Coronavirus 2020 | Matthew 14:22-33

you know normally we're going through the Bible verse by verse chapter by chapter that was disrupted because I took my beautiful bride Debbie to Hawaii we went on vacation and I kind of owed her that last time she and I went on a vacation was a little about three years ago so I'm delinquent and I've been not so good at taking vacations probably because I love just being here and doing what I do so much and Debbie does too but now it was really great for us we hung out in Hawaii and spent most of our time in the water you know it's so fun to dive and snorkel and see the dolphins we swam with the dolphins and sat on the beach and just chilled for quite a little little time there it was it was great so we missed you last Sunday and then I come home and you guys got the shirt into the church all shut down man what's going on with that no it wasn't your fault but but you know it's good to be back and I was excited to get back into Isaiah and get through our study but you know the Lord put it on my heart to share kind of a special study this morning will hit Isaiah Wednesday night and and you know coming up next Sunday Lord willing but I'd like to do a little bit of a teaching from the Gospel of Matthew as it relates to these times we're living this is this is a unique thing I've never seen anything in my lifetime even close to this this is such a unique thing where NBA and shut down now March Madness gets shut down Disneyland shut down churches of two hundred fifty or more you know shut down well it's a funny thing I was I was joking around on you know I think it was Instagram or something where I was saying well what we're gonna do is we're gonna do twenty services to break it up and I I didn't do the math and you just kind of threw that number up but I did the math later and it would be if we if we did twenty services of 250 people that would be about eighty Creek size of a Sunday morning but but I thought that'd be that'd be tedious twenty services but we're really glad that you're all able to join us and and why'd you grab your Bible turn with me to Matthew's Gospel 4:14 I want to share one of my favorite stories as it relates to kind of in fact I think there's so much about this story that we can pull from and glean from in light of these days with coronavirus and and you know the stores shelves or empty toilet paper is gone you know it's it's interesting as I was driving to church this morning to broadcast from here ghost town man the streets are empty it's really kind of a unique time that we're living in let me touch on one thing before I get into kind of the main thing a lot of people that pastor Brett you're into Bible prophecy you study the Bible and my argument is anybody who loves the Bible will Study Bible prophecy one-fourth of the Bible is prophecy and so yeah we're into that here and so people you know have you know texted me or message me and I Brett is this it is this is this the end and my answers always is we'll know when it's the end and there'll be no question will be won't we won't be asking that question is it's you know when it's the end well know just just a heads up on that but but minimally what I would say as a Bible prophecy but for whatever is you remember how Jesus talked about this Paul talked about this in Thessalonians 1st Thessalonians 5 Jesus talked about at Matthew 24 that the end times and the troubles that are around endtime stuff it's gonna be like birth pains that bring forth the child and and if Jesus said it's like birth pains so um birth pains if you've ever you know mom or dad been around the labor pain situation the labor pains get more frequent and more intense as the baby's getting closer and that's the ideas the closer to Christ's return we're gonna see these contractions get more intense and more frequent the closer we get to the end so minimally I would say that you know this coronavirus scare and trouble is one of those birth pains I think that's real possible that it's just a sign of the times of us getting closer it's not doom and gloom it's boom and zoom remember we're gonna be raptured taken up to be with the Lord as Christians we have nothing to fear we have the hope in Christ the hope in heaven and one I just want to say before we get into the study and that is be careful Christians that are into Bible prophecy you know it's sometimes I noticed that we take these cataclysmic kind of events and then we subtly Anissa ascribed them you know this is God judging the world and and I think we can almost misrepresent yeah of course all disease is a result of man's sin and and we can make those arguments and we do but at these times I'm not sure that's really the message that we should be giving you know I think we should be really careful you know remember they marvel to Jesus's gracious words and and its Lord's goodness that leads men to repentance and I think it's funny that sometimes people really almost do a disservice to the gospel by just sort of trashing everybody and and kind of the doom and gloom sort of vibe watch out for that don't don't do that what should you do well that's kind of what I want to talk about what do you do in times of crisis and when you don't know what to do what do you do and and I think I think the Scriptures there's no better resource and especially as we look at Jesus in the scriptures and that's why I wanted you to turn to you know Matthew chapter 14 and and so it's it's it's this great story after there was a great victory of the feeding of the 5,000 you know what a miracle what a great thing