Sermon in Phoenix 30.01.2011

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, let us quieten our hearts this morning in opening a prayer in thanksgiving.

Holy and righteous God, our beloved Heavenly Father, we thank you, dear Father, you have awakened us to a new day of grace, and you have protected us through the night. As we awaken this morning, dear Father, we awaken with this knowledge in our heart that today we remain as your children, traveling as children in this precious kingdom here upon earth, that you've left for us as a place of knowledge, destruction, and a place of encouragement, a place of nourishment for us as we journey homeward. We thank you, dear Father, for this gift.

We also, dear Father, thank you for the many temporal blessings which are in abundance. You have given to us our homes in which we live. You have given us food for this day, daily into life. You have clothed us with those needs of this day. But even more than this, dear Father, you sent to us your only begotten Son, so that we, through Him, might believe our many sins forgiven in His name and blood, and that through Him, we receive our most sacred contentment, our most meaningful sensuality, our most absolute gospel, and the most spirit, our mischievous parishioning of God.

And may God allow these sins to be forgiven in the title, and may comfort us, and may draw His as I may say, of God, and His number, ourler e daran, and in His Ricketer, and by the hand of God. We have hope of one day joining those saints who have gone before us there on the shore of heaven.

So we also thank you for the many blessings and gifts that this dear Son has brought to us. He has taught us. He has fed us. And even on this day, dear Father, we pray for your service blessing, that you would send into our midst your word. You know our needs, dear Father. You know the hearts of all of your children. Feed us according to your will. Speak, Lord, for thy servant here.

We remember loved ones now with us this morning. Protect them in their place of watching. And also lead, dear Father, back to this precious kingdom those prodigal sons and daughters, mothers and fathers who have been deceived by the enemy of souls. But yet we know you, dear Father, are the giver of life. And if it is according to your will, you can lead them back to this kingdom.

And we yet pray all of our unspoken thoughts and include them into that prayer that your Son himself has taught when we say our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen.

I will read for our mutual study of God's word this morning from the 14th chapter of Matthew. The gospel portion that has been reserved for this day is found in the 22nd through the 31st verse.

And straightway Jesus constrained his disciples to get into a ship and to go before 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 the 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 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 him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me to 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 come into the ship the wind ceased.

Then they that were in the ship came and worshipped him saying of a truth, Thou art the Son of God. Amen.

Here in this portion of God's Word we find a very familiar portion of the Bible. I think we have all as younger and older read and heard of this text many times. But if God would so will we would yet speak to those words that he would wish on this day to serve with.

The life of Jesus and his disciples in many ways were very similar to the life that we live today. On the other hand also very different. They needed as disciples they were men also Jesus was man and also God. So they needed to be nourished and fed. They ate and drank food as we do. They were hungry and troubled at times. They also experienced the heat and cold of the day.

They also were tired of the work. They also, as we are, the disciples were sinners. We know, of course, Jesus wasn't. He was that Son of God who was perfect and He never once fell into sin. He was tempted. Oh, He was tempted. He was tempted as we are. But He was without sin.

And because of this tempting of Jesus and the knowledge of that temptation, it was for a reason so that we would have a high priest, as the author of the book of Hebrews says, which can be touched with the feelings of our infirmities or that can be recognized of us. He is like we are in that He was tempted in all things. But it's a wonderful matter, on the other hand, that He never fell into sin.

It is for this reason that we can believe upon Him and have our own sins forgiven and be His children.

But in this text we see that Jesus had sent His disciples into the ship to go to the other side while He was in the ship. While He went into the mountain apart to pray. Jesus also felt and recognized the need for prayer. He didn't try to do the work of His Father by Himself. But He often asked of His Father for strength, for understanding, for wisdom.

And I've thought often that if Jesus needed to ask Him for wisdom, He would have done it. He would have asked of His Father for those things. He needed to pray for strength. He needed to pray for understanding and wisdom. Why wouldn't we also, as God's children, find the need for prayer?

Prayer is very important in the faith life of a believer. It is our opportunity in our conversation with God. It is our opportunity where we can ask of Him all of those things that we need.

