Faith In The Middle

Came across our scripture that I'm going be reading today, Matthew 14, and just felt like the Lord had me linger there. I don't know if that ever happened. Anybody else ever feel that way? You just can't get away from it, like God just keeps drawing you back to a passage of scripture and I found myself throughout the week just thinking back to Matthew 14 and finally realizing he just kept thunking me in the head saying, "Hey, I have a reason to have you here." So, I'm being obedient and we're going to go to Matthew 14.

I want to talk about faith in the middle. >> Faith in the middle. How to live life between the miracle we celebrate and the storm we fear. Faith in the middle. How to live life between the miracle we celebrate and the storm we fear.

Matthew 14 21 Now those who had eaten were about 5,000 men besides women and children. 22 Immediately Jesus made his disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side while he sent the multitudes away. And when he had sent the multitudes away, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. Now when evening came, he was alone there, but the boat was now in the middle of the sea, tossed by the waves, for the wind was contrary. Now was the fourth watch of the night. Jesus went to them walking on the sea. And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, "It was a ghost." And they cried out in fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, "Be of good cheer. It is I. Do not be afraid." And Peter answered him and said, "Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water." So he said, "Come." When Peter come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus. But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid. and beginning to sink, he cried out, saying, "Lord, save me." And immediately Jesus stretched out his hand and caught him. And he said to him, "Oh, ye of little faith, why do you doubt?" And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased, and those who were in the boat came and worshiped him, saying, "Truly, you are the Son of God."

As I was reading that on Tuesday morning, for some reason, the word immediately kept jumping out. You know, immediately Jesus made the disciples get in the boat. Immediately he spoke to them saying, "Be of good as cheer." Immediately Jesus stretched out his hand and called him. Now, I don't know what the significance of the immediately was, but it caught me enough to set down in there. And I've been just resting in this passage, and I feel like God has revealed a few truths to me when I want to talk to us about living between the miracle we celebrate and the storm we fear.

Before I deep dive into this passage, I want to give you a truth that I felt led in prayer this morning as I was praying about today and praying about the word that I felt led to give to the church today. I feel like God brought me back to one more truth that I want to say the truth to you. It's something that Paul gave us in Galatians 4 and then I'm going to dive into this. Galatians 4 and4 says, "But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his son, born of a woman under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons."

No matter if you have a plan or not, one of the things I love about our God is he always has a plan. Are you thankful for that? >> That God always has a plan. Even when it seems like you and I ran it off the rails, he still has a plan. >> Thank God for that because there's been plenty of times I put her in a ditch. I don't know about you, but I got some stories.

When we were being formed and made, and I say this quite often here, you guys are probably tired of hearing me saying it, but I don't feel like you fully grasp it yet, so I'm going to keep repeating myself. When God made you, he put things in you that he desired to bring out one day. that you have a kingdom purpose. I'm gonna keep preaching this until I fall over dead or you grab a hold of it. You have a kingdom purpose. And when time comes, we already have all that we need because he's placed it in us. The world tells you you're disqualified. The world tells you that you have done so many things that there's no longer a use or a purpose or a plan for you. Lie, lie, lie. >> That's what the enemy wants you to believe. You have everything you need cuz he put it in you at the beginning. Why? Because our God has a plan. The plan was for you and I to be adopted as sons. And when the fullness of time came, so did he. I'm not by myself. I don't do this by myself. I don't have to do this life by myself. If nobody else goes with me, he goes with me. And he and I make a supermajority. though I want to do this life with you, but if you choose not to do life with me, he's still there. I have all I need in him. I'm speaking to somebody today. I want that truth to marinate in your mind as we dive into these scriptures today.

