Well, get
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ready for a breath of new life.
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Today, Dr. Byrd speaks on
the topic, Get Out of The Boat.
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Now, here he is,
speaker-director of Breath of
Life Ministries, Dr. Carlton
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Byrd. Dr. Carlton Byrd: The Word
of God says to us in Matthew 14,
verse 22. If you have it, let me
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hear you say Amen. Come on, if
you have it let me hear you say
Amen. The Word of God says,
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"And straightway Jesus
constrained his disciples to get
into a ship, and to go before
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him unto the other side, while
he sent the multitudes away. And
when he had sent the multitudes
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away, he went up into a mountain
apart to" do what, everybody?
Come on, do what everybody?
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Response: "Pray." "And when the
evening was come, he was there
alone. Bible says, "But the ship
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was now in the midst of the sea,
tossed with" what? Tossed with
"waves: for the wind was
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contrary. And in the fourth
watch of the night Jesus went
unto them, walking on the" what?
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Response: "Sea." "And when the
disciples saw him walking on the
sea, they were troubled, saying.
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It is a spirit: and they cried
out for fear. But straightway
Jesus spake unto them, saying,
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Be of good cheer; it is I; be
not" what, everybody? Come on,
be not what, everybody?
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Response: "Afraid." "And Peter
answered him and said, Lord, if
it be thou, bid me come unto
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thee on the water. And he said,
Come. And when Peter was come
down out of the ship, he walked
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on the water, to go to Jesus.
But when he saw the wind
boisterous, he was afraid; and
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beginning to sink, he cried,
saying, Lord, save me. And
immediately Jesus stretched
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forth his hand and caught him,
and said unto him, O thou of
little faith, wherefore didst
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thou doubt? And when they were
come into the ship, the wind
ceased. Then they that were in
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the ship came and worshipped
him, saying, Of a truth thou art
the Son of God." Get out of the
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boat. Get out of the boat. Jesus
is the central figure of the
Bible. His life is foretold in
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the Old Testament and it's told
four times over in the New
Testament. His life was a
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continuous interplay between the
human and the divine. In his
divinity he was God's way to
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man. Herod could not kill him,
governments could not silence
him, money could not buy him,
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Satan could not seduce him,
death could not destroy him,
hell could not handle him, and
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the grave could not hold him,
because he's my Jesus. Do I have
a witness in this place? Now,
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Jesus' popularity on this earth
was widespread because of his
miracles. Now these miracles,
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quickly, could be grouped into
two main categories, those
miracles that affected people
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and those miracles that affected
nature. Now, the larger of these
two groups were the miracles
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Other times he used a material
like spit and mud healing a
blind man's sight. Which means,
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if you really want healing
sometimes you've got to get
dirty. I wish I had a witness in
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this place. But the good news
about all of Jesus' miracles was
that Jesus delivered benefits
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freely and there were no charges
for his healing services. What a
mighty God we serve. What a
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mighty God we serve because
angels bow before him. Heaven
and earth adore him. What a
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mighty God we serve. So it is in
our text today that we find one
of Jesus' recorded miracles.
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This miracle was unique in that
it affected both people and
nature. Now, to give some
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context to our sermon text. The
Bible teaches in Matthew,
Chapter 14 that John the Baptist
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has just been beheaded. And the
disciples, some of whom were
followers of John, they did not
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have time to grieve. But the
Bible says Jesus hears all of
this and the Bible goes on and
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says that Jesus continues
healing people, ministering to
people, and showing compassion
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on people. While Jesus is doing
this, the multitudes following
Jesus are increasing by the
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minute. After listening to
Jesus, the people, the Bible
says, are hungry. That makes
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sense, because after church on
Sabbath we like to go eat. Are
you hearing what I'm saying?
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After listening to Jesus the
people are hungry. Jesus in a
throwback to a modern day Golden
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Corral where it's all you can
eat, and they're building a new
one on University Drive. Come
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on, say Amen. Miraculously feeds
5,000 men, plus women and
children, with two fish and five
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loaves of bread. After he feeds
the 5,000, Jesus sends the
disciples ahead of him in a
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boat. Now, the Greek here, if
you study it carefully, is quite
emphatic because it tells us
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that Jesus compelled the people
to leave him and to go Now, the
disciples, the story says, have
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been in the boat for about seven
or eight hours on a journey that
should have taken two or three
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hours and it's now about three
o'clock in the morning and
they're continuing to battle
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against a storm with winds and
with waves, and they're in the
middle of the Sea of Galilee,
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and then in their exhaustion,
not knowing if they're going to
make it or think they see they
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do, a ghost walking on water.
