December 9, 2007 - Introducing...The Love Of God

Scripture Meditation: Colossians 1:15-20

INTRODUCTORY REMARKS

• If you don’t have any plans for Christmas Day- I’d like to invite you to my family’s Christmas get-together
• We’re going to be here in Helderman Hall- so you won’t need any directions
• And somewhere between all the in-laws, out-laws, and assorted hangers-on- you’ll fit right in
• Just tell ‘em you’re related to me
• Trust me- nobody will know the difference
!
• You know, I’ve always looked forward to the Stikeleather family Christmas party
• When I was a child it took place at my grandparent’s house
• The whole family would get together for a wonderful Christmas luncheon
• Actually- calling it a luncheon indicates a level of dignity and tranquility that simply wasn’t there
• That little house on Hoskins Ave. was never designed for that many folks
• Which meant it was always...
• Crowded and noisy and chaotic
• Having too many kids underfoot will do that
• But you know what I remember most about Christmas at my grandparent’s house?
• It was the love I received there
• There’s never been anything subtle about the kind of love my family shares
• It’s not quiet and dignified and refined
• It’s loud and rowdy and country-fied
• On Christmas Day at Granny & Papa’s house you’d get more bear-hugs- and sloppy kisses- and pinches on the cheek than you’d know what to do with
• But I guarantee you one thing:
• By the time you left that house late Christmas afternoon
• You KNEW- beyond a shadow of a doubt- that there was somebody in this world who loved you

TRANSITIONAL REMARKS

• I’m blessed that part of my Christmas memory is of a great, big celebration of love
• Because ultimately that’s what Christmas is all about
• Wherever you go- and whatever you do- love seems to be the dominate theme of the Season
• ...And there’s a reason for that
• At Christmas- Jesus introduced God’s love to the world
• How? By being the living incarnation of the Almighty God
• Turn with me over to Colossians 1:15-20
• Here’s the thing:
• When you see Jesus lying in the manger of Bethlehem
• You can discover everything there is to know about God’s love for you
• So this morning- as we continue our celebration of the Advent season- let’s allow Jesus to introduce God’s love

GOD IS ABBA- YOUR HEAVENLY FATHER

• Illustration: Semands on Seminary Student
• In one of his books, David Semands tells the story of counseling a depressed seminary student
• This young man was a dedicated Christian who was studying to be a pastor
• He was also a brilliant student making straight A’s in all of his Bible and theology class work
• During one session- Semands asked the man to draw a picture that illustrates how you understand God
• The student said: I don’t think I could do that- I’m not very artistic
• DS: Well...try to find a picture or a photograph that will tell me what you think God is like
• A few weeks later the student brought Semands a picture saying: I think this is what you were asking for
• It was an illustration from Charles Dickens’s A Christmas Carol
• It pictured a stern and angry Scrooge lecturing poor Bob Crachit
• Semands says he looked at the picture for a few moments and then asked:
• DS: So tell me- who’s who in this picture?
• YM: Well- Ebenezer Scrooge is God.
• DS: O-kay. But that leaves Bob Crachit. Who is he?
• YM: Oh- he’s me. That’s how I feel whenever I think about God.
• Folks here was a seminary student- firmly grounded in the truth of God’s Word- and he thought God was some bitter, angry Scrooge
• You know what this young man’s problem was?
• He knew a lot ABOUT God- but He didn’t know anything OF God!
• Folks- Jesus knew- and understood- God as He REALLY is!
• That’s why He told the disciples: If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him. (John 14:7)
• As God’s only begotten Son Jesus had a relationship with God that was more intimate- more trusting- more perfect than ANYTHING we can imagine!
• Well- look at how Jesus addressed God
• In Mark 14:36 we see Jesus praying in the Garden of Gethsemane and He says:
• "Abba, Father," he said, "everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will."
• You’ve head me explain what Abba means many times
• Jesus uses it throughout the Gospels whenever He refers to- or addresses- God
• Most English Bibles translate Abba as father. But that’s doesn’t really capture the radical meaning of Abba
• Abba is an Aramaic word little children use to address their father
• The closest thing we have to it in English is ‘Daddy’
• Think about it folks: Jesus taught us to think of God as our Daddy in heaven!
• I have a plaque on the wall of my study. It says: Any man can be a Father- it takes a special man to be a Daddy
• Folks- being a father is just an act of biology
• It takes no special skills or love to be a father
• Almost any reasonably healthy man can do it
• But being a daddy is something completely different!
• Daddies have to show their children unconditional love and acceptance
• Daddies have to go out of their way in order to protect and care for their children!
• At Christmas Jesus introduces God to be a warm, caring and compassionate ‘Daddy-God’
• He’s not harsh or mean or cruel
• He wants you to know that He loves you completely and perfectly
• In fact- I want you to get a new image of God in your head this morning
• I want you to replace that picture of Ebenezer Scrooge pointing a bony finger at Bob Crachit with another image
• An image that reflects the God we discover in His Son
• Mark 10:14-16
• Illustration: Paw Paw & Matthew
• Of the hundreds of pictures we have in our family photo albums-
• One is a personal favorite
• It was taken when Matthew was about 3 or 4 months old
• My parents had come up for the weekend
• It was Saturday afternoon and my dad had volunteered to rock Matthew to sleep
• After awhile Matthew drifted off into dreamland- and so did my dad
• In the picture Pam took
• Matthew is snuggled up under my father’s chin- my dad has his arms wrapped around him
• It was a perfect picture of love and peace and contentment
• Psalm 103: 8-13
• Folks- THIS is how Jesus introduces God to you and me
• He is your Heavenly ‘Daddy-God’
• Who loves you- and cares for you- more than you could possibly know!

GOD WILL NEVER ‘FAIL OR FORSAKE YOU

• Matthew 1: 20-23
• This is one of those verses of Scripture we always read at Christmas time
• For instance-
• It was read during last Sunday’s Hanging of the Greens
• It’ll be read during the Christmas Eve service- and probably a few times in between
• And maybe that’s the problem
• We’ve heard these words SO many times they’ve become old hat
• Somehow they’ve lost their ability to stagger us with the truth that God HIMSELF is with us!
• He’s not ‘out there somewhere’
• He’s right here- with you and me!
• Illustration: Comforting Helen Horton
• I’ll never forget something that happened when I was pastor at NSCBC in Henderson
• Thomas Horton- a long-time member of the church- had just died
• I rushed over to the home to try and comfort his wife
• Suffice it to say she was overwhelmed with grief to the point where nothing I said seemed to make any difference
• Finally- Helen Wright came to visit
• Helen’s husband Bill had died about four years earlier
• As soon as she walked in the door she went to Helen- embraced her and said: I want you to know I’m with you in all of this. After losing Bill- I know what you’re going through. And I’ll be here for you- day or night- whenever you need me.
• I want you to read what the Word of God says in John 1:14
• I want you to notice something about this verse of Scripture
• It doesn’t say: The Word became words
• When you’re hurting and lonely- words are helpful
• But they aren’t nearly enough
• The Bible says: The Word became FLESH and made His dwelling among us
• In Christ God came down and got involved in human living and suffering
• He knows what you’re going through- because He’s been through it Himself!
• Hebrews 2:17-18
• Illustration: A Child’s Tragic Death
• A few years ago a seven year old boy fell off a bridge into the Prairie River near Calgary, Canada
• As he struggled to keep from drowning
• Nearly a dozen adults saw him- and did nothing
• Why didn’t anyone help?
• It seems that just a short distance upstream a paper mill was dumping untreated sewage into the river
• Several of the onlookers later told police: I wasn’t going to jump in there- that water is filthy!
• Folks, Christmas proves that God isn’t like that
• He doesn’t stand by- watching as you drown in a river of sin and pain and sorrow
• In sending Christ into the world you can KNOW that He will jump right in there with you- and help you swim to shore
• Hebrews 13:5-6

GOD LOVES YOU AND ACCEPTS YOU JUST AS YOU ARE

• Read 1 John 4:9-10
• You know- a lot of people today are starved for some unconditional love in their life
• I once had a young woman tell me: When I was growing up my mother always said I weighed too much- or that my hair didn’t look right- or that she didn’t like the way I dressed- or that my grades weren’t good enough.
• No matter what I did- it was never enough. Just once I wanted my mother to accept me as I was
• You know, there a lot of people who think that God feels the same way about them
• They have this idea that says that no matter how much they may:
• Read their Bibles
• Or pray
• Or attend church
• Or sing in the choir
• Or serve on a church committee
• Or go on a mission tour
• Or confess their sins
• That somehow it still isn’t enough- that God doesn’t love them or accept them as they are
• It’s almost like Satan has put a voice inside their head that says:
• Your sin is too great- you’re too unimportant and insignificant for God to show you any love and attention.
• The truth is that if God knew the REAL you- He wouldn’t love you. He wouldn’t want to have ANYTHING to do with someone like you!
• Folks- let me tell you some Good News
• The Bible says God DOES know you!
• The REAL you
• The you nobody else knows
• And He loves you anyway!
• Psalm 139:1-18
• Folks- here’s the bottom line:
• At Christmas we celebrate the wonderful truth that God sent Jesus into this world precisely because He DOES love you
• Freely- totally- completely- absolutely- without any strings attached- God loves you!
• If you don’t believe it- take a fresh look at the Cross
• At the Cross God says: Come here! Take a look at My Son. You saw Him in the manger- now see Him on the Cross!
• I sent Him to die for you- so that your sin could be forgiven- and I could pour My love out on you!
• The Parable of the Prodigal Son is probably the most beloved story Jesus ever told
• Most of us know it by heart
• But it’s such a perfect picture of God’s unconditional love and acceptance that I’d like to share it with you again today
• Luke 15:11-24