In Matthew 14, it starts off and it's a page turner. John the Baptist has been beheaded. Cue the minor keys. All of a sudden, we feel drawn into this story. It didn't start off so well. And then Jesus being led away as he's processing this news that his friend, his forerunner, has had his life taken from him. The people were trying to figure out where he was. And they found Jesus. And when they did, it says that he was moved with compassion. And he turned to the disciples and said, "Hey, we need to do something. We're way out in the country and there's no place for them to get food." Of course, there's a little debate amongst themselves. What are we going to do? And he says simply, "What do you have?" I love that about God is he never expects you to have something more than what you have. >> So here's a message for somebody today. Whatever you have is enough. >> Well, somebody should have shouted right there. >> Whatever you have right now is enough. >> What do you have that you can bring to God right now? >> What do you have? What are you sitting on that you're not using? What has already been entrusted and given to you and you're not taking advantage of it? I would encourage you today to bring whatever it is you have to God. Let him bless it >> and let him break it. >> Oh, you got on board with that. >> Let him bless it. Let him break it and let him multiply it >> to be used for his kingdom purpose and his kingdom goal.

I've discovered that success in life and ministry often precedes the greatest test of faith. It says that they had eaten. There were about 5,000 men besides women and children. They fed a whole bunch of folks with what little bit they had because it wasn't about what they had. It was what they had in the hands of the master that mattered. >> So don't be disqualified because you don't think you have enough. I promise you if he's using me, he can use you. >> If he uses brother Rimemer and sister Rimmer, >> he will use you. >> I could go around this room and point out people if he use them, he can use you. You I promise you, you have a kingdom purpose. You have a kingdom plan for our God to use for his kingdom.

How many people have been a part of an amazing service on Sunday to seemingly wind up in the frying pan of life on Monday? >> Have you ever noticed that we will have some amazing church? We will worship together and the presence of God will fill this place and we will have the word being preached and then we'll have a great altar time where we feel like our we just we're at 100%. We leave here, we're so full of faith and we're so full of a positive outlook on what's going on that God is with us. We hang on to that truth and then something happens when the alarm clock goes off Monday morning and it's like everything comes crashing down on us that we have celebrated a good time. We have celebrated a miraculous that God's spirit moved. He poured out. He changed lives. He did awesome things on Sunday and yet Monday we feel like there's a storm brewing on the horizon. And there we are living life in the middle. Have you noticed that we spend a lot of time living life in the middle? We don't always stay on the mountain tops. I would love to live up on the mountain tops, but we can't be up there on the mountain tops.

When we were in Guatemala, about a month and a half, two months ago, we discovered that at high elevations, you can't breathe. We didn't realize this when we were putting together this trip. Brother Elkins did an awesome job and group of guys went there that we had a job to do working. We didn't know that we were going to be working at 11,300 ft above sea level. Now, to put that in perspective, they pressurize the cabin of the plane at 12,000 ft, you know, with oxygen because I don't know about you, but I like that stuff. I find it to be very handy to have. So, on the mountain tops, the views are great. On the mountain tops, we have all the feelings that are there. And if you're Sister Joanne, there's sunrises and sunsets that you can view. There's all these things that fill your tank on the mountaintop. But you can't stay on the mountaintop. It's not sustainable for life. Eventually, you have to make your way back down the mountain. And what I found in my life, and I don't know about you, if you agree with this, I spend a whole lot of my time going up mountains and coming down on the other side. Anybody ever feel like that? We spend a whole lot of time in the middle. So, I come to preach today about having faith for living in the middle between celebrating the miracle and facing the storm because there seems to always be a storm brewing on the horizon. There's always something out there that doesn't always look the best. But we have faith that God has given us to live there.

After Jesus fed the 5,000, the crowd wanted to make him king. As I was reading that passage, I wasn't making the connections because I was reading in Matthew. But if you go to John chapter 6, it's the same story being told by John. John says this verse number 15. Therefore, when the Jesus perceived that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, he departed again to the mountain by himself alone. Jesus sends his disciples away. He said he put them in the boat immediately said launch out. He did that to protect them from the crowd's political agenda. Sometimes Jesus separates you from opportunity to preserve your calling. Let me ask somebody today, where is it in your life that Jesus is trying to separate? Where is it in your life that he's trying to maybe push you to the side and you're resisting a little bit, but I'm here to tell you that you don't need to do that, that God's trying to protect you. Maybe you don't see in the moment. Maybe you don't understand what's going on. The disciples, I'm quite sure, didn't process that. But Jesus knew there was an agenda in the crowd and he didn't want his disciples to be influenced. So he said immediately get in the boat. Get in the boat. I don't want you to stay here. I don't want you to be influences because that's negativity. You don't need that in your life. Maybe God's trying to separate some negativity out of your life. Something that's preventing you or harming you or keeping you from what you need to truly become in him. Don't always question the separation. He withdraws from the crowd. Not because of weakness, ladies and gentlemen, but because of wisdom. Immediately Jesus constrain is the King James language. His disciples to get in the ship. That word constrain is to compel, to insist. This reveals an insight to you and I that the disciples didn't choose the storm. Jesus sent him into it. Did you catch that? >> They didn't pick it. They were there. They were celebrating the moment. There's there was just a feeding. There was just a miracle that took place. They fed 5,000 men plus women and children. Probably to safe to say there was probably 10 to 12,000 people. Now, can you imagine trying to feed 10 to 12,000 people with your lunchable? >> So, there was a miracle that took place there. They were happy. It was exciting.

