5th Sign: Who Else Can Walk On Water?, Part 1

Today on Fellowship in the Word pastor Bill Gebhardt challenges you to become a fully functioning follower of Jesus Christ that gives them a like make some friends for me. I would like Jesus to give me the health and success like I want a piece of, but I don't want any stringent receipt. That's redefining this what I want from them. I want to give me this one any strings attached to this is hard for joining us today on this additional fellowship of the word pastor Bill Gebhardt Fellowship in the Words the radio ministry of Fellowship Bible church located in Metairie, Louisiana Pastor Bill Gebhardt now again he shows us how God's word meets our work is really an essay and it was an interesting essay because what he said was it's changed over the history of the church quite a bit and in the beginning he said because of the Greek and Roman culture.

Most people came to Christ because they believed it to be true in all the falsehoods. With all the paganism they had, they decided to do it. They also accept a firm conviction about it. They realize the penalty they would pay for that. They realize the persecution and the potential martyrdom that would end up happening, but it didn't stop him then in the history of the church, Romanism and what you call Christendom. A lot of people decided they could are put their faith in Jesus Christ. What we can with what we call the gospel because they realize that religion I wouldn't do it and so they believe that the gospel and once again they also believed that they would be persecuted and potentially martyred. So as a big stake in and then since the Reformation, especially in 18 1900s. A lot of people came to Christ for fire insurance, that was the birth asserted in the mid-1800s out of the fire and brimstone sermons and the whole idea what you scared of the deeper side of people with the idea that they're going to go to hell if they don't believe this, and so a lot of people converted because they didn't want to go to hell today though it's different. Not everybody because everyone has their own reason. But today, a large portion of people say they come to Christ because they want him to make them happy. That's why they come.

My life miserable.

I'm depressed.

My marriage doesn't work.

My kids don't listen enough. I'm no good reason to live full of anxiety and I like Christ to make me happy is such a prevalent thing. Even back in the 1980s I Dallas theological seminary put out a track and it was a very good track in the steps of the gospel, but the title level was how to have a happy and meaningful life. The Hopi and if you want to be happy come the Christ. Well, some people come to Christ and they find God, they're not really happy. They find out that their life is not better is worse. You see, then they almost feel from from their point of view they they almost feel like the thing that ended up happening to me.

Someone did the old bait and switch with you know someone sold them something is a Jesus will make you happy, but he hasn't made me happy all the interesting why would people do that.

Why see the real problem here is that people want to believe in the Christ that they have in their head. Once I establish what I think Jesus Christ is like. Then I'll put my faith in that and that can be extremely problem problematic. On the other hand, and I don't mean this in sense of hyperbole. What's the single most important question of anybody's life, yours and mine. Well, the reason I say that it's the same question that Jesus asked his own disciples who do you say that I am.

There's not a more important question.

Who do you say I am in fact that's why John wrote his gospel member at the end of John Exodus.

The first week in John 20 verse 31 Johnson. I wrote this so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ the son of God and that believing you may have life in his name that's most important question and is a very difficult one and is not only a difficult question for the unbeliever, whether they become a Christian or not. It's a very difficult question for you and I as Christians so open up I was a John six, and let's look at verse 14.

I'm in the series called seven signs of the son of God.

That's why John wrote his gospel, he gives seven different signs the prove that Jesus Christ is the son of God, that is deity and he doesn't work with the select miracles.

The signs it. It's a has a lot more in each sign, then simply does Jesus have the power to do miracles.

Remember, John said Jesus did so many miracles that I a minute distant hyperbole.

I don't think all the books of the world could contain many things he did.

He's not loosing as many miracles as he can is listing specific miracles for specific reason, which reveal not only the power of God, but the nature of God through these miracles.

So last time right here in this chapter. Jesus fed the he fed the 15 to 20,000 is a big miracle. Everybody got involved everybody go. There are surplus it was usually great. The response of the crowd is interesting in verse 14 it says therefore when the people saw the sign that he performed.

They said this is truly a prophet who was commended the world.

Now that sounds pretty good. They said this is the prophet that Moses spoke of. She motor said, who delivered them from Egypt, who also brought manna to them in the wilderness.

