after that great miracle, the stage was set for one of the disciples’ most renown, miraculous experiences and, more importantly, an unforgettable lesson in true faith.
(vs. 22, 23) “Immediately Jesus made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, while He sent the multitudes away. And when He had sent the multitudes away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray. Now when evening came, He was alone there.”
- A Routinely Travelled Waterway
A terrible storm suddenly engulfs Christ’s disciples and they find themselves alone, without their Master, in a battle for their very lives soon ensues. (v. 24) “But the boat was now in the middle of the sea, tossed by the waves, for the wind was contrary.”
Yes, we, too, can be going about the routines of our daily lives while at home, at work, at school, on vacation, when, suddenly we: trip or are pushed and fall; have a stroke or a heart attack; catch a deadly virus; become a victim of physical and/or mental abuse; are attacked by an act of terrorism; happen to be too close to a gas line explosion; are hit by lightning; are involved in a vehicular crash; law enforcement mistakes your home for another’s and shots are fired, etc., and, suddenly, you are in a battle for your very life!
- Jesus Walks Onto The Scene
In a most timely fashion, the all-powerful Master, the One who is never late (Lazarus), the Onewho called those who believe that they are about to perish in the grip of the unexpected storm, shows up!
Things are about to change! (v. 25-27) ‘Now in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went to them, walking on the sea. And when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, “It is a ghost!” And they cried out for fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid.”’
At a sales and business training seminar that I attended many years ago, one of the main speaker’s points was: “For things to change, you got to change!”
(vs. 28-30) ‘And Peter answered Him and said, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.” So He said, “Come.” And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus. But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, “Lord, save me!”’
It takes courage to make good, life-changing decisions. (disciples dropped what they were doing and followed Jesus)
And, especially for older folks, it takes greater courage to admit to having been on the wrong road to eternity and to do what God demands so that may change your mind, your heart, your destiny from the storm of an eternal hell fire to an eternal fellowship with Him in heaven. (Thief on the cross.)
It may be the need to make change of church, doctrines, habits, job, family ties, etc.
III. God/Jesus Is Able to Save
God is not only willing, but He is able to save every sinner who needs to become a saint and a true child of God.
However, just repeating a one-paragraph prayer won’t do it!
God has standards, conditions and procedures that must be met by the sinner before a change can miraculously happen!
One must trust! – fully believe with a saving faith that only God’s Holy Spirit will freely give the sincere, honest repentant sinner (the crucified, repentant thief).
One must obey! – be discipled in and accept the ways, doctrines, statutes, and rules that have been established by God, not by man.
One must be willing to live out the rest of one’s life faithfully living out that faith through works that please God!
(vs. 31, 32) ‘And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased.’
Conclusion: Because all human beings are in a battle of eternal life or death,
- A sinner must come to recognize and accept what God clearly says about who we are as His creatures, even if he/she has been deceived into thinking that he/she is already a Christian by men’s standards;
- A sinner must recognize and accept Jesus, the Son of the one and only Almighty God, for whom and what He is. You can’t make up your own version of Jesus and expect to be saved;
- A sinner must come to rightfully know why he/she is perishing and the conditions, the prerequisites set by God for an eternally-lasting rescue;
- A sinner must grab hold of the timely opportunities God gives through the Holy Spirit’s ministry whether he/she is at the time going through calm the waters of life or is currently undergoing the tempestuous storms of life’s sea before it is too late!
Before he/she has been and becomes completely robbed, killed and destroyed by the enemy of our souls, Satan himself; and, finally,
- If a sinner does decide to completely surrender himself/herself to God, truly believing and ready to obey, then he/she must make Him, Jesus, the Master, Lord and Savior of his/her life forevermore! (v. 33) ‘Then those who were in the boat came and worshiped Him, saying, “TrulyYou are the Son of God.”’