When you're around a church service or have you ever been in the presence where miracles have taken place? Anybody ever witnessed a miracle in your life? Remember the first time I ever seen it happen. I was up in Madisonville, Kentucky. Sister Kennedy and we used to go up to see Brother Stone King up there in Madisonville, Kentucky. We were up there. I was a young man sitting in the balcony, that little small church, Lighthouse Church. When they said miracles, I seen it for the first time with my own eyes. It changes you when you see a miracle. >> And this in case you didn't know this, God is still in the miracle working business. >> He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. >> He did miracles then. He'll do miracles now. And when you see those, it changes you. But you don't get to live in the miracle. >> You got to go back to everyday life. It's in the middle where we live. You got to have faith to live in the middle. Don't resist what God's trying to do. Immediately, he put them in there immediately. They didn't choose the storm. Jesus sent them into the storm. They were simply being obedient when they got into the boat. Isn't it frustrating when you're being obedient to what God asks you to do and it takes you to a storm? >> Does that make anybody happy? Is anybody like, "Well, I'll get in the boat because it looks like it's going to be bad weather. Let's go. I'm in." No, we don't. We don't like that. We don't want to choose that. But we want to be obedient. We want to follow after God. We want to do what it is he wants us to do. And being obedient led them straight into intentional adversity.

God knows where you are and he knows what you're facing. The same was in this story, too. If you read Mark's account, Mark 6 47. Now when the evening come, the boat was in the middle of the sea. Everybody say middle. >> Middle. And he was alone on the land, and he saw them straining at rowing, for the wind was against them. Now about the fourth watch of the night, he came to them walking on the sea, and would have passed them by. While they were tolling, Jesus was on the mountain praying. While they rode in exhaustion, he prayed in intercession. Don't make a mistake that just because he's silent that he's absent. Just because God's silent doesn't mean he doesn't know where you're at. >> Doesn't mean he's absent from the equation. He's still there. He still know what's going on. Sometimes it's in the silence when our faith grows the best. Did you catch what we read in verse 47? Now when the evening came, the boat was in the middle. They were there in the middle, too far to turn back and too tired to go forward. Was that speaking to anybody today? God often develops our faith in the middle places of our life.

I think about Israel when they were leaving. They were leaving Egypt and God had already worked out the miracle. They had shown them that he was God and he combed every god that Egypt had. There was a plague that represented that. And it's a great study if you go show it out. But he finally brings him to the point that Pharaoh's like, "Get out of here." After the firstborn had died, he's like, "Leave the country." So after he leaves, all of a sudden, Pharaoh decides, "You know what? We just lost all of our labor. Let's go chase them down. So, they had already had miracles work before them and they were headed to a promised land that was for them. But in the middle of leaving the miracle, they get out in the middle and they're faced with a Red Sea. Big body of water they can't get across. They're all sitting out there looking at each other like, "What are we going to do next?" Because behind us is Pharaoh's army. They could already see him coming. In front of them was the Red Sea. What do you do in those moments? What do you do when you're just being obedient? What do you do when you've already seen God do the miraculous and he brings you up to your next adversity? What do you do? How do you handle yourself? Where's your faith at in the middle? Do you have faith for the moment that you're in? Do you have faith for life in the middle? Of course, we know what happened. Moses stretched out his rod and God parted the waters. They seen that their God was more than able to take care of them. He had proven them. Not only did he take care of them, but he drowned their enemy, their adversary in front of them. and they watched them all drown. Why? Because our God is able to take care of you. >> If you can have faith for life in the middle, can you have faith for life in the middle?