Now, maybe going through their
minds is the thought that this
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is the end for us. It's now
over. It's about to end. The
waters are boisterous, the rains
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are falling, and there is a
ghost walking towards us. They
get completely terrified, crying
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out in fear. But it's not a
ghost, it's Jesus, and Jesus
says, Be of good cheer. So,
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then, take courage, Jesus is
saying, because I am that I am
is here. Notice in this
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situation with Jesus knew they
would be there for a while.
Jesus knew there would be a
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storm that was going to come.
Jesus knew that they were going
to be battling the sea all night
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long. So, then why would Jesus
send them in a situation that he
knew would be difficult and
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bring about great fear? Why did
Jesus do this? It was because
Jesus was trying to grow their
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faith. Because, friends, there
are times in our lives where the
Lord sends us into storms. He
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sends us into storms so we can
grow in faith. So we can grow in
courage. So we can grow in
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confidence and conviction, so we
can step out in faith in what
the Lord is calling us to do.
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The Bible says that without
faith it is impossible to please
God, but God is a rewarder of
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those that diligently seek him.
Which means then, just because
you have a relationship with God
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doesn't mean you won't have
trouble. Those that live godly
lives must suffer persecution. I
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say it all the time. You can
believe in God and still go
through trouble. Still go
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through trial and tests and
tribulations, because your
relationship with God does not
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mean that you won't go through
anything. You can go to church
and still get cancer. You can
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return your tithe and offering
and still lose your house. You
can refrain, young people, from
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studying on the Sabbath, but yet
you still can fail that test.
Bad stuff happens to good
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people. Trouble will come in
spite of your relationship with
the Lord, in spite of your
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commitment to the church, in
spite of the fact that you sing
in the choir. Trouble will still
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come in your life. The rain
falls on the just and unjust,
but I still have to have faith
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in God. I still have to have
faith in believing in a God who
can do things I can't do, who
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can reach things I can't reach,
who can move things I can't
move. Faith is the substance of
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things hoped for. The evidence
of things not seen. I must
believe that God can do stuff I
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can't see and do. I must believe
that God can do stuff that does
not make sense. I've got to
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believe that God can roll back
the Red Sea and the children of
Israel can walk across on dry
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land. I believe that God
provided air conditioning in a
fiery furnace. I believe that
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God shut the lions' mouths. I
believe God turned water into
wedding punch. You have to go
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through something where your
faith is tried. God can't let
you go through life easily
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because that won't build your
faith. And he'll let you get in
trouble so he can teach you how
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to survive the attack in
trouble. Let me tell you
something I've learned over the
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years. Obedience does not
guarantee that we will escape
adversity. Obedience may, in
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fact, lead us to some severe
storms. Sometimes God sends us
into storms and then sometimes
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people create their own storms
and then they get mad when it
rains. God sent the disciples in
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the boat. God sent the disciples
in the water. But while the
disciples don't recognize Jesus,
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Peter does. Not only does Peter
recognize Jesus, Peter has faith
in Jesus. So then Peter, the
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Bible teaches, calls out to
Jesus in the midst of the storm,
Lord, if it's you then tell me
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to come to you on this water.
Now, quickly, why did Peter ask
Jesus such a question in the
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first place? Courage alone is
not enough to walk on water. no
matter how dark the night was,
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no matter how high the waves
were, no matter how strong the
wind or wet the water, Peter
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knew that it was safer out of
the ship in a storm with Jesus
than being in a ship in a storm
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without Jesus. than being in a
ship in a storm without Jesus.
Somebody's going to get this in
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a minute. I can hear the other
disciples saying to Brother
Peter, Peter, you can't walk on
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water. It's impossible. You'll
look foolish and get wet. It's
dangerous. The boat is the
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safest place to be. We need you
in the boat because we need all
the help we can help to fight
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this storm. But Peter knows it's
safer out of the boat with Jesus
than in the boat without Jesus.
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So, what does Jesus say in the
text? Come. He says what,
everybody? He says what,
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everybody? Come. And there's no
other reason for Peter to climb
over the side of that boat and
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get in the water. His ways are
not our ways. Now, quickly,
different Bible commentators and
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different theologians They say
that he was trying to be God
himself by wanting to be able to
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walk on water like Jesus. They
claim that he was trying to be
equal with Jesus, able to do
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what only Jesus could do because
of the power of God within him.
Then others say, point number
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two, no, Peter was only testing
Jesus. They surmise that Peter
says, Lord, if it is you, Jesus,
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if it is you, then prove it to
me by helping me walk on this
water. So then Peter, in
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essence, commands this of Jesus.