Moses said there's a prophet coming to be the Messiah. They said this is him. This is the prophet because he's fed us. You see, you sustained a supernaturally and then they said this 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. They were going to mop up remaking him king. This is our guy know my first point is this Jesus will not let people use them for their own purposes not been not now. He will not let you use him for your purposes. Their purpose was. This is going to be great. Let's make him king and just as Moses delivered us in the Egyptians who will deliver us from the Romans just for the Romans out this is gonna be great for us. Jesus would have none of that. You might think that's a little superficial on their part but how many of us say what I say what I want Jesus to help me find a job made it NEG I will. I want Jesus in my life to find a spouse. I like to have Jesus in my life make some friends for me. I would like Jesus to give me the health and success that I'd like to have. I'd like him to do that. I want the peace of God, but I don't want any strings attached. You see that's redefining Jesus.

This is what I want from them.

I want him to give me this. I don't want any strings attached at all. This is hard for us and we show you an example of this holy place of the go with me to Matthew 16, Matthew 16 in verse 13 very famous section of Scripture Matthew 1613.

In verse 13 it says this knowing Jesus came to the district of Caesarea Philippi, he was asking his disciples, who were the people say that the Son of Man is that's his one of his favorite ways of expressing it to himself and they sent him some say you're John the Baptist and others, Elijah and some still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets, then this question and Jesus said who do you say that I am Simon Peter answered you the Christ of the crystals in the Messiah.

You're the son of the living God. Jesus said to him, Blessed are you starving bar Jonah because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but my father is in heaven.

Got it exactly right now in the other gospel counts other disciples. It said the same thing but Jesus says this know what fascinating to me about this. Normally when Peter opens his mouth normally is foot goes and it immediately. That's just Peter, he almost always has the wrong conclusion about something, but he says this and I'm sure of Jesus. Peter must've felt pretty good after this I get in our day. Jesus put a star in his four head. You know why no Peter K what about that I got that right, but we show you something looked on the verse 21 from that time Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem, suffer many things that they are from the elders and the chief priests and the scribes, and be killed, and be raised up on the third day, remember he's saying you're the son of God's Messiah of Israel.

This is really good. So Jesus if yes, I am beady and God incarnate his I'm going to do going to go to Jerusalem and I'm going to be the I'm going to be by my enemies, the scribes and Pharisees and Sadducees. They're going to arrest me then you're going to kill me and then I'm going to be. I'm been a rise on the third resurrecting the dead. Now don't forget who said this, Jesus what is Jesus is the son of God. Now, don't you think you'd been pretty much excited to hear this. I mean, really, because a member healing gave you the last phrase I will arise from the dead. Holy cow.

They know anyone arose from the dead. He said I'm going to do that. I watch what Peter does. Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him God for bid at Lord. This will never happen to you.

I don't know if he shook his finger at them or not.

Probably not that that's never going to have you who you talking to you talking to God. That's not to happen.

He just said five minutes ago who you are. Five minutes later you see I don't like that you said that's not who I want you to be. You see, that's not who I don't want that to be the case at all. He turned and he said to Peter, get behind me Satan. Your stumbling block to me for you're not sitting your mind on God's interest, but man's sale tempting it is to do this Seo easy this is for us to do over and over again. You get to severe rebuke didn't like what Jesus said the let me take a principal what the Bible says and what Christ says and you don't like it either one of the most important ways your ever going to grow. One of the most important ways your ever going to know God better. One of the most important ways that you will ever be more conformed to the image of Jesus Christ is that your suffering trials hands please.

I love that I love that member James.

James will consider it all joy, my brother. When various trials come upon you, why it's for your good. I don't like that I don't like that I don't care for trials.

Can we just avoid the trials. Is he right to. You shouldn't even consider. Is he right do you do you act when trials come in your life or storms come in your life. It is right, the honest see the mature universe of checksum item that you hold your place but go with me to web Isaiah 55 Isaiah 55 Old Testament. Another way to say the same thing.

Now in Isaiah 55 is willing to start verse six.

Isaiah's writing to religious people, the Jews are extremely religious not remember a religious person believes the key to getting eternal life and the key to pleasing God is.

I am going to do some kind of religious activities and God can be so impressed with what I do shall be fine with me but Isaiah writes this he said in verse six. Seek the Lord while AB may be found, call upon him while he is near. Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts and then return to the Lord. That's called invitation.

He says come back this.

Come back to me come back. Even if you were to come back not notice what he said will happen and he will have compassion on him, and to our God, he will abundantly pardon. There is an Old Testament version of the gospel, you just come back, repent of your sins are barred now for you and I we might say yeah that's true if your religious person, I don't think so. I don't like that. I thought we had to do certain things know what's the next first to explain it.