We prayed this morning the Lord's Prayer. And in that prayer there are many petitions. In that prayer we ask for God's kingdom to come. We ask that He would forgive us our sins. We ask that He would give us our daily bread. We pray that He wouldn't lead us into temptation. And you, brothers and sisters, know all of those things in which we pray.

But how often do we remember to pray? Most often it feels that we remember to pray in a time of difficulty. Especially when we're burdened and troubled. Then we pause to remember to pray. But God would like us to pray much more often than that.

The Bible says that God will bless us even without our prayer. Prayer is not a matter of salvation and we cannot come into faith through prayer. We come into faith through believing upon the merit work of Christ. We believe our sins forgiven in the name and blood of Jesus.

On the other hand, when we pray, God has promised to hear our prayers. And not only promised to hear them, but to promise to bless those prayers. So even you little boys and girls, it would be well that you would remember to pray to God.

But also in that prayer, the Lord's Prayer, we pray, Thy will be done. So on one hand, we'll pray for certain things. And we pray for those things that we think we need. But it's also important that we remember that God knows our needs better than we know them. And he will give us according to our needs. He will not give us more or less than we need.

Sometimes I have thought that I would pray for wealth. I would pray for those temporal blessings. I would pray that my life would be comfortable. I wouldn't be troubled with finances. And there are times that I've prayed for a lot of wealth. But these prayers are prayers that often come from our own flesh, our own worries and our concerns.

Brothers and sisters, God knows our needs. He knows our prayers and has promised to help us.

So Jesus, in this time that he was there, it had come right after that miracle in which Jesus had fed those 5,000 believers, 5,000 people, with those few loaves and fishes. And we find that he needed to go away into a quiet place to pray.

We see here the nature of man in Jesus. We see where he tired on the endeavor. And he needed those moments to himself. He had sent his disciples to the other side of the sea, in a ship. And this sea in which they were traveling was a very familiar lake and sea. The disciples lived in that area. They were often there in boats. Many of them were fishermen. And so they would have been very familiar with the water in which they were traveling.

They were going to the other side of the lake. And we find that there arose a tempest or a storm. And the wind was very contrary. And the waves started to come into the ship. It was so rough of a journey.

This, brothers and sisters, I think of often when I think of the endeavor of living faith. Instead of a sea, we are traveling in God's kingdom. This kingdom in which we live is very familiar, isn't it? It is a place of comfort. It is a place of encouragement and instruction. It is a place where, as mothers and fathers, we have been able to lay our young.

And into this kingdom, it is very familiar. It is a place of comfort. It is a good place to live.

On the other hand, there are those times when we begin to fear. And when is it that we begin to fear? It is when we face life's difficulties, troubles. And those difficulties and worries come from many different reasons.

They could be because of finances. Some of you brothers and sisters here today have suffered financial difficulties due to the economics of our day. Some have lost their homes. Some have been set back considerably, financially.

There are also those times when we experience difficulties in life with health. I think all of us at some point have struggled with health. And during those times of struggle, we wonder and we worry and we start to doubt.

And what do we doubt? We doubt that has God forgotten us in our trials? There may be trials in our families. There may be brothers and sisters, or children who have struggled with faith matters, denied faith.

There are those who we remember as mothers and fathers with hearts of prayer that would God strengthen them in their times of difficulty.

We don't fear. And we don't feel troubled in times of goodness. But in times of difficulty and strife.

So in this text we also see that the disciples were traveling on this ship. They were crossing to the other side of the sea. And this storm came.

And who did they see walking there in the midst of this sea? And when the disciples saw Him, in the fourth watch of the night, Jesus went forth unto them walking on the sea.

So Jesus came walking there in their midst. And it says, when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying it is the Spirit. And they cried out for fear.

But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer, it is I. Be not afraid.

And the disciples were so human, perhaps they weren't able to recognize Jesus because of the storm. Maybe He was in a fog, or the rain and the wind was such that He wasn't very easy to recognize. But nonetheless, it was their Lord and Savior that was coming to help them.

When we have faced those life-threatening times, we know that we are not alone. We are not alone in this.

When we have faced those life's battles, and it is often then that during a time of prayer that we ask that dear Father protect us. He sends to us ministering angels. He sends to us His children. He sends to us His congregation here upon earth. And He sends to us His word.