If you are the Son of God, throw
yourself down off this high
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temple and see if God will save
you. They suggest that Matthew
here in his account was building
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the tension in his story,
looking toward the time when
Jesus said to Peter, get thee
00:15:41.63\00:15:47.33
behind me, Satan. But then
others say, Peter was showing
great faith in holding out his
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hand to Jesus and putting his
life at risk. Peter was showing
his faith by being willing to
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stake his life on Jesus being
Jesus. The others sat in the
boat, cowering in fear, blinded
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by their fear of the storm. The
other eleven disciples remained
terrified in the boat and never
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experienced walking on water,
but Peter did. Now, I listen to
this story all the time growing
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up in the church. All I know is
the church. And I've heard
preachers preach this and
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teachers teach this and I've
heard people condemn Peter for
his lack of faith, stating that
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he took his eyes off Jesus and
he had a lapse of faith, which
is why he began to fall. Yes, in
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the text, Jesus did say to
Peter, you are a man of little
faith. But what about the other
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eleven? None of them even got
out of the boat. So, then if
Peter had little faith, then
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they had no faith at all because
if you remain in the boat you
will never know what it's like
00:17:47.23\00:18:06.36
to walk on water with Jesus.
Being safe is not easy, it's
hard work. Do what everybody
00:18:06.36\00:18:18.06
else is doing. Do what we've
always done. At least Peter got
out of the boat, which is more
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than the other disciples ever
did. Every day someone's asking
the same question, is God hiding
00:18:22.90\00:18:30.03
his face from our problems? Why
do bad things happen to good
people? Does God really hold my
00:18:30.03\00:19:02.83
destiny in his hands? The Breath
of Life Ministry has the perfect
answer in a beautiful new book
00:19:02.83\00:19:07.70
called "How Can I Understand the
Bible." It's your gift free with
your donation of any amount.
00:19:07.70\00:19:15.16
Contact us at
www.breathoflife.tv. Or call us
at 1-877-265-6333. Now, back to
00:19:15.16\00:19:23.50
Dr. Bird with a message already
in progress. How many of us are
afraid to try new things in
00:19:23.50\00:19:32.40
ministry for fear of, we've
never done it that way? Lunacy
is defined as doing the same
00:19:32.40\00:19:38.36
things over and over and over
again and expecting a different
result. But you'll never see new
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oceans unless you have the
courage to lose sight of the
shore. It's all right to be
00:19:44.93\00:19:59.53
cautious, but a turtle never
gets anywhere until he sticks
his head out. Don't be afraid to
00:19:59.53\00:20:09.36
go out on a limb. Don't be
afraid to stick your head out.
Don't be afraid to get out of
00:20:09.36\00:20:18.03
the boat. We'll have this mind,
saying everybody's talking about
you, ain't nobody thinking about
00:20:18.03\00:20:28.46
you. We're good at creating
terrible events in our minds and
worrying ourselves to death. But
00:20:28.46\00:20:36.96
sometimes we have to face our
fears, face the unknown, and
take a plunge in order that we
00:20:36.96\00:20:45.00
might grow. Friends of mine, you
will never grow unless you get
out of the boat and experience
00:20:45.00\00:20:52.73
walking on water. So, praise
God, Peter got out of the boat.
But what's the final point here?
00:20:52.73\00:20:59.83
He got out of the boat, he
followed Jesus, but why did he
sink? Now, Bible enthusiasts,
00:20:59.83\00:21:08.10
they say that he began to sink
because he got distracted. Some
say he got a little haughty.
00:21:08.10\00:21:16.83
Look at me, I'm walking on
water. He took his eyes off
Jesus. And while some or all of
00:21:16.83\00:21:27.53
this might be true, listen to me
carefully, Peter needed to sink
in order to grow. Sometimes you
00:21:27.53\00:21:34.20
have to sink in order that you
might move to the next step of
faith in Jesus Christ. You see,
00:21:34.20\00:21:41.16
let's be real, walking on water
does not ultimately lead to
spiritual growth. Listen to me.