CONCLUSION

• In preparing this message I seriously thought about calling it: Maybe It’s Time To Let God Love You
• Obviously the title got changed-
• But the idea is still right
• Maybe it IS time to let God love you!
• The message of Christmas is that He wants to- that’s He done EVERYTHING possible to prove His love for you
• And now- more than anything else- He wants you...
• To accept Jesus
• And let Him pour out His love and forgiveness and grace on you!
• Let us pray

November 25, 2007 - You Must Ace This Test

November 25, 2007 - You Must Ace This Test

INTRODUCTORY REMARKS

• It’s been good to have Stephanie back home this weekend
• Granted- she’s been working a lot of hours in the pharmacy at Presbyterian Hospital in Huntersville
• But overall- it’s been more relaxing than her October visit
• Then she not only had to work at the pharmacy- she spent all her spare time studying for a quiz
• A quiz involving the 300 most-prescribed drugs in America
• You heard me right- the 300 most-prescribed drugs in America
• Anyone want to guess what was number one?
• Listen for guesses
• Prozac. That little pill that helps folks like me keep going
• Steph- what did you wind up making on the quiz?
• Let Steph answer
• Not a perfect score- but it keeps her on track to becoming a pharmacologist
• The truth is most tests- or quizzes- are like that
• You don’t have to be perfect- you don’t even have to make an ‘A’
• To prove you know the material you’re being tested on

TRANSITION

• But there’s one test you face in life that you MUST answer perfectly
• The test only consists of four simple questions
• But your answers are going to determine EVERYTHING
• See- these questions deal with your relationship with Jesus the Christ
• What’s at stake in these questions is your destiny
• Whether you will spend eternity in heaven or in hell is going to decided by how you answer these questions
• Now before we take the quiz I want to read one of the more familiar passages of Scripture in the Bible- John 3:1-21
• With this dramatic conversation in mind- let’s talk about the four questions that will determine your eternity

QUESTION ONE: DO YOU REALIZE THAT YOU’RE A SINNER?

• Folks- the Bible says that every human being is a sinner
• Listen to what God’s Word says in Romans 3:10-12, 22-23
• In this case the word ‘all’ means everyone
• You’re a sinner. I’m a sinner
• A universally loved and respected man like Billy Graham is a sinner
• A street thug sitting on death row is a sinner
• Where human beings are concerned there is no difference
• We’re all sinners
• We all fall short of the glory of God
• Now let me explain what it means to fall short of the glory of God
• You remember the Andy Griffith episode where Opie tries to win an electric shaver for Andy?
• All he has to do is knock down some moving targets at a carnival booth
• Bear in mind- Opie was a good shot
• Andy had taught him how to use a rifle at a young age
• There was only one problem: The sight on the rifle was misaligned
• That meant there was no way he was going to win that shaver
• Every shot he took was headed in the wrong direction
• That’s an illustration of what it means to fall short of the glory of God
• God has a plan- a purpose- a Will- for your life
• But the sin in your life will never let you hit God’s target
• Satan has caused your life to be misaligned
• So that no matter what you do you’re going to miss the mark- you’re going to fall short of the glory of God
• At this point you might be thinking: But Steve- I’m not a BAD person. I’ve never done anything that was so terrible
• I’m not saying that you have
• I’m simply telling you what the Bible says:
• In your life you have fallen short of the glory of God
• And THAT makes you a sinner!
• So let me ask you this question:
• Do you realize that you’re a sinner?
• The only answers are ‘Yes’ or ‘No’
• ‘Yes’- I realize that I’m a sinner
• Or ‘No’- I don’t acknowledge the sin in my life
• Now- if your answer is:
• ‘Yes’- You’ve taken the first step in becoming a born-again believer
• ‘No’- I must warn you that the Bible says you’re going to receive the wages of sin
• And the wages of sin is death
• Spiritual death- Eternal separation from the love and presence of God in a place called hell
• Question 1 is: Do you realize that you’re a sinner?

QUESTION 2: DO YOU REALIZE YOU HAVE NO WAY TO OBTAIN SALVATION ON YOUR OWN?

• Illustration: Stuck In Quicksand
• When I was about 12 or 13 years old I took a camping trip with my R.A. group
• It was a miserable experience
• Three of the worst days of my life
• I almost drowned
• I burned my two of my meals in the campfire
• And got stuck in quicksand
• Now to be honest- I don’t know if a scientist would classify what I stepped in as quicksand
• All I know is that the more I struggled to get out
• The deeper I sunk
• Finally, my R.A. leader tossed me a rope- told me to relax- hold on tight- and he’d pull me out
• Even though I was on the verge of panic- I did what he said
• And- sure enough- he pulled me to safety
• Here’s the point of this illustration: On my own I could have never gotten out of the muck I was in
• That’s the way it is where the sin in your life is concerned
• All your efforts to earn your salvation- to ‘get right with God’ are doomed to failure
• You can:
• Try to live a good life
• Do good things
• Give money to noble causes
• Follow all the rules
• But- it’s not going to work
• The Bible says that ‘good works’ or ‘doing stuff’ will never make you right with God
• Listen to what it says in Romans 3:27-4:5
• Folks- Abraham was a better person than you or I will ever be
• If it were possible to earn your salvation by living a good life and doing good things- he would’ve done it
• But the Bible says even he couldn’t do it
• And if Abraham couldn’t do it
• Neither can you- neither can I
• Now I don’t want you to think that doing good things is wrong
• Christians ought-
• To live lives that are pleasing to God
• To reach out to others with the love of Christ
• BUT- there’s a difference between:
• Trying to earn God’s love through what you say and do
• And RESPONDING to God’s love by doing good things for others
• By this time you may be thinking: I don’t believe what you’re saying Steve. If I live a good life God HAS to let me into heaven
• Look- I’m not going to argue with you
• I’m just telling you what the Bible says: You can not earn your salvation by:
• Living a good life
• Or doing good things
• So question 2 is very simple: Do you realize you have no way to obtain salvation on your own?
• Once again there are only two answers to that question:
• ‘Yes’- I understand that I have no way to obtain salvation on my own
• Or ‘No’- I believe it’s possible to get right with God by doing good things
• If you answered:
• ‘Yes’- You’re this close to discovering eternal salvation through Jesus Christ our Lord
• ‘No’- You’re going to continue on your hopeless journey towards hell

QUESTION 3- DO YOU REALIZE THAT SALVATION IS A FREE GIFT OF GOD’S GRACE?

• You know- I love to see the smile that comes to a person’s face when I tell them about God’s gift of grace
• At this point we will have already explained the devastating truths we’ve discussed this morning
• That every person is a sinner standing under the judgment of God
• That the wages of sin is death- eternal separation from the love and presence of God in a place called hell
• And that no matter how hard you try- you can’t get right with God
• But then I tell them the Good News of God’s grace
• I’ll tell them how God sent His one and only Son Jesus to die on the Cross for their sin
• I’ll show them the Scriptures that tell how God’s grace is offered to anyone who calls on the name of Jesus
• And then I’ll say: And you can be saved if you ask Jesus to forgive you of your sin- and trust Him as your Savior
• That’s about the time a smile of pure joy comes on their face
• What happened?
• They’ve just discovered the wonderful grace of God
• See- that’s the bottom line: The only way to be saved is to rely on the grace of God
• You know- that’s one of those expressions we use in the church all the time: ‘The grace of God’
• But what does ‘the grace of God’ mean? Let me try to illustrate what we’re talking about
• Illustration: Standing Before A Judge
• Try to imagine that you’ve been charged with a serious crime- a crime that’s punishable by death
• In the trial the prosecutors do a masterful job
• They prove beyond any reasonable doubt that you’re guilty as charged
• They do such a good job that it takes less than an hour for the jury to deliver its verdict: Guilty!
• When it’s time for sentencing you’re told to stand before the Judge and you hear him say:
• The punishment for this crime is death.
• It’s a penalty you surely deserve for what you’ve done
• But then- in the same breathe- the Judge says: Nevertheless I am offering to wipe your slate clean. I’m going to let my son serve your sentence- and you will come to live with me as my adopted child
• Again- you might be thinking: That doesn’t make sense. That isn’t just
• If you do the crime
• You must pay the fine.
• But I’m telling you- that’s what grace is
• It isn’t earned- it certainly isn’t deserved
• Instead God offers it freely and openly- on the sole condition that you’ll accept it in your life
• It’s kind of like me offering you a Christmas gift
• It may be the greatest gift in all the world
• But unless you accept it- it’s not going to be yours
• Folks- the Bible says we’re saved by the grace of God
• We don’t deserve it- we can’t explain it- we’ll never understand it this side of heaven
• All we know is what the Bible tells us (Quote John 3:16)
• The third question is have to answer is: Do you realize that salvation is a free gift of God’s grace?
• ‘Yes’- Then hold on, I’m about to tell you how to be saved
• ‘No’- My heart breaks for you because you are destined to be eternally separated from God and His love

QUESTION 4- ARE YOU READY TO ASK JESUS TO BE YOUR SAVIOR?