But when we are in the midst of those trials, in the heaviness of those trials, we don't often recognize the help for what it is. We are so clouded, and we are so unable to believe that God is remembering us, that we often overlook those things that Jesus has sent to help.

I remember feeling this kind of despair many years ago, and I've spoken of it so many times when we lost our baby Stephanie. How often the believers came, not only came to our home, but phone calls and messages that we are remembering you in your trials of difficulty and loss of your loved one.

And at that time I didn't recognize or see so well that this was the help that God was sending through His children. It was nice. It was very comforting to feel the support of the believers. But as I look back now on those days, it is much more clear how God helped during those difficult days.

How has it been for you, brothers and sisters, when you've looked and experienced in your life those times of difficulty? And when God has sent the help, we don't always recognize, immediately, what that help is. But as we look back, we can see how God has so perfectly orchestrated all things.

We say time heals, especially for those who have lost loved ones. And at the immediate, when we lose a loved one, one dies and is taken into the glory of heaven. We struggle and we doubt and question God's will.

But now when we look back and we see that it was such a blessing. And when I even look back to that daughter who has departed, I look back and think that it was such a blessing. Not for me. It was a blessing for me in that I learned much in that trial. But more for her in that she attained her eternal reward.

She didn't need to struggle at all with these concerns of this life. She didn't need any continued care. But that temporal life ended.

We may live to be old people. Some of you are already nearing your 70s and 80s and 90s. And you have also needed the care of the Heavenly Father. But when you look back, you would say that, oh, there has been many days in my life that have been days of difficulty and trouble. But also this, that hasn't God blessed and hasn't God cared for us all the way to this day.

But those who have attained their rest, those who have already gained the victory, we rejoice that God has preserved them and now taken them to that place of rest. That same place of which we today yet strive and hope for.

But in this text, it speaks so much to this storm of which the disciples were living and experiencing. And how in that storm they were troubled. But Jesus came to their help and need.

But we also then continue in this text and we find Peter. The disciples saw Jesus walking there and he told them, Be of good cheer it is I, be not afraid.

And Peter said unto him, Lord, if it be Thou, bid me to come unto Thee on the water. And Jesus said to Peter, come.

And when Peter was come out of this ship, He walked on the water to go to Jesus.

You know, this Peter, when we study from Peter, he is such a dear brother, isn't he? You know, this Peter was that one that was so ready to speak on behalf of the disciples. He was that kind of bold man that was always there at the forefront and offering advice and instruction.

We also remember he was the one that denied Jesus. He was the one that denied faith. So in Peter's life, we would say that if any of the disciples, he would recognize the need and care of the instruction of the Father.

But we know that Peter was a dear brother, but he was also such a sinner. I have felt many times very closely connected with Peter because I have often felt that I am so like Peter in that, on one hand, very bold and ready to confess my faith, and then on the other hand, so doubting and questioning the will of God.

And here we find Peter. He is one that said, if it is you, let me come out there on the water with you. Let me walk hand in hand with you.

So Jesus says, come. And Peter started to walk on the water. I would say that Peter's faith was very strong at this point, whereas he walked on the water to go to Jesus.

But then when he saw the wind, the wind boisterous, he was afraid and began to sink. And he cried, Lord, save me.

I think it speaks to this also that leaning on one's own understanding and one's own knowledge and strength, that this isn't, brothers and sisters, a good place to go. To begin to lean on our own understanding.

The Proverbs, the psalmists, Solomon, they've all written about how we wouldn't lean on our own understanding. Our own understanding is very feeble and very weak. And with our own understanding, we would be tossed to and fro, right and left.

We could very easily, for example, in our day, justify with our minds many evil and wrong things.

Last Friday evening, we were in Prescott and we had an evening where the speakers and wives were able to get together. And there we discussed amongst ourselves the work of the kingdom, the joy of believing, but also in some ways the condition or the life that we're living today in 2011.

What is the endeavor for the believer of our day? We discussed much about the wisdom and understanding of man and how man's wisdom in our day is a very important part of our day.