Psalms 46:1 says, "God is our refuge and strength. A very present help in trouble." Very present help. To pray is not to beg God to arrive, but to awaken to the God who's already there. Thank you, Sister Doy, for listening. Nobody else is listening. Did you hear what I said? To pray is not you don't have to beg God to show up. God's already here. There's never a place you go God's not there. >> Prayer makes you aware that God is there. That's why it's important to have a prayer life because it keeps you connected to the God who's always around you. That's why you need to develop these things in your life so that you have an awareness that no matter where I am, God is there. And you and God make a supermajority. Sometimes he's quiet on purpose. It's not because he's not hearing you. It's because he's trying to see is your faith going to grow in the middle of life, in the middle of every day. Will you tune in? Will you reach out? Will you call out for me? >> Prayer makes you aware of the God who's already there. Living life in the middle and having faith for that is necessary. It says Jesus came on the fourth watch, verse number 25 of Matthew 14, between 3 and 6:00 a.m. That's no man's land. For those of you who helped us with the prayer chain yesterday, whoever pulled that shift between two and six, that's a hard place. I know brother Mlean was here early this morning. I seen his car when I came in at 5. Being there, meeting God in those early times, in that dark time, in that darkest moment before dawn, God's timing is rarely early, ladies and gentlemen, but it is never late. He is always perfectly on time. God showed up just in time.

I think about Abraham on Mount Mariah just before his obedience leads him to kill his son in the moment after he had been given a promise that he was going to have a child and then God said, "I want you to take the very promise I gave you and I want you to kill it." Again, we live life in the middle. Do you have faith to live life in the middle? His obedience led him up the mountain. His obedience caused him to put his son on an altar. His obedience caused him to raise a knife up to take his son's life. And it was in his obedience that he seen God was Jehovah Gyra. But not only that, listen to me, ladies and gentlemen. It wasn't just him that heard it, but if you go to Genesis 22:14, it says, "Abraham called the name of that place Jehovah Gyra." Isaac heard that voice, too. Isaac listened to his dad declare. There was another generation because of obedience and faith of the living in the middle that had an opportunity to have that same relationship with God. Only time can tell what your obedience will bring to pass in your life and in your family's life. There's something about being obedient. Even when it doesn't make sense, obedience will take you through.

>> Verse 26, they cried out for fear, saying, "It is the spirit." Panic distorted their perception. They did not recognize his presence. Ever caught yourself in the middle of night seeing something that wasn't really there? Come on. This is church. It's a great time to be honest. >> Anybody had in the middle of the night, all of a sudden you can't figure out what it is and you have that grip you. >> Yeah. Only to turn a light on, realize it's nothing or it's, you know, the laundry basket you forgot to move or whatever it is. But in that moment when it first hits you and you can't figure out quite what it is, your perception's off. Man, that fear it's almost paralyzing. You know what I'm talking about? That kind of fear that just stops you in your track and you're just like shallow breathing for just a minute like what is that? Only realize it was nothing. It's interesting how in the middle of life something so small and insignificant when we don't view it the correct way can paralyze us. Can paralyze us.

God has not given us the spirit of fear according to second Timothy 1:7. We see in verse 27 immediately there's that word again. Jesus spoke and said, "Be of good cheer. It is I." This single sentence contains three powerful statements of revelation and reassurance. Number one, he says, "Be of good cheer." In other words, take courage. Jesus never rebukes fear without first offering strength. I got you. But number two, he said, "It is I." The Greek ego I may meaning literally I am. This was not a casual self-identification. It was a divine declaration. Jesus was speaking and revealing himself as the same I am when he revealed himself to Moses in Exodus 3. This is a powerful moment as he's revealing to his disciples as they're afraid as they're scared he brings them a name that's above every name. He brings him a moment of revelation and understanding of the God of the old is still here with you in the present in this moment right now that he was walking out on the storm of life and identifying himself. There is no separation between the God who spoke in the fire and the God who tells them don't be afraid. That same Lord who thundered on Sinai is now walking on the water. The storm becomes a stage for the oneness of God to be displayed. Don't be afraid. I am is here. The I am is here. In the middle of your storm, in the middle of your darkest hour, there's an I am that will walk in and say, "Hey, be of good cheer. Be of good courage. It is me. Don't be afraid of what's going. You may not understand it, but regardless of whether or not you understand it, the reality is I am here with you."