have you ever noticed by the way that when when there's always a great victory oftentimes there comes trial or trouble it's almost like the enemy wants to deflate the joy that happened from the great victory and so you know we kind of we kind of see this you know where Jesus fed the 5,000 I'm sure that the disciples are totally pumped people are excited did you see what happened there on the hillsides of Galilee that you know you fed all those people and they just kept feeding bread and bread was coming you know fish loaves and fish it was a great story and then Jesus moves the disciples in a different direction and and he's gonna tell them to cross the Sea of Galilee and that's where the trouble begins don't be shocked when things are going well if suddenly there's a challenge an attack or a trial or difficulty and so we're gonna take a look at that it's Matthew chapter 14 and we're gonna start in verse 22 so grab your Bible your notebook or your iPad or your chisel and your stone tablets let's let's get going here Matthew chapter 14 verse 22 and there we read it says and straightway Jesus constrained his disciples to get into a ship and to go before him unto the other side while he sent the multitudes away and when he had sent the multitudes away he went up into a mountain apart to pray and when the evening was come he was there alone but the ship was now in the midst of the sea tossed with waves for the wind was contrary and in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them walking on the sea and when the disciples saw him walking on the sea they were troubled saying it is a spirit or a ghost and they cried out for fear but straightway Jesus spake unto them saying be of good cheer it is I be not afraid and Peter answered and said lord if it be thou bid me come unto thee on the water and he said come and when Peter was come down out of the ship he walked on the water to go to Jesus but when he saw the wind boisterous he was afraid and beginning to sink he cried saying lord save me and immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand and caught him and said unto Him o thou of little faith wherefore didst thou doubt and when they were coming to the ship the wind ceased then they that were in the ship came and worshiped him saying of a truth thou art the Son of God man what a great story and maybe this is one you've heard since you were a kid Jesus walking on the water and man this is just an amazingly cool story no matter who you are and and yet when I look at the story I see so many comparisons to many of the trials that we go through as people you know things that we face daily and sometimes more intense storms than others but you know when the storm comes what do you do and and for many this coronavirus thing the you know Co vid 19 situation has caused all kinds of fear and consternation and speculation and and and people get pretty pretty tweaked out what are we as Christians called to do and B and you know I really feel not only this is true for all Christians but for us as a theek recurs my hope and prayer is that we can take this story and glean from it to know how to respond how to deal with these challenging times and I see some great stuff in fact I've got 11 points here for you so let's let's break through all I should have done 19 points for the cove in 19 that would have been appropriate but what will stick to 11 for this morning and the first thing if you're jotting down your notes you can just jot them now I've got these alliterated words I want you to remember as we kind of think through this so number one the mission the mission Jesus sends the disciples on a mission and it says right there in verse 22 straightway Jesus constrained his disciples now that word constrained as a word we don't use that often in modern English in King James 1611 they would use that word constrained he constrained me to go the the newer translations the NIV the nsv the I think the ESV they use terms like he made them to go across the sea he made them you know remember when you're kids and you can't make me who's gonna make me well Jesus says I'm making you do this and so they did that's the idea another newer translation says Jesus insisted that they go to the other side of the sea the Greek word is an uncut zone and that word in the Greek it just means he compelled them it's a very forceful thing this is what you guys are gonna do do it now kind of thing is a commandment truly so he commanded them if you would to go across to the other side of the sea and the reason that's important is because you know Jesus gives us all kinds of Commandments you know he says that were to love one another he teaches us that were to two the Scriptures teach us so much about how we're to behave you know and their Commandments prefer other people ahead of ourself man it's amazing the selfishness I see during times like the coronavirus for people are you know concerned about themselves and and we should be putting others before ourselves one of the things I love when there's tragedy or trial there's always those heroic people who forget about themselves and put others ahead of you know themselves and and that those people tend to surface in times like this but the self-centered people that are freaked out about their own personal health only making sure they have enough toilet paper making sure they have the food and the hoarding and all that it really doesn't become the Christian to be all about yourself but but I love that that we get to be the people that rise above that and and and one thing I want to remind you