I suppose it's at an all-time high when we think of knowledge and understanding that we have been given. There's very knowledgeable in the sciences. There's many things that have taken place in the last 100 years even.

Technological advances. Think from the 1900s and the industrial revolution. And all those things that have taken place. Automobiles and trains and airplanes and all of that.

And now in the recent years, we've seen the advancements of technology. And it's difficult if not impossible for the mind of man to start to think we're quite smart when you can, you have many of you have your phones in your pockets or on your hips and your purses.

And a text message can come from all the way across the world and find your own way. And you can open your phone and you can see a message from someone in Finland or from Africa.

Isn't it easy to start to think that we are quite wise in the day that we live. Look at all of the things that we have invented. We must be nearing the wisdom and understanding of God.

Brothers and sisters, this is a blessing. But this understanding and the wisdom of man can also be a curse. In that it begins, man's wisdom and understanding begins to question God's will and the simplicity of childlike faith.

You know there are tenets and understandings and doctrines that God has led us in his kingdom. And they are so important. And there is a great deal of wisdom in the Bible that we discuss around the doctrine and understanding of God's Kingdom in our day.

For the enemy of souls and our own corrupt mind battles against the simple teachings of God's Kingdom. Man's reason enters into the picture and clouds simple childlike faith.

You listen, this is the firm way of life. I have experienced these things. And when we begin to, with our own mind, question the doctrine and the teaching of God's kingdom, we then go to that place where our mind becomes the ruler and we lose sight of teaching of God's kingdom.

May it be that we are, in our day, given this kind of heart that we might search and seek for what is the truth according to God's word. How does God's word instruct in all things?

May it be that we are able to take our own mind captive when we begin to question the teachings, the truth of God's kingdom.

God's kingdom is so important. The apostle says it is the pillar and ground of truth. And in God's kingdom, that truth is revealed from faith to faith.

And in God's kingdom, the way of salvation is made known. Jesus says, seeking first the kingdom of God and its righteousness and all else will be added unto you.

Brothers and sisters, we are not so wise and we are not so knowledgeable that we can live without God's kingdom. We need God's kingdom and the teaching thereof.

When Peter first went, Jesus said, to meet Jesus there in the water. He was able to walk there on the water. But he quickly began to sink. For the storm was violent and the wind was blowing and the waves were mighty.

It is the same when we start to wander away from the teachings of God's word and the teachings of his kingdom. And we start with our own minds rationalized, and justify all things.

For example, in one small way, we know that in technology there's great advances and great blessings, but there's also great dangers.

For us men, there are temptations. They're on the internet. And there are many and varied. There's pornography at the fingertips. And we know the dangers and the temptations of this.

We also know that there are many other dangers. There now is such a thing that we can watch TV on the internet. We can watch football games. We could go home from church today, well not today because there isn't any football games today, but on a day of football, we could, in the evening, Sunday evening, we could go on the internet and we could watch a full football game.

It's not the TV. It's not the TV per se, but it's still the broadcast of that that is according to God's word and the teaching of God's kingdom, not the place for a believer. It is sin.

But then in our own minds, because you brothers and sisters with me know that there are certain things even on the internet that are temptations for all of us.

We met last fall with the Speaker Brothers there in the Stonewall area. It's called the Stoney Lake. And one of the discussion topics around technology.

And to a man, the brothers there felt and spoke of their own temptations there in the gospel that needed to be preached.

So when we find then, we face these dangers, and I know what my own personal temptations might be, well then, I can go off and say, well, I can maybe watch sport clips and I can watch these reviews. I can watch maybe some movie clips because, oh, that's not pornography. It's not so evil.

And in my mind, I start to justify or rationalize a lesser sin because it's not the greater. And so in these things, the enemy of souls, he knows and uses our own mind as his own mind, his weapon and his tool.

Haven't you brothers and sisters felt in your life that as you've grown older, I sure have, as a little boy, the temptations of my life were right before me. I was instructed and I struggled often with telling the truth. Sometimes I would lie.

There would be those temptations with stealing. There were those temptations of being disobedient to mom and dad's wishes. There was those temptations of laziness.

And so as a little boy, I knew what those temptations were and those struggles that I had. But as I've grown older, the enemy has used different ways of tempting. And it is often with man's reason.