And the third revelation was don't be afraid. Once you know who he is, fear loses its authority. The antidote to fear is not bravery. It's a revelation of who your God is. It's a revelation of who it is that's with you in the storm. When you recognize who is present and you remember who controls your storm and you remember in whose hand who you are in, >> he holds you in his hand. HE HOLD WHY WOULD YOU be afraid? >> Living life in the middle. Let your faith grow. When you recognize who's present, you know who it is that controls the storm. >> Jesus didn't simply bring peace. He is peace. >> He is peace. I know in many times in my own life when I had been worked up over some circumstance or situation that was beyond my control and I found myself being a little bit anxious and being a little bit unwound and undone. There's something about getting in the presence of God again going in prayer and calling out to his name when I felt his presence come in all of a sudden the fear just melts away because fear cannot exist there where he is. He is peace. He is the prince of peace. So, I encourage somebody today, if you're living with all this anxiety and pressure and stress in your life, spend as much time in the presence of God as you can. You don't have to come to the prayer room. You don't have to go in the closet every time. Sometimes you can, wherever you are, just simply breathe the name of Jesus and allow his presence to come down where you are. And I promise you that he will bring his peace every time. GOD IS THE PRINCE of peace.

Peter steps out of the boat. Peter says this in verse number 28. Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water. Now, I don't know about you, but in that moment, I'm thinking, Peter, what's wrong with you? Like, you are always popping your mouth off. You're always saying stuff. You know, everybody else in the boat's going, "Come on, man. Why would you say that?" like why would you want to get out of the boat? But I'm going to bring you a truth, okay? It's not unique to me, but if you want to walk on water, you got to get out of the boat. >> You got to get out of the boat at some point. Now, give him a hard time if you want to. And he deserves a lot of the criticism he gets, but if I'm being honest with you, if there's anybody that I most identify with in the scriptures, it's Peter. because I am notorious to say dumb things. And there's been times that I've popped my mouth off and regretted saying what it is I just said because now I had to back it up. Lord, if that's you now again, set the narrative here. Let it settle in your mind. It says that they were in the middle of the sea. They're out in the middle. The estimation is they're between three and four miles from shore. I don't know about you, but if you've never swam a mile, three or four is a long way. And it says that the wind was contrary that they were struggling already. So, they're being tossed to and fro. They are afraid. So, in the middle of their fear, in the middle of all that's going on, in the middle of everything not being ideal conditions, this wasn't a sunny day and calm seas. In the middle of all that, they see Jesus coming out and they don't even recognize who he is to start with because they couldn't fully grasp the moment because they never seen anybody walk on water before. He says, "Don't be afraid. It is I." It is the I am. I am here. Lord, if that's really you, of course, I want to say to him, Peter Hill, who else would be out there? If that is you, come. And he gave a oneword response. Come.

Now I'm gonna get down to my meddling area right now. Why is it that when we are struggling with what God wants us to do? We need all of these fleeces in life. God, if it's truly you calling me to do this, then what I need is a pink hot air balloon to fly to the left side of the house. I need a bus to come by that's on fire, but yet not being burned up and there to be a parking spot right in front of my favorite doughnut palace. Like we do all this with God. When Peter simply said, "If that's you, bid me to come." one word, come. When you read through the scriptures, there's so many instances where God just spoke once. He told Noah one time, build a boat. Now, I'm'll be honest with you. I wouldn't have built the boat. We'd have all died. >> Probably would. >> He'd had to erect another plan because I'd have been like, first of all, what's rain? Cuz it's never rained before. liquid is going to come from the sky. Yeah, right. One time he told him to build the boat. One time. 100 years later, he's still building the boat. How many times did they make fun of him? What you building, Noah? What you doing in your backyard? It's kind of crazy, don't you think? You've been at this a long time. You know he was the talk of the town. Oh, no. It's going to rain. Crazy guy still building that boat out there one time. I wonder how many one times we've missed because we didn't just take him at his word. Faith is built on the word. On the word. Faith is built on the word. How many of you are willing to take him at his word? Does it still matter that God speaks to you? And if he does, why are you doubting? Why are you backing up from that? Faith doesn't walk on water. It walks on the word. Romans 10:17, faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God. When God speaks, natural laws submit. Come, was the response. With one word, it had enough power to defy gravity and sustain obedience. A single command from Jesus outweighed a thousand reasons to fear. What word has God speaking over you today? What word has God been speaking into your life? What are you resisting right now in this moment?