The word for is in verse eight that means a mental explain what I just said the reason behind it for my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than yours. See explain himself religious persons. I don't get that. He said you don't have to get it. I don't think like you do.

You see, I just don't think like you do. My thoughts are so much higher. There is high as the heavens are above the earth.

Compared to yours. In other words, God says you're never going to think the way to me. You're only going to trust her way to me and you're gonna have to take your security and comfort in my thoughts. You see, that's a very important aspect of this whole idea now moving on from there to the second point Jesus wants us to really know and trust him for just two years. This is harder than it looks. This is a struggle for all of us. Peter said and wrote the epistle that we are to grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ. We are to grow in grace and the knowledge of Jesus Christ. We are to know him better and better. From the moment I became a Christian until today all these years, the whole idea is to I get to know Christ in a better and better way do I know more and more bottom when I became a Christian. I only know a little but you see I need to know who he really is so that I can truly understand them and I can then actually trust them. Paul when he wrote to the Ephesians, he spent some time in the beginning of Ephesians 1 you for me to join up before it's the longer sentence in the Greek New Testament and he says you and I have ever spiritual blessing in heavenly places. Every spiritual blessing in heavenly places. God's that I've given a multi-so that sounds really good but is going to chapter 1 and Paul then says I'm praying for you will want to see pretty four and 118. He says I pray that the eyes of your heart will be enlightened you begin understand something. I pray that suit you will know what the hope of his calling us, you need to know this. I pray that you know the riches of his glory and the greatness of his power. In other words pulses. Here's what I pray for you though you got to know God, you got to know Jesus Christ. You see, the more you know Jesus Christ, the more you trust Jesus Christ. And just because you're Christian doesn't mean you know in that context ever. Jesus said in John come to give you life and give it to you abundantly will never have the abundant life if you don't really know Jesus Christ just walked now it's interesting about this is, he uses these trials and storms. The teachers this this go back to John six this time. Verse 16 strength of the sign in this great miracle there several miracles are John gives us the Reader's Digest version is pretty short. First time I read it's like Hannah got me more than this, but Matthew and Mark. Also Mark six and Matthew 14 they speak of the same thing that John does not remember the context of this.

The context is he just fed 15 to 20,000 people miraculously the people were so overwhelmed by they want to make him king.

Now we know the pretense of the disciples of the same way.

I think they would've got into the chant make him king make him king just as they would, but notice what it says here it says in 16 now when the evening came, the disciples went down to the sea after getting into the boat.

Now that's nice. John wrote that but it wasn't exactly that way Mark six tells little bit more. It says after this, Jesus made the disciples get into the boat get into the boat guys there like Nona white women make a king here when I remind people is that you get into the boat, so they get into the boat. That's what ends up happening like the way he tells him what he wants him to do now when I get into the boat until by the other accounts they first went member on the north east corner of the seed gallantly took a short roll to buy SATA and then a long row over to Capernaum on the northern shore, a please understand one thing of all the disciples seven of them are fishermen so they have a lot remember they only finished in the seed gallantly they know it storms happen all the time on the Sea of Galilee. It's 700 feet below sea level and on three sides ribeye mountains, cold air rising and falling down the mountains, creates all kinds of turbulent on the sea.

It is known for its terrible storms to put everything else in perspective it shallow and you know from my poncho training you have is water that shallow and high winds. You get great waves so then they're used to that. Now what John writes here, which is kind of interesting is that he says then, and after getting to the boat. They started across the sea to Capernaum. It'd already become dark, Jesus is not yet come to them in the sea began to be stirred up because of the strong wind that was blowing while is about sunset so you get in this boat. Jesus doesn't, tells him to get a boat and go and now the wind picks up in the storm is coming. Now it's interesting about that is that it says in 19 right in the beginning. Then, when they had rowed about 3 to 4 miles. Now we know for Matthew and Mark.

It's the last watch of the night. Okay it's 3 o'clock in the morning to 6 o'clock in the morning so they started in the water at sunset. So now it's 10 hours later so in there getting nowhere.

They can't get anywhere. Since this is an amazing thing when you think about these are fishermen and they can't make any headway at all. The got three or 4 miles, they have an awful long distance. The going to not making any headway. And now they find themselves in the storm now it came up as suddenly as possible. And that's the truth. The most storms meant when they come suddenly think storms in your life. Sometimes it comes to how often the victim suddenly Pastor broke apart on the radio ministry of fellowship in the world.

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