• I want you to listen very carefully to what I’m about to say:
• Salvation comes down to a simple proposition
• Will you ask Jesus to be your Savior?
• See- when He died on the Cross He did everything that He could do to secure your salvation
• The Bible says that without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sin- Jesus shed His own blood for you
• The Bible says the wages of sin is death- Jesus gladly and willingly received that penalty for you
• That was literally everything that could be done- everything that needed to be done- for you
• Now understand:
• At no time will God force you to accept His love and grace
• Because He loves and respects you- He’ll never impose Himself on you
• Because He is rich in mercy and grace- He will not manipulate you into salvation
• All He asks you to do to be saved is ask Jesus to be your personal Savior
• If you’ve already made that decision- if you’re already a Christian
• You are saved and bound for an eternity spent with Jesus in heaven
• And you can be assured that NOTHING will be able to separate you from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord
• If you’ve never asked Jesus to be your personal Savior
• The Bible says that for you TODAY is the day of salvation
• In other words:
• You shouldn’t put off God’s offer of salvation by grace another day
• TODAY is the day you need to ask Jesus to be your Savior

CONCLUDING ILLUSTRATION

• I want to tell you about a guy named Jeff Fenholdt
• Jeff was one of those ‘overnight’ sensations
• Shortly after graduating from Ohio State Jeff moved to New York to pursue his dream of becoming a star
• It didn’t take him long. Within a few months Jeff was cast in the lead role in the musical Jesus Christ- Superstar
• The show became a Broadway smash hit
• And Jeff became a star
• For the next three years Jeff played Jesus 5 days a week
• Every night- during the Crucifixion scene- Jeff would utter those words: Father, forgive them because they do not know what they’re doing
• Yet he spent most of his time away from the show binging on alcohol and illegal drugs
• After the show finished its run- Jeff joined the heavy-metal band ‘Black Sabbath’
• ‘Black Sabbath’ was hard-core- and Jeff Fenholdt was its swaggering lead singer
• During his time with Black Sabbath Jeff’s alcoholism and drug addiction took over his life
• Jeff’s wife was named Reenie
• They’d married just after college
• And stayed together throughout Jeff’s years of stardom and addiction
• Now what you need to know is that Reenie was a born-again Christian
• She’d accepted Jesus as her Savior just before she and Jeff got married
• You talk about being unequally yoked
• Here Reenie was trying to live for Jesus
• While Jeff’s life was spinning out of control
• Before ‘Black Sabbath’ left on a European tour- he and Reenie decided it was time to remodel their home
• Since Jeff would be out of the country- it was Reenie’s job to hire a construction crew
• She hired a crew who were all members of her church. The foreman of the group was a deacon in the church named Max Sisipio
• When Jeff got home- and Reenie told him who she’d hired- Jeff exploded
• I don’t want those (blanking) Christians in my house
• He stormed upstairs and was met by Max Sisipio who said: Jeff- you played Jesus on stage. But I want to ask you one thing: Are you ready to meet him?
• Jeff spit in Max’s face and ran outside
• For the next hour the Holy Spirit worked on him. He couldn’t get that question out of his mind: Are you ready to meet him?
• Finally he went back inside and told Max: I’m sorry for what I did. I’m not ready to accept Jesus- but if you want to pray for me...
• With those words Max- and his crew- gathered around Jeff and began to pray: Lord- help Jeff say ‘Yes’ to you.
• About 15 minutes later Jeff looked up and said: I think I’m ready to accept Jesus as my Savior
• With those words-
• Max Sisipio lead Jeff in the sinner’s prayer
• And Jeff Fenholdt became a born-again child of God
• That was almost thirty years ago- and Jeff still says: I’ve never once doubted that accepting Jesus as my Savior was the greatest thing I’ve ever done!
• Folks- are you ready to ask Jesus to be your Savior? Let us pray

October 28, 2007 - Everyday Another Miracle - The Transfiguration

Scripture Meditation:Mark 9:2

INTRODUCTION

• Today's message marks the sixth in our series of sermons on the miracles of Jesus
• And I've got...a bit of a problem
• See- I'm not sure the event we're examining today should be classified as a miracle
• It was incredible- no doubt about it!
• But it was so different from the other miracles Jesus performed
• I mean- up to now the miracles we've talked about have been pretty straightforward
• Jesus does something that miraculously transcends the laws and processes of science and nature
• He-
• Changes water into wine
• Heals people of their illnesses and diseases
• Walks on water
• Feeds huge crowds with meager provisions of food
• Calms a raging storm
• But today's miracle- the miracle of the Transfiguration- isn't like that at all
• In this case- we're not talking about something Jesus did
• But something that happened to Him
• It's so important that it's recorded in Matthew, Mark & Luke
• Today we're going to examine Mark's account of this miracle
• So turn with me to Mark- chapter 9. We'll begin with the second verse

THE MIRACLE: WHAT HAPPENED

Mark 9:2

• Mark tells us this miracle happened after six days
• The question is: Six days after what?
• In this case it had been six days since Jesus told His disciples the most painful thing they'd ever heard
• It had happened at a place called Caesarea Philippi

Mark 8:27-31

• Has anyone ever told you something that was so shocking- so terrible- so beyond belief that your mind couldn't absorb it?
• I remember on September 11, 2001 Richard Kroenke called about 9:15 and told me I needed to turn on the television
• By that time both of the jumbo jets had crashed into the World Trade Center towers
• So I'm sitting in my office- listening to the news
• But it was like my mind didn't grasp the enormity of what I was seeing
• So for about 30-45 minutes I continued to work on whatever I was working on
• That sense of disbelief swept over the disciples when Jesus told them He was going to be killed in Jerusalem
• They couldn't accept it.
• It couldn't be.
• It made no sense
• Jesus was the Messiah- the Christ
• How could He be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and teachers of the law?
• And as for being killed- that was impossible! No harm could ever come to God's Chosen One
• It was so unbelievable Peter pulled Jesus to the side and chastised Him
• Stop talking like this Jesus! This is NEVER going to happen to YOU!
• We won't LET it happen! You're NOT going to be killed! Don't mention it again!
• Well you can imagine Peter's shock when Jesus turned and said: "Get behind me, Satan!" he said. "You do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men." (Mark 8:33)
• A few minutes earlier Jesus had praised Peter for recognizing that He was the Christ
• Now Jesus was calling Peter 'Satan'
• For 6 days those terrible words lingered like a festering wound
• The disciples unable- or unwilling- to believe that Jesus might have to die
• And Jesus- more determined than ever- to face His destiny on the Cross

Mark 2:9

• The Greek word translated as 'transfigured' is metamorphoo
• It's the same word that gives us our English word 'metamorphosis'
• It literally means 'to be changed into another form'

Mark 2:3

• Matthew adds this detail about Jesus' appearance: His face shone like the sun...
• Pretty amazing stuff
• Dazzling white clothes and a face that glowed like the sun
• But- come on- give me some real details
• What was going here?
• What was happening to Jesus?
• Well here's the thing:
• There are no words to describe what happened on the mountain that day
• It was incomprehensible- and it wasn't over yet!

Mark 2:4

• The appearance of Moses and Elijah is not coincidental- if you understand what these men represented to the Jews
• Moses represented the Old Testament Law in all its glory
• GOD'S Law
• The Law that established the system of sacrifice and atonement for sin
• Elijah represented all the prophets of the Old Testament
• The men who proclaimed God's truth
• Who foretold the Coming of God's Chosen One
• Given all that- it's not surprising to learn what Jesus, Moses and Elijah were talking about

Luke 9:31

• In other words: Moses and Elijah were talking to Jesus about His Crucifixion and Resurrection
• Everything the Old Testament Law and prophets had pointed to
• Was being fulfilled in the birth, life, death and Resurrection of Jesus!
• You know- at this point I'm surprised the disciples didn't drop dead of a heart attack
• They were seeing something that had never happened before- and has never happened since
• They were thunderstruck- they didn't know what to say or do

Mark 2:5-7

• Throughout the Old Testament God's presence is frequently described as being an enveloping cloud
• So to say a voice came from the cloud
• Means that God Himself was speaking to the disciples
• In that context- the phrase Read Him! is more than a suggestion
• It's an order- it's a direct commandment from God
• It means-
• Not only are you supposed to Read whatever Jesus says
• You're supposed to obey- and accept- whatever He says
• And that meant accepting the truth that Jesus was destined to die on the Cross of Calvary!