Verse number 30. But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid and beginning to sink, he cried out, saying, "Lord, save me." Peter didn't sink because of the storm. He sank because he shifted his focus off of what was important. >> What you fix your eyes on determines whether you walk or sink. What are you looking at today, sir? What are you paying attention to? What are your eyes fixed on? Are you only fixed on the problem? Yeah, it has a way of always getting our attention right. What's not going right in life? I'm here to tell you most of the time life doesn't go right. Most of the time it doesn't go according to your plan. In most cases, there's going to be hardship and there's going to be heartache and there's going to be failure and there's going to be disappointment. There's going to be things that just don't go the way you want them to go. It's called life. That's where we live. We live in the middle. We live in the middle where sometimes it's good and sometimes it's bad. Sometimes it's okay. Sometimes it's frustrating. Sometimes it's happy. We live there in the middle. Is your faith going to survive living in the middle? There was a miracle. There was a time of a big spiritual awakening in your life. But there's also storms on the brewing. But we're stuck in between. We're out in the middle. Will you have enough faith to survive the middle when God speaks to you and gives you a word? Can you be obedient? Can you follow through? Because what you fix your eyes on determines whether you walk or sink.

Verse 31. Jesus stretched forth his hand and called him. Jesus didn't let him down. Didn't let him drown. Instead, he used it as a moment to teach. Oh, you of little faith. Why did you doubt? Jesus is not condemning him. He is cultivating stronger faith. Where is God doing that to you? Where is he trying to create greater faith in your life? What are you in right now? Here, I know a few stories that are in the room. I know a few things that are going on this room, but I don't know them all. But I know this to be a true. There is enough of us in this room that are facing situations and frustrations and problems in our life. Could it be that God's trying to cultivate the faith inside of you in the normal in the middle in the everyday of life? That's where God does his best work. We think it's always in the big mountain tops. It's always in the big moments when 5,000 people are being fed. How much faith does it just take in the middle of your storm for him to say, "Peace, be still." And you to embrace that. Where are you in the everyday life building your faith? Are you still trusting God? Does it always have to be big and boisterous or is it every day you trust him? Is it every day you're engaged with? Is it every day that you're aware he's wanting to lead you today and guide you today and direct you today? Are you able to hang on and have faith in the everyday in the middle of life? Can you have faith in the middle or does it always require a mountaintop experience for you? For those of you who are always requiring mountaintop experiences to you, you have a very addictive personality. You live from one high to the next. Wow.

>> I've seen so many people that come in and we have spiritually filled services. Thank God we do. But the reality is the atmosphere that's created in here doesn't leave you when you go to this place. God's with you. >> God's with you where you go. But you got to be careful that you don't allow the emotions to be what drives you into the relationship with God. It has to be more than emotions. At some point, life will bring you to a point to where you don't feel. You have to be obedient and trust. That was real good preaching if nobody but two amen me. Maybe you haven't been there yet. But I dare say that there's the vast majority of us in this room have reached some moments in our life when I didn't feel him and things were not going right. And if I led into the way I was emotionally feeling the moment, I would have gave up and walked away from God. But there was something that held me to a truth that I knew that I can anchor myself into that even if I can't feel you, you're still there. And even if I don't understand, if I can find myself being obedient, I can build my life on something solid. His word is forever settled. It doesn't change. You can build a life on it. Even if you don't feel like it, JUST BE OBEDIENT TO IT. I PROMISE YOU, IN THE LONG RUN, YOU'LL LOOK BACK AND THANK YOURSELF that you were obedient to what God was asking you to do. Be obedient >> in the everyday middle of life.