00:21:41.16\00:21:49.20
There were 5,000 men, plus women
and children, who were fed, but
yet they failed to recognize
00:21:49.20\00:21:54.70
Jesus as the Christ. How often
do we read of Jesus' miracles,
the great number of people who
00:21:54.70\00:22:10.70
follow Jesus, only to see a
miracle happen, but yet they
never came in the faith because
00:22:10.70\00:22:18.66
of the miracle, they just
watched it. That's like us
today. We see the miracles of
00:22:18.66\00:22:24.63
Jesus. Some of us have even
experienced the miracles of
Jesus. We witness the miracles
00:22:24.63\00:22:33.56
of Jesus. But we never come into
the faith of Jesus. The miracle
may bring people back to see and
00:22:33.56\00:22:40.96
experience more, but it's the
experience of sinking, the
experience of suffering, the
00:22:40.96\00:22:51.56
experience of drowning that
causes them to cry out to Jesus
like Peter did for salvation. It
00:22:51.56\00:22:59.90
is in those moments, friends of
mine, it is in those moments
when we cry out to Jesus, and I
00:22:59.90\00:23:10.63
don't know if you've been there,
but I've cried out to Jesus,
that when we cry out to Jesus
00:23:10.63\00:23:18.03
that we grow. Because when all
else fails, when there is no
hope except him, he comes in,
00:23:18.03\00:23:27.50
lifts us up and saves us. Now,
as Peter began to sink, he
cried, Lord, save me. As he
00:23:27.50\00:23:36.00
began to drown, he cried, Lord,
save me. That was his prayer.
Three simple words. Lord, save
00:23:36.00\00:23:43.53
me. Which then reminds us, it's
not the length of your prayer
but the strength of your prayer.
00:23:43.53\00:23:56.66
Some of us think that we've got
to pray these long, big words,
sermonize prayers to get God's
00:23:56.66\00:24:07.60
attention. But Peter didn't have
time for prayer preliminaries.
Peter didn't have time for a
00:24:07.60\00:24:19.93
long prayer. Peter didn't have
time for a long discourse. Peter
didn't have flowery words, all
00:24:19.93\00:24:46.63
Peter had time for was, Lord,
save me. And I believe I've got
a witness in this place that
00:24:46.63\00:24:58.36
knows sometimes in life, when
you're about to lose your mind,
all you can say is, Lord, save
00:24:58.36\00:25:09.20
me. When the devil is messing
with somebody, all you can say
is, Lord, save me. When you're
00:25:09.20\00:25:20.86
stretched to the max, when
you're pushed to the limit, all
you can say is, Lord, save me. I
00:25:20.86\00:25:28.76
was sinking deep in sin, far
from the peaceful shore, very
deeply stained within, sinking
00:25:28.76\00:25:36.10
to lies no more. But, the Master
of the sea heard my despairing
cry and from the waters lifted
00:25:36.10\00:25:42.80
me. Now safe am I. But let me
give you some shouting news and
I'm going to sit down. The Bible
00:25:42.80\00:25:49.63
says in verse 30. Look at verse
30. The Bible says in verse
number 30: "And Peter beginning
00:25:49.63\00:25:58.03
to sink." Pastor, you got that.
Somebody else missed it. Let me
try that one more time. Verse 30
00:25:58.03\00:26:07.43
says: "And Peter beginning to
sink." Let me try that one more
time. The Bible says, Peter
00:26:07.43\00:26:12.00
beginning to sink. Somebody they
still don't get it, that's all
right. Let me tell you what this
00:26:12.00\00:26:18.10
shouting news is. It's the fact
that Peter didn't go under. I
had sickness in my body, but God
00:26:18.10\00:26:27.20
didn't let me go under. I lost
my job, I failed a class, but
God didn't let me go under. I
00:26:27.20\00:26:41.90
lost my family, I lost my
marriage, people were talking
about me, but God didn't let me
00:26:41.90\00:26:49.03
go under. The good news is that
when you exercise faith, when
you get out of the boat, if you
00:26:49.03\00:26:57.06
begin to sink there is a Savior.
If you begin to drown, there is
a Deliverer. If you begin to go
00:26:57.06\00:27:38.13
under, there is a Go-between.
His name is Jesus. Sweet Jesus.
Rose of Sharon. Lily of the
00:27:38.13\00:27:48.30
Valley. He came from the bosom
of the father to the bosom of a
woman. He put on humanity in
00:27:48.30\00:27:50.33
order that we might put on
divinity. He became the Son of
Man that we might become the
00:27:50.33\00:27:55.30
sons of God. He came from Heaven
where the rivers never freeze,
winds never blow, flowers never
00:27:55.30\00:28:06.96
fade, no one is sick. In infancy
he startled a king. In boyhood
he puzzled wise men. In manhood
00:28:06.96\00:28:13.80
he ruled the course of nature.
Understand, Jesus never
practiced psychiatry, but he's
00:28:13.80\00:28:16.73
healed more broken hearts than
doctors have healed broken
bodies. He never marched in an
00:28:16.73\00:28:18.93
army, never drafted a soldier,
never fired a gun, yet no leader
has made more volunteers, who
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under his orders have made
rebels stack arms of surrender
without a shot being fired. He
00:28:22.50\00:28:29.30
is the Star of Astronomy, the
Rock of Geology. He is the Lion
and Lamb of zoology. His name is
00:28:29.30\00:28:30.30