Mark 2:8

• As suddenly as the transfiguration began- it ended
• Jesus' appearance returned to normal
• Elijah and Moses disappeared
• And the voice in the cloud was no longer heard

THE MIRACLE: WHAT IT MEANS

• Earlier I said I wasn't sure if you should call the Transfiguration a miracle
• OK- I fudged a little
• Obviously- this was a miracle!
• No doubt about
• But what did it mean?
• What was it telling us about WHO Jesus was
• And WHY Jesus had come to Earth?
• I know I'm starting to sound like a broken record
• But this is another one of those places were you have to go back to Old Testament
• To understand the significance of something that happened in the New Testament
• In this case you have to go back to Moses' experience with God on Mt. Sinai. Turn with me to Exodus 33

Exodus 33:12-20

• One of the unique aspects of Moses' relationship with God was its intimacy
• The Bible says Moses spoke to God like a man speaks with his friend
• In this case Moses is asking God to be with him- and give him the wisdom he needs to lead the children of Israel

Mark 2:14-16

• It's almost like Moses can't take 'Yes' for an answer
• God has promised that His holy power and presence would always be with Moses and the children of Israel
• And Moses is essentially saying: Prove it Lord!

Mark 2:17-18

• Folks- this is a truly audacious request
• Moses wants God to reveal Himself-
• In all His majesty
• In all His power
• In all His wonder
• In all His holiness
• In all His righteousness
• In all His justice
• In all His mercy and grace
• In other words: Moses wants to know EVERYTHING he can possibly know about God

Exodus33:19-20

• God's point is that He's going to pull back the curtain and reveal Himself to Moses
• With one important exception: you cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live
• The point here is that no human being can comprehend the full glory of God
• If you ever did you'd be struck dead
• It would be more than you mind could absorb- more than your heart could handle

Exodus33:21-23

• Don't get hung-up on the references to God's hand- and His back- and His face
• The Bible teaches us that God is pure spirit. He doesn't have a physical body
• The idea here is that God is going to let Moses see a reflection of His power and glory
• It's kind of like viewing a total eclipse of the sun
• If you look at an eclipse directly the retina of your eye would be destroyed
• To be safe- what you have to do is look at a reflected image of the eclipse

Exodus 34:5-7

• Moses had already learned God's chosen name at the Burning Bush
• The name- pronounced Yahweh or Jehovah- means 'I Am'
• Here God explains what His name means
• It means He is...
• Compassionate and gracious
• Slow to anger
• Abounding in love and faithfulness
• It says that while God is...
• The holy and righteous Judge of the Universe
• He's also ready, willing and able to offer forgiveness- and salvation- to anyone who calls on the name of Jesus!
• 1 John 1:8-9
• With all this in mind- let's see what happens in the aftermath of Moses' encounter with God

Exodus 34:29-35

• How awesome is the glory of God?
• Moses had seen a reflection- just a fleeting glimpse- of God's glory and it left his face with a radioactive glow
• As for the Israelites-
• When they looked at Moses they were seeing a reflection of a reflection of God's glory
• And it overwhelmed- and terrified- them
• You know- sometimes Christians forget to treat God with the awe and reverence and respect He deserves
• Because we know Him as being perfect in love-
• We like to think of Him as some doting grandfather in the sky
• You'll even hear people talk about: The old man upstairs
• But in the glory of His holiness and righteousness and majesty God is much more than that
• The Bible says He's always clothed in light inaccessible- that He's a consuming fire
• A burning presence before whom human beings must bow in humble worship and adoration
• Read the way He's described in Psalm 18:6-13
• That's incredible stuff- and here's how it ties into the miracle of Jesus' Transfiguration
• On that mountain Peter and James and John had seen the full glory of God the Father revealed in Christ the Son
• There could no longer be any doubt. Jesus...
• Was more than just a man- a mother's pride and joy
• Was the only begotten Son of the Living and Holy God- the awesome and All-powerful Creator of the Universe!
• Many decades later- John is reflecting on that incredible experience and writes these words

John 1:14

• No wonder the disciples were terrified
• They'd seen the glory of God revealed in all its power and majesty
• Jesus had pulled back the curtain of His humanity
• And revealed the essence of His glory- the glory of God Himself!
• The impossible had happened!
• They had seen God
• And lived to tell others about Jesus!

CONCLUSION

• I know it's still two months away- but that's the miracle we celebrate at Christmas
• When you stand beside the manger
• You're not just seeing Mary's baby
• You're looking into the face of God
• Think about it. In the Old Testament.../ In the New Testament...
• God...
• Reveals Himself as an all-consuming fire
• Reveals Himself as an infant nursing at His mother's breast
• Moses.../ The shepherds...
• Is warned: 'You can not see My face and live'
• Are invited to come into the stable and see Jesus asleep in the manger
• God...
• Saves the children of Israel by freeing them from the bondage of Egyptian slavery
• Sends His own Son to die on a Cross to save us from sin and death
• It's the same God
• In the Old Testament God is revealed in terrifying power and majesty coupled with gentleness and love
• In the New Testament God is revealed in humble innocence and grace coupled with majestic holiness and righteousness
• Philippians 2:5-11
• Why can you be absolutely, positively, beyond-a-shadow-of-a-doubt certain of your salvation?
• Because Jesus was God in human flesh
• Because Jesus allowed Himself to be nailed to a Cross for your sin
• Because God the Father raised God the Son back to life three days later!
• Because God was in Christ Jesus reconciling the world unto Himself
• Let us pray

October 21, 2007 - Everyday, Another Miracle: Calming The Storm

Scripture Meditation:Mark 4:35-41

INTRODUCTION

• I’ve always liked discovering new things. Take music for example
• I’ve never listened to ‘oldie-goldie’ stations
• Granted-
• I’ve got some old stuff in my music collection
• But I like discovering new artists- and listening to new music
• The same thing is true in my approach to Bible study
• I enjoy discovering some new insight
• Some fresh approach that makes God’s Word come alive
• Suffice it to say: I’m LOVING this sermon series on the miracles of Jesus
• I’ve always known the miracles were important- that’s why I wanted to do the series
• But I never really understood WHY the miracles were so important- until now
• Whether
• Jesus was...
• Changing water into wine
• Healing illnesses and diseases
• Walking on the water
• Or feeding huge crowds with a few pieces of bread
• Each miracle had something important to say about WHO Jesus was- and WHY Jesus had come to Earth
• Now the miracles we’ve examined so far have demonstrated that Jesus was the Messiah- the Christ- the Prophet- the Chosen One of God
• But today’s miracle- the Calming of the Storm- has a truly breathtaking implication
• It’s a miracle that’s recorded in the gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke
• For our purposes this morning I want us to examine Mark 4:35-41

THE MIRACLE: WHAT HAPPENED

Mark 4:35-36

• Particularly in the early stages of His ministry Jesus was incredibly popular
• It seemed like EVERYONE wanted to be with Him
• They wanted:
• To hear Him preach and teach
• To see Him perform miracles
• To be wherever He was
• And it was utterly exhausting. In this case...
• Jesus had spent the day preaching to a large crowd
• So large He had to stand in a boat anchored a few yards off shore in order to be seen and heard
• At the end of the day Jesus told the disciples:
• Let us go over to the other side
• Jesus was so tired He didn’t even want to get off the boat and have to wade through the crowd
• You know sometimes it’s easy to forget that Jesus was a human being.../ someone...-
• Who got...
• Tired and needed rest
• Hungry and needed a good meal
• Thirsty and needed something to drink
• Who knew...
• What it meant to be lonely and grief stricken
• But also knew times of happiness and joy
• The clear testimony of Scripture is that Jesus was a real person who...
• Struggled with all the things we struggle with
• Had looked Satan and temptation in the eyeballs and never blinked
• To me- that’s very comforting
• It’s important to know that Jesus understands EVERYTHING I’m going through
• He not only understands
• He has the power and the patience to see me through
• Listen to what the Bible says in Hebrews 4:15-16

Mark 4:37

• Two weeks ago we talked about the unique geography of the Sea of Galilee
• Because it sits in a basin between huge mountain ranges
• Deadly storms sweep across the lake on a regular basis
• Having ‘ridden-out’ one of these storms I can tell you it’s pretty scary
• Before you see or feel anything you hear the wind
• At first you hear a low rumble in the distance
• Like the sound of an approaching freight train
• Then you begin to see the storm clouds racing down the side of the mountain- it’s eerie but beautiful in its own way
• Then BOOM!- it hits you
• Instantly the rain and the wind start pounding against you
• And the lake becomes a boiling caldron of angry waves
• Here in Mark 4 the storm was pouring so much water into the boat it was in danger of sinking
• So here you’ve got the disciples frantically bailing water- terrified that they’re about to drown
• And what’s Jesus doing?