is those are the things Jesus commands us to be as to to be loving considerate deny yourself these are the things Jesus constrains us to do to cross the sea of self pride and of self-centeredness he constrains us to do that now one of the things my pastor John Carson taught me years ago that I so value as he used to teach this this concept so we see here's is God's commandments or his enablement we are enabled to do by God what he commands us to do so we can we can do this with confidence knowing that he's gonna get us to the side when Jesus told the disciples to get in the ship go to the other side his commandment was his enablement he enabled them and they were gonna make it whether they knew it or not even though it seemed dubious at times they thought they were gonna drown or go down isn't it something that they actually we know now in retrospect that they were perfectly safe they were never in any real danger because Jesus was there and that was his commandment so don't forget the mission his Commandments are his enablement he enables us to do what he's called us to do the mission number one number two isolation you have the mission you have isolation where was isolation it's there in verse 23 and when he had sent the multitudes away he went up to a mountain apart to pray and when the evening was come he was there alone isn't it fascinating that Jesus knew the necessity of alone time that Jesus himself I mean if anybody could have pulled it off without taking a long time it would have been Jesus but Jesus saw the need the value in getting away to a secret quiet place and just being alone with the Lord and in what a model what an example Jesus did this many times throughout the gospel narrative that Jesus took time apart you know the people that come apart usually don't fall apart but people get that get all into the frazzled you know busyness of life and you can you can fall apart and I love that Jesus would constantly pull himself away from the multitudes and recharge and the reason I see this you know this isolation is something you know some of you are already in isolation I have friends who are in quarantine because of the possibility of them having been near or contracting the you know the Cova dean you know virus and they've had to isolate themselves and we've seen it on the news people you know stuck in ships I I saluted we've seen you know I mean you know we've got new terminology that we're talking about you know social distancing and stuff like that and you know some people that's that's so strange for them to not be hugging and you know shaking hands and it comes so natural for some but to isolate and pull away but you know rather than looking at it as a bummer maybe it's a blessing in fact not to be too weird about it but obstacles really are God's opportunities that he gives us to do something different and Jesus was isolated and if you find yourself isolated during this time maybe this could be a good season for you to say rather than complaining about what you can't do do what you can um seek the Lord be on your knees fasting praying seeking God you know if you have to quarantine yourself or if you feel distanced from people because you're not at church you know in the congregation here in the sanctuary with us this morning no sweat man you can just say this is a time to set it apart I'm truly setting apart my life not just because I'm quarantine or trying to be safe or not sick but but say Lord I'm gonna use this as a time of seeking praying and man if there was no more time to be praying this is a good time to pray for our nation pray for the world you know we've got it made here in the United States and there you know because of our health care and because of our blessings you know the curve is much lower of sickness here than in so many other countries you know we have much to be praying for for other people so rather than complaining about the isolation what if we didn't even call it isolation what if we call it seeking just a time to get away and seek the Lord coming apart like Jesus did to seek the father then that's that's pretty pretty huge isolation so yeah the mission number one isolation number two number three you have tribulation the trouble the trial the challenge what's that verse 25 I'm in the fourth watch of the night Jesus part of me verse 24 but the ship was now in the midst of the sea tossed with waves for the wind was contrary man we're living in days where there's a contrary wind with this disease and this virus and and it makes you ask the question why does storms come why does God allow storms to happen you know what's interesting about this is we know that Jesus said wouldn't you agree has power over the storm we know that not only here but in other places you know Mark's Gospel chapter 4 we see in a similar storm and Jesus just speaks the storm as as sea sand its stilled like he's got the power of the storm why would he allow the storm to begin with if why didn't he from the mountaintop row from the isolation point just so the disciples are toiling okay cease why didn't he do it then that I think sometimes the Lord allows the storms to happen in our lives and and and you might say for what purpose for what reason let me give you three possibilities there's probably more but I'm just going to give you the three of my favorites number one possibly for correction the Lord is not punishing us but some you know punitive Lee but sometimes he lets us go through trials correctively to correct our course just ask Jonah and his storm remember God said go Jonah said no and