What Brings Us to Our Knees?, Part 1

Imagine stepping out of a small fishing boat and onto a lake where you amazingly walked across the water that would be a miracle right. That's exactly what happened to Peter when he mimics something he watched Jesus do today on Insight for living Chuck Swindoll will re-create that epic scene, giving due attention to the details that are often overlooked. Ever wonder why the story about walking on water is included in the Bible. What are the implications for you and me today. The answer will emerge as we read from Matthew chapter 14 the prophets writes the word was found and I did eat your words become the joy of my heart run called by your name Lord of hosts. The picture of eating the scriptures is a is is a word picture that describes assimilation.

He even just simply find God's word and graze over it. See a few things there and go on his way.

He assimilated which is one of our goals when we come together not only to sing with all of our hearts but to enter into the truth of the Scriptures in a personal way and means we don't let our minds wonder it means we will focus fully on what God's word is saying and and how it is speaking to us in a meaningful way so that we leave differently than when we came as one of my mentors used to say in virtually every class that God did not give us his word to satisfy idle curiosity gave us his word to change our lives are some things in Matthew 14 that can change your life, but it isn't automatic.

You must eat them. You must assimilate them must enter into them. We want to do that as we turn to Matthew 14 beginning at verse 22 down through verse 33. We want to see this very familiar scene take on a whole new significance in our minds as we enter into it. Matthew 1422. Immediately after this, Jesus insisted that his disciples get back into the boat and cross to the other side of the lake while he sent the people home after sending them home, he went up into the hills by himself to pray night fell while he was there alone. Meanwhile, the disciples were in trouble far away from land for strong wind had risen, and they were fighting heavyweight's about 3 o'clock in the morning, Jesus came toward them, walking on the water. When the disciples saw him walking on the water they were terrified in their fear they cried out it's a ghost Jesus spoke to them at once.

Don't be afraid.

He said take courage.

I am here, Peter called to him Lord, if it's really you tell me to come to you walking on the water.

Yes, Jesus said, so Peter went over the side of the boat and walked on the water toward Jesus, but when he saw the strong wind and the waves he was terrified and began to sink. Save me Lord, he shouted Jesus immediately reached out and grabbed him. You have so little faith. Jesus said why did you doubt when they climbed back into the boat.

The women stop then the disciples worship you really are the son of God to explain to study the book of Matthew with Chuck Swindoll. Be sure to download his searching the Scripture study by going to Insight world.Lord/studies.

Another message from Chuck that he titled what brings us to our knees, not enough is been said about the importance of imagination, letting the mind go freeze so that there was color added to an otherwise bland subject. If you are fortunate enough to have had a teacher with imagination as you were going through your years of education. You were thrice blessed.

I member a biology teacher in high school named Mr. Dunn is one of those classes at all of the guys dreaded before they got there. You couldn't wait to get to a backseat, so that you could expect to be bored the rest the time but not in Mr. Dunn's class you found out about a week or less that what he had to say was, not only interesting, it was presented in a creative way. Before long you found yourself clamoring for a front seat was wonderful and I loved it when he would cut open those frogs that stuff would come out need. He knew the names of all that stuff and yeah this is a colorful way of describing you it was.

It was wonderful. Have a chemistry teacher who was boring beyond belief hated chemistry, and he made the mistake of telling all of us that that sulfuric acid and that little bottle. There beside you, and you can't use it for anything. It's only known for taking off warts. Now why would he tell a class of high schoolers that sulfuric acid will take off warts because everybody in high school has at least one wart and I had one right here and I never take it off and flipping it white right into Wanda Reichman's hair right in front of me remember that she never knew far ahead burn back there for a period of time and then I had missed out on that history wonderful, wonderful, very, very creative and imaginative. To this day because the missile and I love history the privilege of taking Greek from Stan to say how good is that he taught his things like slot did so, which is the word for Celie to think of a seal coming out of water going slot gets out and out I run. Never forget that sprocket I could never use it but I think of it every time sprockets know colorful, imaginative, now I get down to brass tacks when you talk about stuff you think about how about music some of you are thinking. As you hear a great choir or a vocalists thing. I looked take music to get into that. I did tell you had a time you're in for a lot of boring scales inaugurated for do a mean Faso a lot and it's absolutely bland and boring until you meet Maria who is and then you gave words to those funny words, terms Dellwood dear a female deer Ray a drop of golden sun. We may not call myself a long long ways to run so needle pulling thread alike is law a note to follow, so maybe a drink of tea, a drink with driven bread and that brings us back to know good is that you saying that you can't get that song out of your mind it's stuck there live because Rogers and Hammerstein applied imagination to a dull thing like an octave C scale put two words I hear all the time from people that the reason they don't read the Bible is that would so boring and I know right away. They never had the privilege of listening to somebody teaching with imagination. I realized to that the stories become so familiar. You don't think about what literary people call incarnating the narrative, meaning what you put yourself you incarnate the story is no longer black print on white pages. It's you living out the scene that if this group are small enough wind acted out and you would never forget it and you would never ever forget what it is saying to everyone of us. Because behind the scene of it all is the value of seeing what isn't there, which is faith. The substance of things hoped for, the evidence of what things not seen. The disciples were lacking. Unfortunately were a lot like the disciples in that way, when you go to the narrative of Matthew 14 beginning in verse 22. Your tendency is to race on the on the first few were which read immediately after this stop will come to something like that in the Bible you're reading a story or narrative after what ask yourself, you remember or have you already forgotten that same day they had been fed more bread and fish than they could, they could eat. In fact, Jesus miraculously turned the five loaves and two fish into a meal for 20 25,000 people, not just five and the ushers were the disciples, they were the ones it best not the food and what it was all over each one had his own basketball of leftovers.