Mark 4:38

• When you consider the violence of the storm- it’s amazing that Jesus didn’t wake up
• On other one hand- it demonstrates His absolute amount of faith and peace
• Most mostly it proves how completely exhausted He was

Mark 4:38

• I know the disciples were frightened and upset- but this was a very nasty thing to say
• The Greek phrase is ou melei soi
• English translations don’t begin to do it justice
• Let’s put it this way: Sailors have always had a reputation for using...shall we say...salty language
• That’s what’s happening here. Essentially the disciples are accusing Jesus of not giving a you-know-what about their welfare
• Which raises the question: What did the disciples want Jesus to do?
• Were they demanding that He perform a miracle that would save them from a desperate situation?
• Or were they just angry because they needed Jesus to help them bail water?
• I suspect they just wanted Jesus to help them keep the boat from sinking
• See- for all the miracles they’d seen Jesus do
• They still didn’t understand exactly WHO Jesus was- or WHAT He was capable of doing

Mark 4:39

• Jesus spoke to the storm- with a sharp edge in His voice- as if it were a human being:
• Wind! Shut up!
• Waves! Calm down!
• Now to be honest- it isn’t unusual for storms on the Sea of Galilee to begin and end rather quickly
• But the disciples- experienced fisherman who’d spent countless hours on the lake- had NEVER seen anything like this
• All the raging fury of nature INSTANTLY surrendered to the sound of Jesus’ voice
• the wind died down. The Greek literally means the wind ran out of breath
• and it was completely calm. The water became as smooth as glass
• Then Jesus turned to the disciples and said: "Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?"
• In other words: Why did you give into your fear?
• After all this time with Me- do you still not understand who I am?

THE MIRACLE: WHAT IT MEANS

• It was a miracle. No doubt about it.
• But what did it mean?
• What does this miracle tell us about Jesus?
• Now I know you’re probably getting tired of hearing me say this-
• But this is another one of those places where you have to understand the Old Testament
• In order to understand the importance of something that happens in the New Testament
• So turn with me to Genesis chapter 1
• It’s interesting to note that the Bible-
• Doesn’t try to explain where God came from
• You’d think that would be the first thing it would say
• But it doesn’t.
• Instead it begins (that’s what ‘Genesis’ means- beginnings) by telling you what God DID
• And what did He do?
• He created the heavens and the earth!
• You talk about a ‘Big Bang’ - here’s the ‘Big Bang’
• God decided to create the Universe
• And BANG! the universe sprang into existence!
Genesis 1:2-3
• Keep this in mind
• God spoke
• And Creation INSTANTLY responded

Genesis 1:4-10

• It’s important to understand what’s going on here
• Before God began the process of creating life
• He made sure that the Earth was prepared to sustain life

Genesis 1:11-27

• Folks- here’s the bottom line:
• The Universe
• Is not the result of some random series of cosmic accidents
• Exists because of the almighty power of a Creator God
• The same God who ordained the laws of science and the natural processes that govern all of Creation
• It’s not coincidental that the first scientists were committed Christians
• They didn’t set out to disprove God’s existence
• Their goal was to understand the laws and processes God Himself had created
• Now with all this in mind- let’s talk about miracles
• By definition miracles are supernatural events
• In other words: When a miracle happens God transcends the laws of science and the natural processes that He Himself created
• Visual illustration: A Sinking Weight
• Actions:
• Show weight- cup of water
• Ask for volunteer
• Have volunteer drop weight in cup of water
• Point: The God-given laws and processes of gravity- molecular structure and fluid dynamics all interacted to cause the weight to sink to the bottom of the glass
• Please read 2 Kings 6:1-6
• Iron doesn’t float- right?
• But God (not Elish
• GOD caused the iron axhead to float
• Granted-
• It transcended the laws and processes of nature
• But that’s what a supernatural miracle is!
• Now turn with me to Joshua 10:12-13
• Get the picture of what’s going on here:
• The sun shone for 24 straight hours!
• Obviously-
• That’s impossible
• Except for God!
• And that’s the point: Throughout the Old Testament God proves His sovereignty over creation by performing miracles
• It doesn’t matter whether you’re talking about:
• The Burning Bush
• The Nile River being changed into blood
• Manna from heaven- water from the rock
• Or Elijah’s showdown with the prophets of Baal
• God the Creator is more than capable of transcending the laws and processes of nature!
• Which is exactly what happened here in the 4th chapter of Mark
• Storms don’t end in an instant- turbulent waters don’t suddenly become dead calm
• But when Jesus spoke-
• The forces of Creation INSTANTLY responded
• Just like when God spoke!
• Which makes the disciples reaction perfectly understandable

Mark 4:41

• In the face of this miracle of calming the storm the disciples suddenly realized the truth
• Jesus is ...
• More than a man
• More than a great teacher
• More than a wonder worker
• More than a political leader who would overthrow the Romans and set up God’s kingdom on Earth
• The One who had been asleep in their boat...
• Is the only begotten Son of the Living God
• He possesses all the power and majesty of God
• Our Lord and Master is-
• The incarnation of God in human flesh!
• He is fully GOD!
• Please read Colossians 1:15-20

CONCLUSION

• An Indian chief was well-known throughout his tribe for being courageous, honest and just
• To insure that his people lived in peace with one another
• He set up a punishment system for crimes
• Despite the chief’s best efforts- thievery was becoming a severe problem
• Enraged by the blatant law breaking he issued a new decree
• Anyone caught stealing would be subjected to twenty lashes with a whip
• Not long after the decree was issued- a thief was caught
• To the chief’s horror- it was his own mother
• Suddenly he found himself is a state of turmoil
• Would he allow his own mother to be beaten and show himself to be unloving
• Or would he cancel her punishment and show himself to be unjust
• And the tribe awaited his decision- people began to take bets
• Some believed he would be cruel
• Others believed he would be lenient
• When the time for judgment arrived the chief- to the shock of everyone- had his mother tied to the post
• A murmur went through the crowd: This is going to kill her!
• He’s going to let her die! She’ll never be able to survive the beating
• But then suddenly- just before the first crack of the whip- the chief called for a halt to the proceedings
• With that he went forward- wrapped his arms around his mother’s body
• And took the beating himself

Source: Life Change magazine ©

• Folks- that’s a picture of what happened at Calvary
• As the holy and righteous Judge of the Universe God couldn’t ignore and condone the sin in our life
• But rather than subject us to the punishment-
• God let God die on that Cross
• So that you and I might receive the gift of salvation and eternal life in Jesus’ name
• "Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!" Let us pray

October 14, 2007 - Everyday Another Miracle: Feeding The Multitudes

Scripture Meditation: Mark 8:1-8

INTRODUCTION

• Whenever we have a covered-dish luncheon here at the church I panic
• I look at the table of food- and the number of people waiting in line
• And think: There’s no way everyone’s going to get enough to eat
• Which is silly because we’ve never run out of food before
• A couple of times we came close
• But you know what?
• It worked out then
• Just like it always works out now
• Which proves to me that Jesus is still in the business of multiplying the loaves and fishes

TRANSITION

• Actually the miracles of feeding the multitudes is more impressive than feeding a congregation with a long table full of food
• For one thing- there were a LOT more people
• And there wasn’t nearly as much food
• You may not realize this- but in the New Testament there are actually two occasions where Jesus fed huge crowds with meager provisions
• In the first case Jesus fed 5000 people with five loaves of bread and two small fish
• The second time Jesus fed 4000 people with seven loaves of bread
• They were incredible miracles that had something important to say about WHO Jesus was- and WHY He had come to Earth
• To learn what that was we’re going to focus specifically on the miracle of feeding the 4000
• Please read the eighth chapter of Mark- we’ll get started with the 1st verse

THE MIRACLE: WHAT HAPPENED

Mark 8:1

• Particularly in the early days of His ministry people flocked to see Jesus.
• Some wanted to hear what He had to say
• Others hoped He would cure them of their illnesses and diseases
• And a few wanted to know what all the fuss was about- there are always folks who want to be where the action is

Mark 8:1-3

• Notice that Jesus says I have compassion for these people
• In this case compassion means having a deep emotional sympathy which expresses itself in a concrete expression of love
• Folks- Jesus:
• Wasn’t just feeling sorry for the crowd: I’m sorry they’re hungry- and so far from home
• Was saying: It hurts me to know they’re so hungry- and I’m going to do something about it!
• Isn’t that awesome?
• The Lord we worship doesn’t just love us
• He loves us-
• AND has the power- and the desire
• To do something about it!