he was supposed to go to Nineveh but he said I'm not going there and he bolted the other direction and so he's off in his ship everything was going great and so God sends a storm to course-correct Jonah and he became a nice meal for a big fish but that's a whole nother story sometimes the Lord will send the storm for corrective purposes to correct our course I wonder if some of us in this coronavirus you know crisis if the Lord is allowing us to to be corrected maybe maybe we've we've been on the wrong course you know I'm boy you ask yourself Lord am I is this a corrective time in my life where you want to do a work and show me something maybe we've put too much trust in our medical you know doctors and the hospitals and ability to be safe from disease and we need to put our trust in you know Jehovah Rapha the God that heals our bodies maybe we're so comfortable and things are so easy for us we don't even trust the Lord at all and maybe this now we're settling on oh yeah Lord we need to put our trust in you the Lord might be using this scare and the fear that every has to go men maybe I shouldn't be afraid you know the Bible tells us you know Paul told young Timothy and second Timothy chapter 1 verse 7 that we're not giving over to that spirit of fear but of power and love and a sound mind and maybe your course needs to be corrected if you're one is panicking or upset or freaked out the Lord might be saying hey it's time for you to really learn what it means you know to put your trust in him so he'll in the storm correctively that's that's that's just to correct your course number two for instruction maybe he's trying to teach us something ascending the storm to teach us our need for him you know to to rely on him and and not just a corrective storm but a teaching situation there's another one that kind of cracks me up though to you we always ask why why the storm why am I going through this and the answer might just be number three for no reason at all Oh Brett there everything has a reason yeah I understand that but but in mark chapter four in fact I want to read to you remember the other storm I was telling you about that Jesus was in this is the one where he was sleeping in the bottom of the boat when the disciples were toiling and they were freaking out so they they came up to Jesus and Mark chapter 4 you know and and the story Jesus said to the disciples let us pass over to the other side of the sea and when they had sent away this is Mark 436 he says when they sent away the multitude they took him even as he was in the ship and there were also with him other little ships yeah remember that part there were other little ships and there arose a great storm the winds the waves the ship so that it was now full of water and when he was in the hinder part of the ship asleep on the pillow the only time we see Jesus was sleeping in the biblical narrative is on this storm that's the ship just just just sleeping totally chill it says while I was asleep on a pillow they awoke him and said master don't you care that we're perishing and he arose rebuked the wind and said unto the sea peace be still and the wind ceased and there was a great calm and he said unto them why are you so fearful how is it that you have no faith and they feared exceedingly and said one to another what manner of man is this that even the wind and the sea obey Him you know they were being instructed of Jesus's power that was part of what they were learning right here is that Jesus had the power over the way I wonder if some of you are needing to get a little instruction that you don't need to be freaking out because Jesus is powerful and we don't have to worry about the coronavirus Jesus is bigger than that and and maybe by the end of this thing we'll marvel and say wow Jesus is truly the Son of God and maybe some of you might even come to know Christ in a way that you have not known him maybe some of you just knew about him but after this maybe the Lord will have you know him personally but wouldn't that be a great bit of instruction so you know for for correction for instruction but the just because for no reason at all reason um what do you think the other little ships were thinking we're going on it says there were other little ships in the storm and the main instruction was going on with the disciples of Jesus's boat but the other boats were in the storm too so who knows maybe the Lord's working in other people and you're just a neutral bystander and the Lord's not trying to correct you he's not trying to instruct you but at the same time you're in the same sea in a different boat and I think that when you're in that situation I wonder if the Lord wants to use you as part of the correction and part of the instruction to be the one that's part of the solution not part of the problem we'll talk about that in our next one so we got the mission we have number two the isolation number three we have the tribulation but number four this is probably my favorite one the solution the solution it's at number four is found there in verse twenty five in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them walking on the sea the solution is always Jesus Jesus is always the answer I remember as a little kid going to Andre Crouch concerts if you remember him from back in the old days great gospel singer but I remember him singing sort of what was kind of an anthem back in those days Jesus is the answer for the world today above him there's no other Jesus is the way and I remember just love in that song as a kid and that's the truth it's it's still the