James 1:2, "My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials." James is clearly off his rocker. Who gets happy about trials? What was he thinking? Oh, we got to keep reading knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But when nobody prays for that, right? God, give me some patience. Everybody in the Aposite world's like, "Woo, no. We can't go to lunch today. you're good. So, you know, you got to work on patience. What happens? Trials are coming. >> The testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. God's hand doesn't just rescue. It reorients and changes your direction.

>> What did he do in that moment? What did he do in that moment? So what he did, Peter was walking on water. He was walking. Besides Jesus, there's only been one other one that ever walked on water. There's been people who skipped on water. I skipped my brother one time on water. We had a jet ski and I was pulling him on an inter behind it. And I was doing what every good big brother would do as I was purposely trying to sling him off. And I got him at one point out there where the inner tube was about 5t off the air. Wasn't even touching water, just skimming. And all of a sudden, he let go and he skipped. I watched him. He skipped right out of his clothes. The power that's in that moment when he cries out to him. He was sinking, Caleb. He was sinking. And Jesus reached out, grabbed my hand. He reached out and when he pulled him up, he's looked at him and said, "Oh, you a little faith." >> What was he doing? He was bringing him back to what mattered. >> Stop looking down. >> Stop looking around. You got out of the boat because you were looking at me and I told you to come and you were walking on the storm. >> But then you stopped focusing on me. And you looked at the storm and the storm consumed you. And I had to bring you back to look back at me. Stop looking at the storm. >> I don't know the why. You probably don't know the why either. It doesn't matter. Look at the who. Who walks with you through the storm? It is him. Keep your eyes focused on him. And I promise you, he will always keep you above the water. Focus on him.

What I love about this is after he reorients you and re changes your direction back, it says in verse 32, "And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased, and those who were in the boat became and worshiped him." Worship starts when you get back in. They worshiped him. The calm didn't come until Jesus was back at the center of what was going on. And so if your life's a little out of control and the boats are rocking, I'm here to tell you, keep your eyes on him and bring him back into the center of your life. Allow him to be the one who speaks peace over you to calm the crazy that's in your life. Peace comes when Jesus is at the center of your life. When Jesus is invited back into the center of your family, into the center of your ministry, into the center of your work, into the center of your heart, peace follows. The revelation of who was in the boat led to worship. The revelation of who was in the boat led to worship. Every storm reveals something new about our God. Worship is always the right response when the wind dies down.

As I bring this to a close today, I was praying about this and I was like, God, help me. Help me understand all that it is you have for your church today. Help me. You kept me in this passage for a reason, God. Why is it you let me linger all week in this? I felt like it was more than just for me. He began to speak to me and he said this, and again, I'm going to quickly bring this to a close. Obedience doesn't prevent storms, but obedience positions you for miracles. Obedience doesn't prevent the storms. Obedience positions you for miracles.

See, I find it interesting in Mark's account in Mark chapter 6, and I've preached this before, but God brought it back to my mind this week. It says in Mark that they forgot the understanding of the miracle of the loaves. They literally went from seeing 10 or 12,000 people being fed by a few loaves and fishes, watching that miracle take place, watching him do that work as he blessed it and break it at hand and they took up 12 baskets of remains. They just watched all that happen. And it says immediately he said get in the boat. Now we know that's because they were getting ready to make him king and he didn't want his disciples to be tainted by that. He didn't want him to bind in like that he was meant to be put into a kingship that way. So he sends them in the boat out, right? He sent them into the storm. In the middle of the storm, they forgot for some reason that it was Jesus that sent them out there. like he would send them someplace that's going to kill them. That he had just before he put them in the boat performed a miracle. Just before, Brother Freeman. Literally, they're watching. They're still probably got fish and chips on their beards. They're out there screaming, "We're going to die." He wouldn't do that to you. >> Amen. >> I'm here speaking. I'm like, I can't get past this. I'm speaking to somebody that you have seen God do the miraculous in your life. You have witnessed it. You have witnessed it. And you're living between the miracle and the storm. The miracle and the storm. I'm telling you, that's where faith does its best work. Between the miracle and the storm. Don't give up.