Mark 8:4

• Actually the place were this happened wasn’t some remote, isolated wilderness
• This was an area known as the Decapolis- a cluster of small towns and villages along the eastern shore of the Sea of Galilee
• The point the disciples were making was that-
• This wasn’t a major city were you could buy enough food to feed 4,000 people
• And even if it was- they didn’t have the money to buy it
• Which raises the question: Why didn’t the disciples remember what Jesus had done earlier- when He fed 5,000 people at one time?
• I mean- if He could do it once
• Why didn’t they believe He do it again?
• The fact is- the disciples DID remember what Jesus had done earlier- it would have been impossible to forget
• But they also knew that He was in charge- and He didn’t perform miracles lightly or casually
• In other words- the disciples
• Knew Jesus could do great things
• But they didn’t know what He would choose to do in this situation

"How many loaves do you have?" Jesus asked. "Seven," they replied.

• The seven loaves were equivalent to about seven biscuits
• About this size
• More of a good snack- than a satisfying meal
• But look- it wouldn’t have mattered there had been seven- or seven hundred- loaves of bread
• The point is the same
• The available human resources were utterly incapable of meeting the need
• Only God could provide-
• And the Son of God did exactly that!

Mark 8:6-9

• Once again the impossible had happened!
• Jesus had taken what amounted to a snack lunch
• And multiplied it to the point where it fed a huge crowd- with plenty of leftovers

THE MIRACLE: WHAT IT MEANS

• It was a miracle
• But what did it mean?
• The Gospel of John gives us a clue

John 6:14

• Over the last few weeks we’ve seen why Jesus’ miracles convinced the disciples that He was the Christ- the son of the Living God
• Whether it was changing water into wine- or healing the sick- or walking on water
• Each miracle fulfilled some Old Testament prophecy concerning the coming of God’s Chosen One
• In this case- seeing Jesus feed the multitudes had the crowds wondering if Jesus could be the Prophet who is to come into the world.
• But what does that mean? What were the people talking about?
• To answer that question you need to remember that the people in the crowd were overwhelmingly Jewish
• To the Jews- the single, most important story in the Old Testament (which was the Bible they knew)
• Wasn’t
• The story of the patriarchs like Abraham, Isaac and Jacob
• Or the story of Israel’s glory during the reigns of David and Solomon
• It wasn’t even the story of the conquest of the Holy Land under Joshua
• To the Jews- the single, most important story in the Bible was the Exodus
• The story of their ancestors’ escape from the bondage of Egyptian slavery
• To the Jews the Exodus was THE story of God’s love, grace and salvation in action
• Well- let’s see how much Bible history you know: Who lead the Israelites during the Exodus?
• Listen for answers
• That’s right. Moses...
• The Man of God
• The Lawgiver
• The Greatest Prophet of them all
• The story of Moses and the Exodus was remembered- and celebrated- in the annual Passover feast
• During the Passover meal the oldest son would ask his father: What is it about this night that makes it different from all the other nights of the year?
• And the father would proceed to tell the story of God’s great act of saving His Chosen People
• Now you might think that being the Chosen People of God the Jews would have had it easy
• In fact- it was nothing like that
• Throughout most of their history the Jews were victims of persecution, exile and oppression
• During those terrible times- the Jews would remember Moses and the Exodus
• Specifically- they would remember the words of Moses: The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own brothers. You must listen to him. (Deuteronomy 18:15)
• They would pray that once again God intervene to save His people
• They came to believe that before God’s salvation would take place a new Moses would appear on the scene
• The question was:
• How would they know Him when He came?
• How could they recognize that God’s salvation had come?
• Simple: Prophecy- and Jewish tradition- said the new Moses would do what the old Moses had done
• First of all- He would deliver God’s new law on the mountainside
• Just like Moses had brought down the 10 Commandments from the summit of Mt. Sinai
• The new Moses would proclaim God’s Word on the mountain (Remember the ‘Sermon on the Mount’)
• AND second- The ‘new Moses’ would satisfy the people’s physical hunger just like Moses fed the children of Israel in the Wilderness
• Please read Exodus 16:2-15
• Do you see how it all of this fits together?
• The people were looking for a Savior- a Prophet- the new Moses
• Someone who would miraculously feed them with bread from heaven!
• Well...hadn’t that just happened?
• Hadn’t Jesus taken 7 biscuits and fed 4000 people?
• SURELY He must be the new Moses- the One who had come to bring salvation to God’s people!

THE MIRACLE: AND THE LORD’S SUPPER

• And they were right!
• Jesus WAS the One who had come to bring God’s salvation
• Only the salvation He brought was not necessarily the kind of salvation they were looking forward
• THEY.../ BUT JESUS...
• Were looking for someone who would overthrow the Romans- and set up God’s kingdom on Earth
• Had come to offer His life on the Cross- the perfect atoning sacrifice to save the world from sin!
• John 3:14-17
• Just like-
• The Jews remembered what God had done for them by celebrating the Passover
• We remember what Jesus did for us by sharing the Lord’s Supper
• As we share the Bread and the Cup we remember that on the Cross Jesus let...
• His Body be broken- and His blood be shed
• So that we might have salvation and eternal life in His name!
• 1 Corinthians 11:23-26
• Let us pray

October 7, 2007 - Everyday Another Miracle - Walking On The Water

Scripture Meditation:Matthew 14:22-31

INTRODUCTION

• You’re not going to believe what I’m about to tell you
• I saw it with my own eyes- hundreds of times
• And I STILL don’t know how he did it
• My friend Kenneth Brown could jump off a diving board- do a 360 degree flip in midair- hit the water- and never get his hair wet
• Seriously- nothing ever got wet from here up
• He’d climb out of the pool with every hair on his head dry and in place
• Kenneth loved to perform his stunt-
• And people would always go crazy when they saw him do it
• Their eyes would get this wide- their mouths would drop to the floor- and they’d beg him to do it again
• I remember one girl-
• Seeing him climb out the pool
• Breathlessly exclaimed: You’re AMAZING! It’s like you can walk on water!

TRANSITION

• Actually it wasn’t like that at all
• Kenneth was performing a trick
• Somehow he’d figured out how to kick his legs and flap his arms at just the right time to keep his head from going under the water
• But when Jesus walked across the surface of the Sea of Galilee
• It wasn’t a trick- it wasn’t a peculiar talent
• It was a miracle: Plain, pure and simple
• This morning- as we continue our sermon series on the miracles of Jesus- I want us to examine the ‘Miracle of Walking On The Water’
• To see what happened
• And- more importantly- to discover what it means
• So with all that in mind- let’s turn to the 14th chapter of Matthew
• We’ll begin with the 22nd verse
• Matthew 14:22

THE MIRACLE: THE BACKGROUND

Matthew 14:22

• The word ‘immediately’ sets the stage for this miracle
• Specifically it tells us that this miracle took place just after another of Jesus’ miracles
• The miracle of feeding the multitudes with five loaves of bread and two small fish
• Suffice it to say-
• THAT miracle got people fired up
• Read what it says in John 6:14-15
• After seeing Jesus feed the multitudes the crowds had become convinced that He was the Messiah- God’s Chosen One
• Which was absolutely, 100% true
• The problem was- the crowds didn’t understand what it meant for Jesus to be the Messiah
• For that matter- neither did the disciples
• At that time they still thought Jesus was going to be a political leader who would:
• Lead a war of liberation against the Romans
• And establish God’s kingdom on Earth
• It was a great dream- it just wasn’t God’s Will
• God hadn’t sent Jesus to Earth to be a Warrior-king
• He had sent Him to be the Man of the Cross- the perfect Lamb of God who would die for the sin of the world!
• So I want you to get the picture of what’s going on here:
• The crowd is in a frenzy- they’re ready to follow Jesus into battle
• And the disciples are right there egging them on: Look at what He’s done! He’s the Messiah- God’s Chosen One! Let’s make Him our king!
• No wonder the Bible says Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side
• The Greek word translated as ‘made’ is enagkasen.
• It’s an intense action word that literally means ‘to force’ or ‘order’
• Get in the boat RIGHT NOW- before there’s a riot!
• I’ll hear no more of this talk about making Me king!
• With the disciples finally out of the way- Jesus could handle the crowd more easily
• Notice what the Bible says: he dismissed the crowd.
• The idea here is that after He calmed them down
• Jesus blessed them-
• And sent them on their way home

Matthew 14:23

• It’s not coincidental that immediately after Jesus dismissed the crowd went off for a time of prayer and solitude
• Think about it-
• Even though Jesus was fully committed to following God’s plan for His life
• All the adulation and craziness had to have been intoxicating-
• They’re ready to make Me their king.
• They’re ready to do anything I want them to do!
• I can be in control! I can do whatever I please!
• No wonder Jesus found a quiet place and began to pray
• See- at that moment Jesus needed...
• To be reassured that He was being faithful to God’s plan for His life
• To be encouraged and strengthened for the task that lay ahead
• But most of all He simply needed to spend some time with His Father
• And here’s the thing:
• If JESUS- who is God’s one and only Son- needed to pray
• You better believe you and I need to pray!
• It’s not an option- an I’ll-get-around-to-it-if-I-have-the-time kind of thing
• Prayer is an absolute necessity- an integral part of living a Christ-like life