truth Jesus is the answer had Jesus not come down from isolation and met the disciples they may have gone down in the sea they may have drowned there in the water they had trouble that was unanswerable but because Jesus came he was the answer and and let me just remind us as a church family that Jesus is still the answer that hasn't changed and I'm so thankful that we have Jesus coming you know to us so the solution is always Jesus what's interesting though we don't always remember that it is Jesus or we don't even know that it's Jesus there's the disciples thought it was a ghost they thought Casper was coming or you know the the ghost of Christmas past or something they were freaking out and there's some people that view Christianity and Christ in that way what's the stuff and Jesus is gonna do what they don't know who he is and they're freaked out all the same one of the best things you can do is know Jesus Christ personally and realize he's not some ghost he's the solution to all the world's problems and your problems as well Jesus is the answer so you have the mission the isolation of the tribulation of the solution number five the trepidation trepidation yeah it's a word that kind of means fear and you know you hear those terms together fear and trepidation we see that here in the story and and boy have you seen any people fearful in this coronavirus crisis it's crazy people have lost their minds I was thinking of putting a montage together of all the news panic and some of the you know there's images maybe you've seen them people freaking out and you know lining up in Costco and the stores and people opening doors with their elbows trying to not touch door handles and like it really is like fear there's a lot of fear out there the trepidation but that's what the disciples are doing here in verse 26 and when the disciples saw him walking on the sea they were troubled saying it is a spirit and they cried out for fear these are grown men crying like little girls freaking out that's an embarrassing thing for these seasoned fishermen on the sea they're crying out and and it's because of fear I see that happening in our culture today about coronavirus and man like I said 2nd Timothy 1:7 not given over to that spirit of fear but of power and of love and of a sound mind so the trepidation the fear have you noticed how contagious fear is as soon as one person gets kind of freaked out then other people get freaked out and and it's sort of in in that's an infectious disease fear I remember the story of these two Gassman they were reading gas meters in a neighborhood on a nice sunny day and and they were out there and one was an older guy who was sort of training the younger guy and they'd been reading gas meters all day and the older guy challenged the younger guy he said okay the truck is about a block away let's let's race they just read the Lu you know the gas meter and so they said let's race to the truck and so they took our pewter and they raced off well as they're racing they hear these footsteps behind them and they look back there's this lady in her fluffy house shoes in a robe with curlers in her hair and she's running out to them she's catching them and they're they finally make a little track and the lady almost catches up to us she she's running out of bread they said lady what are you doing so now I don't know when I when I see two gas been running from the gas meter I think it's time to run she was afraid her house was gonna blow up or something but but I feel like a lot of times it's fear that causes more trouble than the actual thing that people are afraid of sometimes I long for the good old days of 1933 when the only thing we had to fear was fear itself now we have all kinds of things were afraid of in our culture in our world and and we're not to be given into that that whole thing of fearfulness and it takes discipline prayer trust in the Lord faith that's what it takes to overcome this kind of fear and so you know there's the trepidation number 5 number 6 on our list we're getting there 11 points number six the instruction Jesus gives an instructive sermon in this story and I love it it's got three points it's a three-point sermon and we find that here in ver 27 it says but straightway Jesus spake unto them saying be of good cheer it is I be not afraid 3 points be of good cheer number 2 it is I number 3 be not afraid man I love this because I you know there's so many things about this we could spend a whole day just talking about these three points that Jesus makes in a short sentence you know someone might criticize his the order that he says this have you noticed there's not a lot of cheerfulness in this whole Korona crisis I'm stunned at all the people that are all you know so grave and I know I'm not I'm not saying it's not important or we shouldn't take it seriously or any of that I'm not saying that but I am saying we can still have joy in the midst of the trial Jesus the first thing he says is being mature you know some what some people might say don't be afraid it's me be of good cheer like put it at the end after this crisis over yeah we'll all be happy I've been criticized for being joyful and happy on Instagram during this time of crisis but I think that's the wrong order be of good cheer that means right now he says be of good cheer he hasn't even called the storm yet the disciples aren't even sure who he is yet but he's saying hey guys be of good cheer be happy cheerful it's me be not afraid the order here is so important sometimes I think the Lord wants us the mature believer is