Remember that because they forgot how easy it is to forget the great things God is done when you're involved in the storm of today or tonight as they became. You see when you incarnate the night. The narrative you put yourself in the sandals of the disciples, and that's where we are. Listen to the words of Jesus as he tells us what to do next.

The meal is over. The crowd is still lingering sitting around the grass finishing up the wonderful January and serve them and he says you get back into the boat and cross to the other side. Now it's a different time.

There's no boat near his old body of water that you can see, so you have to see the unseen. It's called your imagination so kick it in.

Let it run free or the familiarity of the story will make you think that this sermon is far too long and and you've heard it all before know you haven't, you may have heard some words before but you've not seen the setting like working a painted so we all 12 of us get into the boat and we push out remember most of us are not fishermen. Some of us are, but most of us are not that comfortable in boats and remember were loaded with fish and bread. I am a body get ready get on the boat you know where I'm going.

Looks we push out to make matters worse. Jesus doesn't come with us. We read and 23. After sending them away or sending the people home, he went up into the hills by himself to pray.

And there he was, as we are here when you travel to Israel you will certainly go to Galilee when you go to Galilee. Make sure the guide takes you to Mount Arbel.

It's really a not so much about. And is it is a hill, a high hill.

It's a Texas mountain okay and you're up on this hill at your looking down in the sea of Galilee is within measurable site and you can see it all and is there. I would suggest Jesus went to be alone and what a day spent time alone would be great.

The problem is we who are in the boat or without them, and we're inseparably linked to him. We believe with him which slip by and we beaten alongside him.

We've hurt him slower.

We've watched him as he is healed and as he's dealt with the criticism of those around him and he's part of our lives, but we are alone on the sea with you. Read 23.

Slowly enough to let it take place in your mind.

Night fell while he was there alone, so it's now not only on the sea in a little boat way out at sea by now it's at 900 care how seasoned you are 02 memo years, you have a sailor you know when night falls, things change on the seat. It can be treacherous at night. I remember when we took a trip recently on a Tahitian cruise.

We had some real real rough water between the last island where we had visited and the island of Tahiti and in between. No islands, only the open South Pacific for an afternoon on night and the next morning Roxie and fat. Rarely does the skipper ever say to all the ladies don't wear high heels if you have sneakers or sneakers which would give you a hint of what we were in for one of our speakers during our meeting fell like this. And that's exactly what sounded to me it just blew and I realize that we we are we are in rough water, but the great thing about it. We were on the ship date. Now I have a portal in my state room which is supposed to be above water. But that night when I felt like is in an aquarium were underwater and the waves are pricing against the sea. It gets the boat in Christ is the boat and adamant about so stay open the deck and I knew was right because there were about 12 of us it would to dinner, which meant we got your buddy else's lobster, but that's another subject. Anyway, because we did get seasick. We were there to enjoy the dinner but most of the body was and they were sick and they were being thrown all around but that was a ship not that big a ship but it was a nice ship this is a boat.

There is no top their loci and we read the disciples were in trouble.

My text reads that's blessed I need.