THE MIRACLE- WHAT HAPPENED

• All right! Enough of that.
• It’s finally time to get out on the water
• Because a miracle is about to take place

Matthew 14:24

• I want you to notice that the Bible says the disciples’ boat was a considerable distance from land
• This literally means they were in the middle of the lake
• Which- on the Sea of Galilee- means they were about 4 miles from the nearest shore
• Now there are a few things you need to know about the Sea of Galilee
• Such as- it sits in a natural amphitheater about 700 feet below sea level
• In fact if you fly over it- it looks like the biggest football stadium in the world
• To the east and west of the lake are mountains that rise about 2200 feet above the lake
• To the north the Peaks of Gilead soar more than 4000 vertical feet above the surface of the water
• It makes for a stunningly beautiful landscape- but it also means the Galilee is subject to sudden and violent windstorms
• What happens is that winds blow in off the Mediterranean- pick up speed as they sweep down the mountains- and then come roaring across the lake
• When we were in Israel in ’94 we got caught out on the lake during one of those storms
• It didn’t last very long
• But I’m here to tell you:
• It was scary!
• That boat was rockin’!

Matthew 14:25

• Over the years some people have tried to ‘explain away’ this supernatural event by claiming that Jesus...
• Was really walking along the shore-
• Or wading out to the disciples on some kind of sand bar
• There are two problems with those theories:
• First of all-
• The disciples were experienced fishermen
• If they’d been close enough to see Jesus walking on the shore- they would have quickly rowed to safety
• And as for wading on a sandbar
• That would have required a four-mile long sand bar
• I don’t think so!
• Folks- Jesus...
• Wasn’t wading- or swimming- or dog-paddling- or bobbing up and down like a piece of cork
• Was confidently striding across the surface of the water
• The fact is- for the master of the waves
• This wasn’t some storm-tossed lake
• This was rock-solid ground!

THE MIRACLE: WHAT IT MEANS

• It was a miracle- no doubt about it
• The question is: What does it mean?
• Remember what we’ve talked about over the last few weeks?
• In the New Testament miracles don’t just happen
• They happen for a reason
• Miracles tell us something important about WHO Jesus is- and WHY Jesus came to Earth
• Now to understand the meaning of this miracle- you have to put yourself in the disciples shoes
• A few hours earlier they’d been encouraging the crowd to make Jesus their king
• An earthly king- with an earthly kingdom
• A kingdom in which they assumed they would have lots of power and prestige
• But look where they were now
• In the middle of a storm-tossed lake-
• In a leaky boat that were struggling to control
• And then suddenly- out of the mists- they see something coming towards them

Matthew 14:26

• The Greek word for ghost is phantasma
• It literally means a ‘terrifying apparition’
• Something that would send a stone-cold chill down your spine
• The disciples’ fear reflects an ancient superstition among sailors
• This superstition said that just before a boat would capsize and sink
• Sailors would be able to see a death angel walking across the waves
• Now do you understand why the disciples cried out in fear?
• They thought they were about to die
• They were in a state of panic. They were screaming: God! Help us!

Matthew 14:27

• Folks- there’s no doubt the disciples’ feelings of fear and impending doom disappeared the instant they heard Jesus’ voice
• But ask yourself this question: Why?
• After all- nothing had fundamentally changed
• They were still in a sinking boat in the middle of the lake- with a violent storm raging around them
• So the question is...
• Was it enough for the disciples just to know that Jesus was with them?
• Or had He said something that changed everything?
• The answer is: Jesus had said something that changed everything: It is I
• 5 letters. 3 tiny words. It is I.
• Granted-
• It doesn’t sound like much-
• But it would have blown the disciples minds!
• Once again this is one of those places were-
• You have to know the Old Testament-
• To understand something that’s happening in the New Testament
• So- let go back to the Old Testament. Please read Exodus 3:1-15
• At the Burning Bush- God identified Himself to Moses as Yahweh- I Am
• It was the name God wanted to be remembered by through all generations: Yahweh- I Am
• It was the name that-
• Identified God in all His power- His glory- His majesty
• Spoke of His love and kindness- His faithfulness- His holiness- His righteousness
• Proclaimed the God of Israel to be the King of kings and Lord of lords over all Creation
• And here in Matthew 14 it is the way Jesus identifies Himself to the disciples: It is I!
• With those three words Jesus was saying: I didn’t come to Earth to be the warrior-king you think I am
• I came to Earth as the incarnation of the one True and Living God!
• As God’s one and only Son I possess all the power and glory and majesty of my Father
• I am the living embodiment of His love and kindness- His faithfulness- His holiness- His righteousness
• I am the King of kings and Lord of lords over all Creation
• I am God in human flesh. When you look at Me you are looking into the face of God!
• Read the way Jesus is described it in John 1:1-3, & 14
• No wonder the disciples’ fear dissolved when they heard Jesus speak. They knew...
• This wasn’t a mere human being telling them not to be afraid
• This was God’s own Son-
• Who could...
• Change water into wine!
• Heal illness and disease
• Feed 5000 people with a few loaves of bread and two small fish!
• Walk on water
• Who controlled the winds and the waves and the sea!

THE MIRACLE: PETER’S EXPERIENCE

• All of which explains Peter’s excited reaction

Matthew 14:28-29

• You talk about being able to do things WITH Jesus you can’t POSSIBLY do without Him
• The wind was still howling- the waves were still crashing- the boat was still rocking
• But Peter was boldly striding across the surface of the water!
• I doubt the hem of his garment was even getting wet
• His eyes were locked on Jesus- and he might as well have been walking on a concrete thoroughfare in the middle of a bright, sunny day

Matthew 14:30

• Peter’s problem was simple: He took his eyes off Jesus
• He looked around- and saw his circumstances
• Not through the eyes of faith
• But through the eyes of doubt and fear
• Good grief! What have I DONE? A human being can’t walk on water- and it’s too rough for me to swim back to the boat. Lord Jesus! Save me! (Glup! Glup! Glup!)

Matthew 14:31

• It’s interesting to note that in the Greek Jesus’ tone isn’t accusatory
• In other words: He isn’t condemning Peter for having an all-too-human moment of doubt and fear
• Instead He’s reminding Peter of a fundamental truth: If you’ll trust Me- if you’ll believe in Me- if you’ll NEVER forget that I AM God
• I will ALWAYS be with you
• I will ALWAYS protect and comfort you- no matter what circumstances you face in life!
• Folks- the promise Jesus made to Peter is the same promise He makes to you and me
• As long as you keep your eyes on Jesus- as long as you cling to the faith that says He is God’s one and only Son
• He will never- NO NOT EVER- fail or forsake you

CONCLUSION

• In trying to decide how I should close this sermon-
• I thought about sharing some story or illustration of God’s power and faithfulness
• I even found a few good ones I was sure you’d like
• But the Holy Spirit kept leading me back to one of my favorite passages of Scripture- Romans 8:35-39
• When the storms come- when your boat is about to sink beneath the waves
• Don’t worry
• Jesus will be with you
• And He will NEVER let you down- He’ll never let you drown
• It’s a promise He can make because He is God’s one and only Son
• It’s a promise He can KEEP because He is God’s one and only Son
• Let us pray

September 23, 2007 - Everyday Another Miracle: Changing Water Into Wine

Scripture Meditation: John 2:1-11

INTRODUCTION

• Do you believe in miracles? I do.
• I've seen too many of them to question their existence
• To me once you accept that God exists- and that He created the Universe- you HAVE to believe in miracles
• I mean if God can't perform a miracle
• He isn't worthy of our praise or worship
• Let's put it this way:
• Why would someone think it was impossible for Jonah to have survived for three days in the belly of a fish?
• Come on people!
• We're talking about GOD!
• He's the One who created Jonah AND the fish in the first place!
• Of course miracles happen
• God the Father caused them to happen in the Old Testament
• And God's only begotten Son- Jesus the Christ- performed them in the New Testament
• Which brings us to the sermon series we're beginning this morning
• I'm calling it Everyday Another Miracle
• During these messages we're going to examine many of the miracles Jesus performed while here on Earth
• We're not only going to think about what happened
• We're going to discover what it means- and how it fits into Jesus' mission and ministry
• This morning we're going to begin with the first of Jesus' miracles-
• Changing water into wine at the wedding in Cana of Galilee
• Please read John 2:1-2

THE MIRACLE: WHAT HAPPENED

• For people in Bible times weddings were monumentally important things
• According to ancient tradition the ceremony itself would always be held on a Wednesday
• The reception would begin immediately after the ceremony- and it would go on for days
• Two or three if the family was poor
• And up to a week if the family was wealthy