the one who's truly not afraid and putting their trust in the Lord they're the one that's gonna be of good cheer first and then realize their cheer isn't coming from just being goofy but it's it's the fact that Jesus the solution is there and when you know Jesus is there you have every reason even before the storm is calm you have every reason to be of good cheer you and I have every reason to be joyful this morning not freaked out not bummed out that we're not sitting into the church service or but we have every reason to think man look what the Lord is doing work we've we've got you know more than like more than 2,000 people right now joining us that we can we could that many people in this in this room right here it's amazing how God is using some things that might be considered a trial it seems to me like Lord is actually blessing it right now be of good cheer you know that's something I think is really important Jesus teaches and why it's because it's him the solution Jesus he says number point number two it is I Jesus like we said he's the solution and then the last thing he says is be not afraid then that what a good word for you and me today if there's nothing else you get out of today's sermon just remember those you can memorize that in 10 seconds be of good cheer it is I be not afraid that's the mantra mantra of this coronavirus for you and for me I'm convinced so you've got the month the mission the isolation the tribulation the solution the trepidation the instruction but then the story shifts in number 7 on our list the action because of all those things we just talked about there was an action taken and we see that in verse 28 and Peter answered him and said lord if that if if it be thou bid me come unto thee on the water the action Peter says man I want to get out and walk with you Jesus on the water instead of looking at as a bummer and a storm Peters the first one maybe the only one who gets it that is this is an opportunity to do something that's crazy do something that's totally outside of the box to do something that actually will go down in history now I think Peter gets a bad rap you know when you were a kid lis going through Sunday school maybe you heard this story Peter's the one who went in the water and took his eyes off Jesus and sank the stupid idiots and Jesus had to rescue the dumb pig off and throw him back in the shed I think that's a wrong representation Peters the only one who was willing to go walk on the sea with Jesus you got understand too culturally the Jews were horrified of the sea horrified of drowning culturally they didn't even have any want or desire to be in the in the sea or whatever so so him getting out of the perfectly good boat during a storm that's Peter just living on the adds man and he's taking advantage of a radical situation and saying I want to go beyond normal I'm gonna live in the supernatural I want to see God's power in my life and and you might even say that Peters saying this I want to do what Jesus is doing think about that I want to walk on the sea like Jesus is walking out and see wouldn't it be great if you and I said we want to do what Jesus would do in this situation what was Jesus doing during this particular storm he is walking on the scene well Brett we're not Jesus I might say about that little good eye or not Jesus but listen to what Jesus said in John 14:12 he says verily verily I say unto you he that believeth on me the works that I do shall he also do and greater works than these shall he do because I go unto my father he's talking about how when he goes to be with the Lord seated at the right hand of the Father then his church all of us are left and why is it are we gonna do greater things in Jesus that's not the idea we're gonna see greater in number the things that Jesus did through his body through the church and we get to do stuff that Jesus does and it's gonna be in greater number Jesus limited himself to just being one guy walking on this earth and then he ascended to be with the father but he's saying you'll do the church will do greater things you see during these crisis there's gonna be people clinging to the boat hoping to survive but there's other people like you and me as a sea creatures hopefully that we're stepping out saying okay what action Lord can we do that's like you that's supernatural that's beyond the normal and for some of you it might be stepping out of your warm comfortable diet dry boat and helping senior citizens who really shouldn't be going to a grocery store to get groceries I'm exposing themselves to possible sickness maybe some of the younger people you know we can all you know help them out I love that we already have a theory cures and our whole staff is working on ideas outside of the box right now how we can reach out and help out and assist during this time and and maybe see Supernatural beautiful things happen that Christ would do what would Jesus do in a storm I don't think he'd be lined up in Costco for toilet paper I believe Jesus would be bringing you know the necessities and the love and the kindness to the people who couldn't even putting himself perhaps at greater risk by doing so but trusting in the supernatural power of God I really wonder what is it that the Lord wants you and me to do during the season and I I love that I'm already already seeing some really great stuff people from AC creeks stepping out of their boat and doing that which is Jesus like so that's the action Peter says I want to do what Jesus is doing and Jesus walking on the water for crying out loud what is it the Lord