So is the Greek verb ended means paying on to be of severe distress, torment, harassment, they were harassed by the waves and the howling wind force yourself to enter into the storm and you will feel it, since it around you and remember there alone. Where's Jesus would we really need and it's not in their way out in the sea when I was taking English literature in high school we got. We were encouraged by Mrs. Chrysler to memorize some of the great poets. One of my favorites was the wrong time of the ancient mariner. Remember that when Samuel Taylor Coleridge's work tell you it's a fantastic story of this old leathery seaman who is alone on this old rotting boat are ship and he's at sea, but is not a storm. It's the doldrums which used to call it the bay slick. You could flip a pebble into the water. You could see the rings for its deathly silent this saltwater ocean water water everywhere and gave the boards to shrink water water everywhere in not a drop to drink the very deep good rot whole Christ that ever this should be J slimy things to crawl with legs upon the slimy see. I love that line is, according to my sister at midnight. Slimy things crawl with legs on the slimy see and then the rights of the four-part load alone all all alone alone in a wide, wide sea never seen took pity on my soul in agony and nobody slapped his heart. Some of you there last night was dreadful tonight could be worse. Your loan receipt you must incarnate the narrative crawl into the print feel the water filling the boat you're bailing you're fighting the way it's it's pitch black. There is no light. You can't see the shore in your fear is reached to the enormous level like for some of you recently when you panicked and you thought about some things you shouldn't have been thinking one of our teams here at the church is in Ireland for 10 days. A major issue that the particular church were there ministering and another neighboring church are getting together for conference on depression and suicide because it's a real issue. There and it is a real issue here who could guess how many in this room has given serious thought to taking his or her own life, you would be shocked. In light of that when you come to a passage where there is the terror of being alone and the feeling you're going to go under and not just reading words in verses 2223 and 25 and 27 and we go on to the next story you're entering into the scene personally. Although that isn't bad enough, would you notice what happens. A flash of lightning comes in they look not that far away is an image coming toward him, how you doing with that see that never read Matthew 14 they don't know it is and so they look over and they go fun times required for phantom we got a word phantom ghost it's a ghost.

Your mind plays tricks on you when you're in the middle of time like this. You think you're seeing a ghost. You realize who it was the one who made the sea and whoever makes the sea is able to walk on it is no big thing in the OC will do this tonight. I think I'll take a stroll in the storm as he controls at all.

See the day of their imagination. It taken a recess they were unable to see the unseen, they they forgot that in the beginning was the word the word was with God the Word was God the same was in the beginning with God all things were made by him, and nothing was made that was made except by him and the word verse 14 of John one becomes flesh and dwelt among us, the words Jesus is the creator is to see to do with it whatever he wishes in your is child.

He knows what he's about. In the midst of this, what seems to be like an impossible circumstance. I love the setting of Jesus coming up toward them.

Look for yourself when the disciples saw him walking on the water. They were terrified in their fear and they cried out it's a it's a it's a go. He doesn't rebuke them. Jesus never change you for jumping to wrong conclusions when you're in a panic understands can handle it.

He looks at them and simply says I don't don't don't be afraid of always tempted chocolate that storm is all over the ship, rocking, filling with water. Lightning the waves away and he goes will be afraid.

And they realize who it is and his words are.

I am the here doesn't appear in the text, resulting who is that I am was all the way back to the ancient first early Old Testament writings. I am that's who's here. I so forgive me here if it's a little too far, but my imagination does get a little crazy sometimes. Peter is a lot of that in me so understand he looks at him and goes about it or she would be okay if you think it is a look great on a resume man walked on water.

Jesus is simply, the stories familiar most of us have never heard the level of detail that were enjoying today Chuck Swindoll titled his message with the question what brings us to our knees. Let me encourage you to listen again tomorrow because will pick up right here on the next edition of Insight for living and if you'd like to learn more about this ministry. Please visit us online@insightworld.org did you realize you have a number of different options for listening to this daily program. In addition to hearing Insight for living online or over your favorite podcast platform. You can also listen on your local radio station or join with thousands of new friends who started listening this year through the convenient Insight for living mobile app please feel free to take advantage of any of these listening opportunities and then if you like to dig deeper into the book of Matthew on your own. I may remind you that Chuck wrote a commentary on the book of Matthew.

If you're looking to get better acquainted with the real Jesus, the one writers like Matthew described. Then we highly recommend adding these two volumes to your personal collection. There called Swindoll's living insights on Matthew to purchase this two-volume set, go to Insight.org/offer and finally we extend toward a profound thanks for all those who generously gave last month. Your partnership means more than you know and we couldn't supply these daily Bible teaching programs without your support. It's not too late for your contribution to make an impact. As God prompt you to financially support this nonprofit ministry invite you to call listening in the US dial 1-800-772-8888, 1-800-772-8888 four to give a contribution today. Online go to Insight.you'll hear the answer from Chuck Swindoll in our study in Matthew 14 continues tomorrow on Insight for living. The preceding message. What brings us to earnings was copyrighted in 2016 and 2021 and the sound recording was copyrighted in 2021 by Charles R. Swindoll, Inc. all rights are reserved worldwide.

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