John 2:3

• I've got to admit that what I'm about to say is pure speculation-
• But I think Jesus' mother Mary was related to the bride's family
• I mean- it would explain why she was so concerned about the wine running out
• Here's the thing: Having no wine for your wedding guests
• Would've been more than a social faux pas
• In those days a bride's family could be sued for running out of food and drink before the party ended
• It was all part of a social contract that existed between the bride, her family and the wedding guests.
• Essentially it went something like this:
• Each guest was expected to bring an appropriate (meaning expensive) wedding gift
• In turn- the bride and her family would provide all the food and drink their guests demanded
• Now this is where it gets strange:
• A couple had the right to sue a guest who failed to bring an appropriately expensive gift
• Which meant a guest could sue the bride's family if they didn't get enough to eat and drink in return
• That's why I think Mary was related to the bride's family
• She knew that if the wine were gone
• Her family could have been sued into bankruptcy

John 2:4

• That sounds pretty disrespectful- don't you think? Dear woman, why do you involve me?
• But that's not what's happening here
• In the original Greek dear woman is a term of intimacy and endearment
• It's kind of like calling someone 'sweetheart'
• As for Jesus' question- why do you involve me?
• It's not that harsh sounding in the Greek
• Instead it's more like asking: Are you sure this is any of our business?
• What's important here is the contrast between the concerns of Jesus and His mother
• Mary was concerned about the lack of wine
• While Jesus' focus was already on the reason He had come to Earth
• Notice what He says: My time has not yet come
• Throughout the Gospels whenever Jesus talks about my time or the hour
• He's talking about the moment He would die on the Cross for the sin of the world
• Please read Matthew 26:36-46
• When Jesus told Mary my time has not yet come He was saying:
• Mother- I've always been obedient to you. I've always tried to do what you've asked Me to do
• But above all- I've got to obey my Father in heaven. I must submit to His plan for My life- no matter what it costs Me!
• Now read verse 5
• You know, sometimes it hard to know what to think about Mary
• Some Christians exalt her to the point where she's virtually an object of worship
• While others look at her as little more than a uterus God used to bring Jesus into the world
• The Bible gives us another way to think about Mary: She was the witness
• She was the only one who saw- and experienced- the whole thing
• She was the one who:
• Heard Gabriel announce that she would give birth to the Savior
• Gave Jesus birth- who watched Him grow- and supported Him throughout His earthly ministry
• Stood at the foot of the Cross and watched Jesus die- and then saw Him in His resurrected glory
• More than anyone else Mary knew who Jesus was:
• 'Yes'- he was her Son
• But more importantly-
• She knew Jesus was the only begotten Son of God- the Christ- the Savior of the world
• And she knew that God's Son could perform a miracle
• That's why she confidently told the servants: "Do whatever he tells you."

John 2:6

• These stone jars were at the reception for a purpose
• Old Testament law required Jews to wash their hands before eating
• Since modern plumbing wasn't around in those days- the stone jars were set out as wash basins

John 2:7

• Now remember-
• There were six of these jars holding between 20-30 gallons of water each
• We're talking about nearly 150 gallons of water

John 2:8

• You know- there's something missing here
• In the 7th verse.../ In the 8th verse...
• Jesus instructs the servants to put water into the jars
• He says draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet
• Do you see what's missing?
• There's no explanation of what Jesus did to change the water into wine!
• Which is very unusual
• Typically when the Bible describes one of Jesus' miracles it tells us He did something first:
• In some situations He prayed
• Other times He took some kind of concrete action
• Please read Mark 7:31-35
• Here's the bottom line-
• We don't know what Jesus did in John 2 to change the water into wine
• All the Bible tells us is that the water became wine
• LOld TestamentS of wine
• About 150 gallons worth
• That would fill about 4800 4 oz. glasses
• Talk about taking a party to the next level
• You can get a lot of people smashed with 150 gallons of wine

John 2:8-9

• The master of the banquet was responsible for keeping the party going
• He was like a master of ceremonies
• Or a toastmaster
• Anyway- let me paraphrase what he told the groom: "Most people bring out the best-tasting wine first- then when everyone's liquored-up- and nobody cares- they bring out the cheap stuff. But you've saved the best for last."
• A wine-snob might have expressed it more eloquently
• But there's no getting around what happened
• Jesus had taken well water- and turned it into the finest vintage of wine you could imagine

THE MIRACLE: WHAT IT MEANS

• It was a miracle- but what does it mean?
• See- in the New Testament miracles don't just happen
• Miracles always happen for a reason- they always reveal a deeper spiritual truth
• Well read what John says in verse 11
• By witnessing this miracle
• Jesus' disciples concluded that He WAS the Messiah- the Christ- the Son of the Living God
• The question is:
• What was it about this miracle that caused them to reach this conclusion?
• Well...to answer that question you have to go back to the Old Testament
• In the Old Testament wine- and the consumption of wine- symbolizes the blessings and spiritual joys that comes from the Lord
• Psalm 104:14-15
• Ecclesiastes 9:7
• In Genesis 27:27-28, Isaac blesses Jacob
• Now- let's jump forward about a thousand years to the time the Jewish people were living in exile in the nation of Babylon.
• These were people who are lost everything.
• About the only thing that kept them going was the dream of returning to their homes in the Holy Land
• During that time God sustained the hopes of His people. Through the prophets He told them
• You'll only be in captivity for a short time.
• Then I'll restore you and bring you back home. Once again I will be your God- and you will be my people
• In these prophecies the harvest of new wine became a symbol of hope- a symbol of God's promise
• Jeremiah 31:10-12
• Zechariah 10:6-7
• At this point you might be thinking:
• OK- I understand that wine was a symbol of hope and spiritual joy for the Jews.
• But I still don't see why changing water into wine made the disciples believe that Jesus was the Messiah
• Here's where we come to the most important prophecy of all- Isaiah 25:1; 6-9
• What we just read is a prophecy concerning the coming of the Messiah- the Christ- the Son of the living God
• And notice what it says: One of the things the Messiah will do is host a glorious feast that flows with wine
• Not cheap wine- but the finest wine that can be imagined!
• Now do you get it? Do you see what this miracle means?
• By changing water into wine Jesus had fulfilled one of the prophecies concerning the coming of the Messiah
• No wonder the disciples concluded that He was the Christ- the Son of the Living God- the Savior of the world!
• But there's one other thing I want you to notice about this miracle: It proves that Jesus is in the transformation business
• In Cana He proved He could take ordinary water and transform it into a dark, rich, full-flavored wine
• But more importantly- the Bible says Jesus can take a filthy sinner and transform them into a pure and righteous child of God!
• Isaiah 1:18: says: 'Come now, let us reason together,' says the LORD. 'Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.'

CONCLUDING ILLUSTRATION

• You probably don't know who Vincent Damon Furnier is-
• But you may know his stage name- Alice Cooper
• In the 1970's and 80's The Alice Cooper Group was one of the biggest names in rock
• Essentially Vince Furnier invented what came to be known as 'shock rock'
• The songs- and especially the stage shows- were designed to be loud, raunchy and over-the-top
• In those days a typical Alice Cooper concert-
• Featured lots of blood, gore, electric chairs, guillotines and Satanic imagery
• Each show ended with a scene of Cooper being executed for witchcraft
• As Alice Cooper's act took off- his life began to spiral out of the control
• By the early 80's he and his bandmates were spending $32,000 a year- just on beer
• As alcoholism took control of his life- his wife threatened to end their marriage
• As it turns out- both Cooper and his wife had a strong Christian heritage
• Cooper's father and grandfather had been ministers
• His wife's father was a Southern Baptist preacher
• Anyway- with no place else to turn Alice Cooper and his wife Sheryl started attending church
• Eventually- Alice Cooper made a public profession of faith in Jesus Christ.
• In his own words:
• At first I accepted Jesus because the preacher made me afraid I was going to hell
• Only later did I begin to understand God's love and acceptance
• The idea of someone like Alice Cooper becoming a Christian has been difficult for some people to grasp
• His old fans wonder what it means
• And some 'fundamentalist' Christians have questioned the sincerity of his faith
• Today Alice Cooper and his wife are active members of the Camelback Bible Church in Scottsdale, Arizona
• They're deeply involved in Sunday School and Bible study
• And- as a fellow member of Camelback writes:

I got to meet him for the first time this past Sunday. I went to work in the church's nursery Sunday night while they were having a prayer service. Anyway, much to my surprise, he and his wife, Sheryl, were also working in the nursery. So, I had the privilege of walking in on him having a tea party with a little 3 year old (named) Anna.
Source- The Furnier Freakshow website

• From the alcoholic godfather of shock rock to a man humbly serving the Lord by ministering in the church nursery...on a Sunday night!
• Now THAT'S a testimony to the transforming power of Jesus Christ
• ...And they call changing water into wine a miracle
• Let us pray