wants you to do right now action number eight the invitation so what is it Peter asked can I come out and the Lord says come we see that in verse 29 and he said come and Peter was come down out of the ship before you take that leap of faith that I'm talking the action make sure that you ask first Lord is this what you want me to do and you'll have a sense whether it's the Lord saying yes do it step out leap of faith let's walk on water make sure and seek the Lord first before you do that I'm very important the invitation so you got number one the mission number two isolation number three tribulation for solution number five trepidation number six the instruction number seven the action number eight the invitation of Jesus and then now number nine the distraction the distraction Peter gets the invitation he takes the action he goes out but then in the midst of his action he gets distracted by the wind boisterous which caused the waves crashing around him it kind of freaked him out he got his eyes off the prize eyes off of Jesus and back to the problem and one of the things I want to caution you you might have moments where you're walking in faith some of you are watching with us right now and like yeah Brett this is what we need to do but then you'll watch a CNN news cycle and you'll realize man people are dying and people are getting is sick and you might be distracted by the boisterous wind bags the wind bags on CNN and other news agencies watch out for that we get our eyes off of Jesus we get our eyes off the power and we end up being distracted big goof Peter does that and and let me just remind you whatever waves are rolling over your head though those are the same waves that are still under his feet do you know that don't forget that when you get distracted by the waves just remember the waves that are rolling over your head are still under his feet I hope you know that we see that so Jesus you know grabs Peter and pulls him up and places them back in the boat you know the one that created the earth is the one that can calm the storm we're not in trouble Peter was never at risk not one moment of that story that we just read was Peter ever really at risk neither are you neither am I were not a troll bro what if I get sick and what if I die praise be to the Lord death for the Christian is the greatest day of our lives because then we're taken to heaven we got to keep it in perspective you know what what we should be concerned about and what we remember I know that sounds coarse or or brutal but it's just true everything is so much of a distraction that's number 9 the distraction watch out for that number 10 on our list the salvation the salvation I love verse 31 and 32 immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand caught him and said to him o thou of little faith were - wherefore didst thou doubt and when they were come into the ship the wind ceased there's the salvation I already told you Jesus was the solution but the actual salvation came when Jesus reached out with his hand and pulled Peter up by the way Peter was known to be a big guy he was the big fisherman you know and remember like when he and John had a footrace to the tomb John made a real point in his gospel that John reached the tomb quicker than Peter there's a big guy I know what this is like you know there's little ghazal type guys that's John takes off to the tomb and then Peter a few minutes later hold on okay what's going on that was Peter he's the big guy but Jesus Jesus reaches down and was just a big bicep curl pulls up Peter and sets him down back in the boat again I don't think Jesus was the skinny little stick hippy of the movies because he couldn't lift Peter Jesus was probably I think a very strong and powerful individual well Brett he was calming the sea maybe he did it supernaturally yeah but I still don't think he was the pot-smoking hippie guy on the movies be that as it may I digress the salvation came Peter was pulled up and he pulled down the storm he pulled up Peter pulled down the storm the salvation came through Christ that's the answer and that brings us to the last of my points number 11 quick review the mission the isolation the tribulation the solution the trepidation the instruction the action the invitation of the distraction the salvation one more shun here it is the exultation man I love it this final verse what a glorious verse it says in verse 33 then they that were in the ship came and worshiped him saying I have a truth thou art the son of God and by the way if he was not the son of God if he wasn't God in the flesh should anybody have worshiped him of course not this is in fact them worshiping God because Jesus is God I hope you understand that that's an important thing they worshiped him and called him the son of God it was at this point they exalted him because of who he is and and you know that's the goal of the coronavirus in my opinion is what Satan might mean for evil sin and death and disease on to humanity there in the Garden of Eden and all that the goal is to see Christ exalted and how can we exalt Christ if we're hoarding toilet paper at Costco how can we exalt Christ if we're facebooking and talking about what's the church gonna do why is all this trouble happening and why was he was II will woes me you know we're we're clicking and we're complaining and we're whining and grumbling and we're upset what's what's that gonna do nothing but be part of the problem the goal is the exaltation of our Savior and Lord Jesus Christ that he is glorified in this and that's the goal this this