And the mind becomes a very wicked and evil tool for us. And I think you elder, brothers and sisters, have experienced this as well. That if you've grown older, and simple childlike faith, it seems so difficult.

And the enemy of souls then brings his tools through your own wisdom and understanding to question and to doubt. And perhaps the most is doubts. Doubting this simple message of the gospel.

That is it so, that by simply believing, my sins forgiven, I am ever acceptable. Have you questioned? Have you doubted? I think Peter questioned and doubted this.

When the storms again came, and the waves were violent, he questioned that will he be saved?

In the storms of life, brothers and sisters, do not question and do not doubt. Jesus is that one who is strong to save. He is that one.

You know, if I was Jesus, and this I know would have been my flesh, when Jesus said come, and when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked in the water to go to Jesus.

But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid and beginning to sink. Now he cried save, saying, Lord, save me.

If I would have been Jesus there, I think, and Peter, that bold Peter, that boastful Peter would have come and said, well, let me walk on the water. I would have said, okay, come on. You know, let's try it.

And when he would begin to sink, I would say, well, there you go. See, you're not as strong as you thought you were.

But what did Jesus do? He didn't let Peter sink there, did he? It says, and immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand and caught him. And he said, O thou little faith.

We have that kind of a Lord and Savior today, brothers and sisters, that will not allow us to perish. But he, when we begin to sink, calls us back very preciously and loving and returns us as the good shepherd to the middle of the flock.

Jesus says, I am the good shepherd. The sheep hear my voice and know it is me.

That voice of the good shepherd, brothers and sisters, still calls today in God's kingdom. From the services of God's children, we hear that voice of the good shepherd. We hear that message that your child, your sins are forgiven in the name and blood of Jesus.

But even more than this, the message of Christ is heard in your homes. You have been entrusted, mothers and fathers, with those flowers of Zion. You have been entrusted with the care of those little ones. And you have taught them and encouraged them and instructed them with the gospel.

When those little ones become fearful, even at night, we have had those little ones who have been more afraid of the dark and of night than others. And we have experienced how they have needed to hear as they've gone to their rest for the night, the preaching of the gospel.

This is that voice of the good shepherd of which Peter heard and Peter felt. Jesus did not allow Peter to sink there. But rather, he caught him, stretched forth his hand, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt? Why did you doubt?

And when they were coming to the ship, the wind ceased. And when they then were in the ship, they came and worshipped him, saying, Of a truth thou art the Son of God.

Brothers and sisters today, we have been placed squarely and directly at the feet of Jesus. We have been called into this precious kingdom. His kingdom has been revealed unto us. We have been those who have been called out of this world into this marvelous light.

And so this morning, you can look to the King of kings, the Lord of lords. You can look to the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior. Do not look inwardly, do not look into the heart of man. Do not look behind you to see how is the journey gone.

There you will only find corruption. There you will only find failure. There you will only find questions.

But brothers and sisters, look rather to the middle cross of Golgotha, where Jesus shed his life and shed his life's blood on the middle cross for you and for me so that we might live through him.

Do not question and worry and doubt the endeavor. It is true that we carry two portions. We carry the sin-corrupt man. And that is the portion that creates doubt and worry.

But we also carry the new man. He is the new man.

And so, it is only in the name of the Lord Jesus that we can find joy in the journey. And the way to find joy in our journey is through the Lord Jesus.

When we believe in him, we are so blessed that we are so blessed that we are so blessed that we are so blessed that we are so blessed. He has saved us. And he will not let us sink either. He will carry us all the way to the end.

Think, brothers and sisters, when you'll be able to hear that call, Come ye, blessed are my fathers, inherit that home which I have prepared for you from the beginning of the world.

This is that message and that call that waits for God's children. Remember, remain firmly believing the sin is forgiven in the name and blood of Jesus.

Can I also this morning, in the face of my own doubts and fears, hear that same gospel? I promise to believe with each of you. In Jesus' name, Amen.

...written in benediction. The Lord bless us and keep us. The Lord make his face to shine upon us and be gracious unto us. The Lord lift up his countenance upon us and give us peace. In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Ghost. Amen.