What has God done? Be like the prophet in the Old Testament. This I recall to my mind. Therefore, I have hope. It's because of your mercies that we are not consumed. Because thy compassions they fail not. They are new every morning. Great is thy faithfulness. When your boat's rocking, what's wrong with you? My God has never left me. I've weathered some storms in my life. He has proven himself faithful time and time again. This I recall to my mind. Therefore, I have hope. I may not understand why I'm in the storm, but I know who is in the storm with me. I DON'T RIDE IN this boat by myself. There may be naysayers all AROUND ME, BUT MY GOD IS MORE THAN ABLE TO TAKE CARE OF ME. I'M REACHING FOR SOMEBODY TODAY THAT YOUR faith has been waning to THE SIDE. REMEMBER WHAT GOD HAS DONE. REMEMBER HOW MANY TIMES, HOW MANY TIMES, HOW MANY TIMES HAS HE SHOWED UP OVER AND OVER AND over again. THE VERY FACT THAT YOU'RE IN THIS ROOM IS PROOF POSITIVE. HE HAS SOMETHING SPECIAL IN STORE FOR YOU. GOD'S NOT DONE WITH YOU. Stop looking at the storm. Grab his hand. Redirect your days to where it needs to be. AND LET GOD DO ANOTHER MIRACLE IN YOUR LIFE.

Don't fear the waves you're walking on. Fear losing sight of the one you're walking towards. Focus is the difference between panic and peace. Isaiah 26 and3. Thou will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on thee. Keep your eyes on him.

My last verse for you, I don't know if you ever noticed this. I didn't notice it. I didn't notice it, just a rimmer, until I was correlating Matthew 14 and Mark 6 and John 6 together. But John's account says this, verse number 21. Then they willingly received him into the boat. And immediately the boat was at the land where they were going. >> There came the immediately. He came back to me finally. The whole time that they were threatened and worried, [panting] the whole time they're checking out and losing their mind, you know what the storm was doing? It was taking them to where they were supposed to go. They couldn't see it. >> The wind was blowing. It was cloudy. It was dark. It was raining. But the whole time they're hanging on, white knuckled and gripped. The whole time they're afraid he's walking on the Lord. The whole time. The whole time. Guess what the storm was doing? It was blowing them where they were supposed to be. Leave that verse up there. And they willingly received him in the boat. And immediately the boat when it calmed, sterling, when it calmed and they could see, they were right where they were supposed to be. Why? Because he will always keep you right where you're supposed to be. So regardless of whatever storm you've been facing, regardless Bradley, of whatever hell you have been through, that storm was blowing you right where he wanted you to be.

I don't know who I'm reaching for today. I don't know who I'm trying to convince. God has not forgotten you. There has never been one day that he has ever forgotten you. The Coast Guard has this motto. You have to go out, but you don't have to come back. Obedience is our responsibility. The outcome for obedience belongs to him. He's never left me one day of my life. There's been some times I'm feel like Job, I look up, I can't perceive you left backwards. I don't know where you are. Look on the right side, I don't see you. Look on the left, I can't find you. But he knows where I'm at. Just because I can't see him in this moment, I'm trusting that whatever storm I'm facing in my life, it is blowing me to where it is, he wants me to be. Why? Because he has a plan. He has a plan. HE HAS A PLAN. GOD HAS ALWAYS HAD A PLAN FOR YOU. OH, stand with me today.

I love you, Jesus. I'm so thankful for your mercy, your grace, and your goodness. I'm so thankful you're a God who has a plan for every man, woman, and child. And God, I know in this place today, there are some who are facing trials. They're in the midst of a storm and they're being shaken in the middle of their life. God, I pray that their faith wouldn't wain, but they would hang on. THEY WOULD FIX THEIR EYES on you and know you will see them through. God, I pray today that you would do the miraculous in our midst. >> Obedience positions us for the miraculous. I pray today that there will be a hunger to turn back to obedience in Jesus name. This altar is open. I don't know where you're at. I don't know what you're going through. But I would encourage you today, don't miss this opportunity to be right with God. Don't miss this opportunity for him to allow your faith to grow, for him to finish the work that he started in your life. It's prayer time, church. We're going to pray.