storm in this story the disciples were initially totally freaked out they end up exalting Christ that's the end game right there wouldn't it be great is when this coronavirus blows over and it will if you could look back on your action and your behavior as an a sea creature and you say what did i do back in 2020 the coronavirus crisis I think this is gonna go down in history I mean there's nothing in my lifetime that's been like this we're gonna remember this like we remember 9/11 maybe even December 7th you know Pearl Harbor we're gonna remember this as a day that goes down a season that goes down and sort of infamy as the coronavirus care where churches were shut down where the March Madness that Navin warned Disneyland and Disney World was shut down we're gonna remember this the question is what will you remember yourself doing are you gonna be the one according to eyelet paper clicking on troubled and and saying things that are only stirring up trouble online are you gonna be complaining and whining and moping and putting the mask on and and being upset that you might get sick or any of this stuff or are you gonna look back and say Matt I was I was the one looking to Jesus I was the one on my knees praying I was the one who was pointing people to Christ and I was the one with the end goal of being that Jesus Christ gets exalted man I think that if we can be the latter if we could be that that person will remember this crisis has man what an opportunity to give glory to exalt the Lord Jesus Christ man I'll tell you you know what I want a glorious thing again I just found out I was just notified that we have more than 3600 people right now on line with us that's great and that's a conservative estimate because you know there's usually more than one person in front of us any given connection this is an opportunity do you see that people hearing about Jesus Christ and focusing on on the Lord and I want you to be looking at it that way what can we do to get out of our warm comfortable dry boat and be part of the solution you know you and I don't have any power in and of ourselves like Peter but Jesus man he's the one he's the one who pulls us up pulls down the storm he's the one that ultimately should be exalted when this is all said and done you know if you're one who's watching online and you've never accepted Christ let me just remind you what the gospel really is the gospel of Jesus Christ is this that all of humanity is destined for destruction the Bible says that when we sin we the wage of that sin the cost of his eternal death in hell but the rest of the Bible is about how God loved the world so much that He gave His only begotten Son Jesus Christ that whoever will believe in him and accept him what's that his work on the cross whoever accepts and believes that we'll be saved will not perish but have everlasting life in heaven John 3:16 teaches us that Romans chapter 10 verse 9 and 10 teaches us that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus Christ that God raised him up from the dead believing is the Son of God who died on the cross for my sins if you repent of your sins believe in Christ that he died for your sins it says you will be saved all your sins forgiven no matter how bad you've been past present even your future sins that you've yet to even do it's the grace of God that saves you and so I wouldn't challenge if you're not one who's ever accepted Christ as soon as you sign off for this this live stream to just pray that prayer say lord I believe in you I accept the work of the cross I know I'm a sinner and accept the work of Christ and then let us know that you accepted Christ you can send us an email you know our or whatever info at Athey Creek comm you could call the church office you can tell a Christian friend of yours that you know that man I accepted Christ and and men make sure and and have fellowship with other believers that's an important thing and be taught in the scriptures and know and learn it's great great stuff so make sure and do that the rest of you hey but when you sign off would you cover with your your if you're by yourself go through this list of 11 things that we just went over and asked the Lord what this means for you personally if you're with a group of people you're having an atheist reaming party right now take time to discuss this stuff and say practically what can we do and what should our attitude what should our heart be hey let's pray and then I want to show you some photos of people that have been gathering at this service just a minute let's pray and Lord we are so thankful for your word it's living it's powerful it's applicable so perfectly for the situation's we find ourselves in I pray Lord for my brothers and sisters all the Athey creatures and and and those out there Lord that are worried about this coronavirus Lord would you give them just a calm may you just put a soothing healing confidence not in ourselves not in in our president or our medical profession or or drugs - you know medications Lord those things we know you use all those things but ultimately you're the solution Lord and may we keep our eyes on you I pray so bless my brothers and sisters with that that humble confidence in you or bless we pray in Jesus name Amen you

Channel: Athey Creek

Views: 2,108

Rating: 4.9111109 out of 5

Keywords: Brett Meador, Bible, Church, Teaching, Study, Christian, Jesus, Micah DePaoli, Oregon, Through the Bible, Coronavirus, COVID-19, virus, sickness, storm, calm, peace

Id: w3h1OPvolE0

Length: 48min 24sec (2904 seconds)

Published: Sun Mar 15 2020